Powerflex Blogs – The Top 10 Hot Hatches For Under 5k – And The Powerflex Parts You Should Fit To Them
They all but destroyed the sports car sector, made car makers the length and breadth of the globe sit up and take notice, and they could have been made with British roads in mind. What are we banging on about? Hot hatches of course, and we’re presently living in something of a golden age as far as fizzy, Porsche-bothering hatchbacks are concerned, both in terms of brand new offerings and those nestled within the classified ads. This got us thinking about just how much ‘bang for your buck’ you can get, which is why we’ve come up with the list below – the ultimate rundown of hot hatches available to buy right now, the only stipulation being that they have to cost less than £5000.
We’ve also included a link to the Powerflex part we think best suits the car in question, which in most cases means an uprated mount or bush kit, or even one of our all-encompassing Handling Packs.
1) Honda Civic Type R EP3/MK7
There’s a very good reason why Type R Hondas have been embraced by vast swathes of the UK’s performance motoring community, and that’s that they’re perfectly suited to Britain’s patchwork B-roads and windy, rutted lanes. The EP3 was the first R-badged Civic to be officially sold over here and is, therefore, something of a hot hatch icon, and that’s before we get to its trump card, the manic, high-revving VTEC engine powering the front wheels. You’ll have to work it hard to make progress, but then that’s how the engine was designed to perform, like a race car. Factor in the sheer number currently available for well under 5k, the fact that they will go up in price as the years roll by, and the EP3 becomes something of a no-brainer.
The EP3 is well catered for by the Powerflex range and there are no shortage of options, but we consider our Rear Lower Arm Inner Front Bush to be among the most worthwhile upgrades available, certainly in terms of sharpened handling: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Rear+Lower+Arm+Inner+Front+Bush/11029.html
2) Peugeot 205 GTi
It’s still (just about) possible to grab yourself an example of one of the finest hot hatches of the 1980s for less than £5000, but you’ll have to act quick – prices are rising at a dizzying rate! Of course, it isn’t hard to see why the GTi’s stock has soared so much in recent years, one need only drive a half-decent one to realise that all the superlatives chucked this car’s way are true – it’s a stunning handling, great looking hot hatch. £5000 won’t see you picking from pristine, low mileage examples, but you should be able to nab a solid (if tatty) 1.6 variant for less than our self-imposed budget.
The 205 GTi is not a young car and the vast majority will benefit from uprated Powerflex bushes, the front Anti-Roll Bar bush being no exception: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Anti+Roll+Bar+Bush+17mm/244.html
3) Renault Clio 182
Another Gallic hot hatch based upon the Colin Chapman principle – ‘simplify and add lightness!’ We’re all but certain that in 5 years’ time we’ll look back and collectively kick ourselves for not buying more Clio 182s when they could be had for buttons. Just how many buttons we hear you ask? Well, £5000 gets you a choice of any number of hot Clios, with some of those at the upper end of that figure being stripped out track cars – perfect if you like the idea of spending your weekend tormenting M3 drivers on twisty circuit track days. In line with both Peugeot and Citroen, Renault hit a rich vein of hot hatch form in the late ‘90s, and the Clio 182 (they actually had 180bhp) was arguably its high point. You’ll struggle to find a better B-road blaster than this Gallic pocket rocket, just make sure you don’t crash it or let it rot.
There can only be one option for 182 owners keen to utterly transform the handling of their car, and that’s our complete, ‘fit and forget’ Handling Pack: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Powerflex+Handling+Pack/11789.html
4) Mk5 Golf GTI
Yet another car that’s certain to go down in petrolhead lore, the Mk5 righted the wrongs of its Mk4 predecessor at a stroke, then set about moving the hot hatch game onwards in leaps and bounds. It says much that both the Mk6 and Mk7 Golf GTIs stuck closely to the Mk5’s proven formula, underlining both the importance of the latter and its innate quality. It’s still a fast car and one which can be used for everything from daily driving duties, right up to track day and club motorsport heroics, meaning that there really is no need to compromise when buying one.
The popularity of the fifth gen Golf in club motorsport is reflected in the Powerflex range, so much so that the only limiting factor is your budget! We’d recommend our trick Front Wishbone-Rear Bush kit with built-in anti-lift and caster offset traits, particularly if you plan on driving your GTI in anger: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Front+Wishbone+Rear+Bush+Anti-Lift+%26+Caster+Offset/11402.html
5) Mini Cooper S JCW
It’s taken a little while, but the first iteration of BMW’s Mini, the R53, has finally managed to step out from the colossal shadow cast by its classic, BMC predecessor. First gen Minis of all kinds fall comfortably into our £5000 budget meaning that we’re able to look towards the upper echelons of the Cooper range for inspiration, including the S and John Cooper Works. All provide stirring if not life-changing performance (with the added cache of a supercharger to boot), brilliant handling and timeless looks. They’re almost certain to go up in value and won’t get much cheaper, so we’d strike while the iron’s hot and grab a good ‘un!
The R53 is another of those cars which we know a great deal about via our expanded motorsport programme, which is why we’re able to offer a Front Wishbone Inner Ball Joint kit, one that’s able to provide an additional 1.25° of negative camber: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Front+Wishbone+Inner+Ball+Joint%2C+Negative+Camber/12279.html
6) Vauxhall Astra VXR (H)
The Golf above too refined, sensible and (dare we say it) dull? Then you might want to consider Luton’s mid-noughties hot hatch entry, the Mk5 Astra VXR. What the VXR lacks in handling finesse and badge kudos is more than makes up for in road presence and, in standard guise at least, performance. 240bhp through the front wheels of a hot hatch was massive news 12 years ago, so much so that the VXR earned a reputation for somewhat unruly (read understeery) handling at the ragged edge, though this can be largely cured by the addition of an aftermarket Limited Slip Differential and some choice parts from the Powerflex range.
Speaking of which, we’re able to supply a comprehensive list of parts to sharpen the VXR’s handling, with a raft of ARB bushes, sub-frame, engine and exhaust mounts, as well as a dedicated Handling Pack: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Powerflex+Handling+Pack/11793.html
7) Renault Megane RenaultSport R26
One of the most significant hot hatches of the previous decade, the RS-badged variant of the R26 Megane was able to take the fight to Ford’s similarly badged Focus Mk2, and much of this was down to its innovative PerfoHub front suspension setup. It meant that the R26’s near 250bhp could be funnelled through the front-wheels with relative ease, and without giving way to excessive levels of that most irksome and debilitating of hot hatch conditions, torque-steer. It’s also another of those cars that’s all but certain to shoot up in value as the years pass and their numbers dwindle, so all the more reason to grab a bargain while you still can.
Our Front Arm Rear Bush kit promises owners a reduction in lift and, perhaps more significantly, greater control over their Megane’s caster offset: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Front+Arm+Rear+Bush+Anti-Lift+%26+Caster+Offset/11593.html
8) Suzuki Swift Sport
The Suzuki Swift Sport was something or a surprise hit when launched 12 years ago, with many motoring journalists taken aback by its engaging handling, sharp looks and rev-happy performance. Many have compared it to hot hatches of old like the 205GTI, and much of this comes from its naturally aspirated 1.6 engine. It can’t match its turbocharged rivals for out and out pace but the Swift Sport’s VVT 1.6 is a hoot, the kind of engine you really can relish extracting every last shred of power from. There are plenty of Swift Sports to choose from, all well under budget and many less than 10 years old, making it a hot hatch you can buy with your head as well as your heart.
Entertaining it might be, but the Sport isn’t the most sophisticated of hot hatches, and even comes with a beam-type rear axle. Proper location of this can have a big impact on the Swift’s cornering abilities, hence why we’d recommend fitting the Powerflex Rear Beam Mount Bush kit: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Rear+Beam+Mount+Bush/1560.html
9) Mazda 3 MPS
The thinking person’s hot hatch, and one which manages to fly under the radar of pretty much everyone! The MPS version of the Mazda 3 was praised at launch for its performance punch and keen handling, yet panned for so-so styling, the latter probably accounting for the model’s relatively small following today. Don’t let this detract from the Mazda 3’s all-round competence, however, as there can be little doubt that a decent, low mileage MPS is among the most effective hot hatches £5k can buy at this point in time.
The Powerflex Rear Upper Control Arm Camber Adjustment Bush kit represents a comprehensive bush upgrade for the MPS, as well as providing a handy +/- 1 degrees of on-car camber adjustment: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Rear+Upper+Control+Arm+Camber+Adjustable+Bush/11727.html
10) VW Lupo GTI
It says a lot about the high regard in which the Lupo was held that VW itself struggled to replace it, with the Brazilian made Fox having failed to garner anything approaching the kind of respect enjoyed by its predecessor. Top of the Lupo tree sat the GTI, an attractive looking hatch powered by a Polo sourced 1.6l making a handy 125bhp. It was a sophisticated engine (and one fitted with a 6-speed gearbox from 2002 onwards) yet it was only half the story, the Lupo GTI’s real trump card being its sub-1000kg weight, this partly achieved through the use of lightweight aluminium for the wings, bonnet and doors. The price of Lupo GTIs has well and truly exploded in recent years, meaning now really is the time to act if you want one for under 5k.
There’s much to be said for lowering the Lupo GTI’s centre of gravity, and our Front Strut Top Mount Bush Kit is a great place to start. It offers an extra 10mm of lowering as it allows the strut to sit higher in the body of the top mount itself: https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Front+Strut+Top+Mount+Bush+-10mm/11621.html
