Best cheap hot hatch in 2025

The Fiesta went out of production in 2023, and thousands of hot hatch fans across Britain wept (probably). For years it's been our number one way to have fun for less – if you want maximum hot hatch thrills but don’t need much space and don’t want to spend a fortune, you can probably stop reading this top 10 here. The Ford Fiesta ST is simply brilliant, with handling that’ll put a grin on your face and an exhaust note that’ll make you feel 17 again.

The previous-generation Fiesta ST, launched in 2013, is a bit of a hot hatch bargain today. Around £5,000 will get you a good, early example and, thanks to its turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine, it shouldn’t cost a fortune to run, either.

If you want the latest Ford Fiesta ST, which arrived in 2018, you’ll need a budget of around £10,000. That’s still an awful lot of fun for not a lot of cash.

If you long for a Ford Fiesta ST but need space for the kids, the Focus ST is the perfect substitute. The 2012 model lost the older 2.5-litre Volvo engine which graced earlier models, replaced by a potent 2.0-litre Ecoboost unit. A diesel followed in 2015.

As you’d expect, the ST is very different from a standard Focus, with a lowered chassis (10mm) and custom body styling. A facelift in 2015 saw the grille tweaked, while the front and rear lights were slimmed down.

Even when it was new, the Focus ST represented good value for money. Today, you can find a 2012 model for around £7,500.

The Volkswagen Up GTI is a proper little pocket rocket. Okay, it’s not going to win any Top Trumps contests (its 1.0-litre petrol engine produces 115PS and it covers 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds), but to judge it on this basis alone is doing it a disservice.

It’s the smallest hot hatch on sale today and arguably one of the most fun. Its fizzy little engine is punchy enough, and it feels like you’re travelling much faster than you actually are.

The Up GTI’s only been on sale since 2018 but you can still pick one up for around £11,000. In terms of fun-per-pound, that's hard to beat.

Even entry-level MINIs are a lot of fun to drive, with legendary handling and eager engines. But for maximum hilarity, you want a John Cooper Works model. The latest arrived in 2015 and, with 231PS, it’s the most powerful MINI hatch ever.

With its aggressive styling, bespoke alloy wheels and red brake calipers, the JCW is substantially different enough from the lesser Cooper S to really stand out in the car park. And that’s amplified on the move, thanks to a twin exhaust system which pops and cracks when you lift off the accelerator. Honestly, it’s addictive.

So, what’s the catch? Well, it’s not the price. A new one will set you back nearly £33,000, but an early example will cost you from around £11,000, which sounds like incredible value for money to us.

Remember the brilliant Peugeot 205 GTI? It’s arguably more iconic than the Volkswagen Golf GTI. But since the 205 GTI was retired in 1994, the French brand’s struggled to recreate the excitement of its original hot hatch.

After numerous wet squibs (we’re looking at you, 207 GTI), the Peugeot 208 GTI represented a return to form for the carmaker. It uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol and can accelerate to 62mph in 6.8 seconds, which is pretty decent for a car of this price.

You can pick one up for as little as £3,500, which makes it one of the most affordable hot hatches to feature on this list. It might not have the image of a Ford Fiesta ST or Renaultsport Clio, but that’s a good thing for a hot hatch buyer on a budget.

The BMW M140i differs from everything else here for two reasons - it's rear-wheel drive, and it has a six-cylinder engine. Sadly, these unique aspects of the M140i were scrubbed out when it was replaced with the all-wheel drive, inline-four-powered M135i in 2019, but happily, there are plenty of used ones kicking around, and they're cheap.

You can spend even less by going for the pre-facelift model, confusingly also called M135i (but don't worry, you still get rear-drive and that straight-six), but either way, you'll be able to enjoy a very different driving experience here from any of the other cars listed. 

The later M140i is quite a bit more powerful, producing 340PS, but it's not like the older M135i is slow, kicking out 306PS from an older engine of the same size (3.0 litres).

Sadly, they really don't make 'em like this any more. 

Available since 2014, the SEAT Leon Cupra combines breathtaking pace with a surprising amount of practicality. The former is thanks to a 280PS or 290PS 2.0-litre petrol engine, while the latter is because of the Leon’s sensible family car credentials – there’s even an estate version for maximum practicality.

The Leon Cupra is closely related to the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Skoda Octavia vRS. It represents better value for money than the Volkswagen, though, and is more stylish than the Octavia.

Cupra models have quite a strong legion of fans, but you can pick up an early Leon Cupra for around £9000.

Proving you can have your cake and eat it, the Skoda Octavia vRS is a great value hot hatch for the family buyer. It’s huge, which means it’s got a spacious interior and a boot large enough for the biggest of food shops. Just like the standard Skoda Octavia.

The 2013 model was sold with a choice of 2.0-litre petrol or diesel engines, as well as hatch or estate body styles. Go for the petrol for maximum thrills, while the estate version makes for a quite an understated hot hatch (or, erm, hot wagon...).

The Skoda Octavia vRS shares a lot of parts with the Volkswagen Golf GTI so it’s actually more fun than you might expect for a sensible Skoda, especially if you hunt out a vRS 245 model which arrived in 2018.

Sadly, the Renault Sport sub-brand is dead. The last car made under that banner was the Renault Sport Megane, and while it might not be the best of the breed (that honour goes to the first-generation version, especially in R26.R guise), it's still a very exciting hot hatch that's new enough to feel fresh yet old enough to be quite affordable on the used market. 

You'll want an earlier one, not just because they're cheaper, but also because after a certain point, Renault only sold this version of the Megane RS with an automatic gearbox. The initial RS280 model could be specced with either a Sport or a Cup chassis, the latter being a lot firmer and bundled with a limited-slip differential to boost traction. 

If you want something a bit more comfortable, then, the Sport is worth seeking out, although they're aren't many around. At the other end of the spectrum was the wild, two-seater Trophy-R, although these certainly don't qualify as 'cheap'. 

The Volkswagen Golf GTI is one of the most iconic hot hatches on the market. The smaller Polo GTI is closer to the original in terms of size (and cost), though, so you could argue it’s where the sensible money goes.

It’s not quite got the cult status of the Ford Fiesta ST, but it’s still fun to drive and looks pretty sporty. We’d recommend looking at a 2015 or newer model for the 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine.

A budget of around £11,000 will get you one of these desirable models with relatively low miles on the clock. We’d recommend one with the manual gearbox for true hot hatch thrills, but the DSG transmission is fine if you’d prefer an auto.