10 Great Used Hot Hatchbacks That Can Be Picked Up For Less Than $15,000

The boom time of hot hatch sales might be over, but they are still the most fun you can have on the cheap.

Armed with a $15,000 budget doesn’t get you much in the way of sports car thrills today. But go back a few years and aim for something more practical and the hot hatch is the king of performance bargains. Volkswagen takes the credit for creating the buzz of the hot hatch with the 1977 Golf GTI. But, search deeper, and you’ll find a few other carmakers’ claims to the “first” hot hatch title.

The 1980s were when Hot Hatches became a dominant force. Icons such as the Gandini-styled Renault 5 Turbo, and Peugeot 205T16 duked it out to be the hottest. The winner? Gearheads seeking sports car thrills on a budget, and these cars can be picked in the used car market today.

In recent years, the hot hatch has seen a small revival that’s growing in number, with Toyota’s tarmac scorching GR Yaris leading the pack. But somehow, the simplicity and magic of the greats are missing.

RELATED: 10 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Used Honda Civic Type R

Suzuki Swift Sport

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Think all hot hatches originated in Europe? By and large, they did. But this didn’t stop Suzuki from entering the fray with their Swift Sport. Overlooked by gearheads dreaming of the Golf GTi, the Swift was just as much fun to drive and cheaper too.

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Despite its cheap asking price, the Swift Sport is no slouch featuring a 1.6-liter engine and a 6-speed Asin manual transmission. The Golf is quicker, but the Suzuki is lighter and more dexterous. The underdog Swift is more about driving fun than high-speed thrills.

Honda Civic Type-R FN2

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No list of hot hatches would be complete without a Civic Type-R. And there are several models to choose from, but none stand out quite like the FN2. Futuristic looks guarantee you’ll never forget you’re piloting one of Honda’s finest.

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The FN2 despite its incredible styling is a proper driver’s car. Under the hood, a 200 hp 2.0-liter VTEC engine pushed the limits of what a front-wheel drive chassis could handle. Needless to say, Honda had thought of this. The solution utilized a manual transmission and a helical LSD set-up with Bridgestone Potenza tires keeping things under control.

Volkswagen Golf R32

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The niche-defining Golf GTi is good, but why settle for less? The Golf R32 built on the pivotal hot hatch adding more cylinders, power, and street cred. In 2005, this was about as fast as VW would allow gearheads to go limiting top speed to 153 mph.

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Updating the Golf with a bigger engine is only part of the R32 story. Lifting the hood reveals not only a 3.2-liter V6 but a key feature of the Golf R32’s performance, its transmission. Volkswagen pioneered the DSG or dual-clutch transmission responsible for R32’s lightning-fast shifts.

Renault Megane RS

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Renault has been busy in recent years re-inventing its own hot hatch line-up. Not quite as in your face as the expensive Renault 5 Turbo the Megane RS is more understated. That changed with the prodding of the starter button firing the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine into life.

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In case you didn’t already know RS stands for Renault Sport. And like every RS badged car, there are hot and hotter versions. At the lower the RS250 makes do with a mere 250 hp, the higher the number, the more power. However, it’s the RS250 that’s quicker off the line reaching 60 mph in 6.1-seconds.

Hyundai Veloster Turbo R

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Hyundai’s entry into the small and fiercely competitive hot hatch market is a crowded one. The Veloster Turbo R in any model year is good, but with prices as low as $10k it’s a steal you can’t afford to pass up. We suspect brand values that affect residual values are to blame.

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Budget branding worries evaporate once underway. The Veloster delivers a punch that belies Hyundai’s reputation with a sweet revving 1.6-liter turbocharged GDI engine. With 201 hp on tap, the Veloster aptly named, scorches to 60 mph in 6.1-seconds.

RELATED: Here’s Why You Should Buy A Hyundai Veloster Turbo

Nissan Pulsar GTi-R N14

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Gearheads were easily fooled by the Pulsar GTi-R’s size and box-like appearance. Of all the pocket rockets under $15k, the Pulsar is the most surprising in how much Nissan delivered. Crammed with tech, Nissan found space for a 2.0-liter SR20DET engine, and 4WD.

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Stuffed with all manner of tech, the Pulsar GTi-R’s biggest party piece is how fast it gets off the line. We’re talking about supercar shaming performance. The Pulsar GTi-R despite its cheap asking price, will leave a Ferrari 348 standing with a 0-60 mph time of 5.4-seconds.

PeugeotSport 208 GTi

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The best hot hatch of all time isn’t the Golf GTi, but rather the sharper and more exciting 205 GTi. A long wait ensued littered with interim models falling short of gearheads expectations. In 2012, the wait was finally over. Peugeot with the unveiling of the 208 GTi had gone back to its roots.

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As comebacks go there is little to dislike about the 208 GTI. From the shared 1.6-liter turbocharged engine putting down 205 hp to the astonishing levels of ride and grip afforded by 17-inch Michelin rubber the GTi had been reborn.

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

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No, we haven’t taken leave of our senses the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA deserves its place here. We’re not going to pretend it will never go wrong or break down, but that silky smooth 3.2-liter V6 is too good to ignore. Unfortunately for gearheads, Alfa Romeo stopped selling cars stateside in 1995.

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Voted European Car Of The Year in 2001 the Alfa Romeo got off to a good start. That high praise didn’t last. Critics claimed over light steering and a clumsy shift spoiled the driving experience. We’d argue the money saved on buying one would make the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA a better car. With a few sensible upgrades, the Busso V6 makes this overlooked hatch a compelling buy.

RELATED: This Is What Made The Alfa Romeo 147 So Awesome

Seat Leon Cupra R

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Bargain hunters should rejoice. The Seat Leon Cupra R, despite its Spanish factory, is a nuts and bolts copy of the Golf GTi. Peel away the bodywork, and you’ll find a familiar VW engine and transmission package. In essence, a badge-engineered VW (Audi) premium product without the expense.

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More for less is always going to go down well with gearheads. Seat did more than reinvent VW’s Golf. Turning out three variants between 2006-09 boasting up to 306 hp. The Cupra R secretly outshone its more famous sibling.

Ford Fiesta ST

Ford

Ford Europe’s offering of fast, fun, and affordable family hatches goes back to the late ’70s. Picking one as a daily driver under our budget is much easier. Kicking off with a new floorpan and body design for 2008 brought a much-needed injection of style. Gone were the boring boxy designs of its predecessor, Ford was on a roll.

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Likewise, under the hood, the Fiesta was all new. Ford’s 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine brought turbo power back to the Fiesta range. At its launch in 2014, you’d have to search long and hard to find a cheaper 200 hp supermini. Over the following seven years, Ford sold 35,000 STs making the used market a happy hunting ground.