My Volvo C30 T5 is still going strong. 6-speed Manual, turbo five is just the perfect combo. Interstate trips, mountain passes and every day commuting - always enjoyable, and still looks unique and iconic. Love it!
Manual? Lucky man! They're super rare in NZ, my T5 is auto, great for the city, not so much for "spirited" driving, but it is a car of many talents. I'd describe it more as a premium GT hatch. I did put in a MPS rear swaybar that transformed the handling though. And 4 years in, 60k on the clock, no gremlins that he mentioned...
C30 T5 manual was my first car. LOVE how it drives and feels really premium in the interior with aluminium inlays and leather. Great car, sold it with 180'000km, was still going strong. Would recommend
I had a 2010 RS200 Clio Cup throphy and had no issues what so ever and I sold it in 2018. On the other hand my mother use to own a Mazda 323 protege and that had oil consumption issues from new.
So you mentioned doing a review on a C30 Volvo in the future. Looking through the catalog of vids, you haven’t managed to do one yet. I’ve got a super rare, C30 RDesign Polestar factory tuned car from 2012. It’s such a well sorted car! I am having the discs and pads replaced soon, as it’s time, but if you make a trip to Melbourne in the future, you might like to come have a look?
I had an xr5 and looked after her better than i looked after myself....great little car for a daily and responsible user. Im not sure how they go with decent thrashings in terms of mechanical stability, but like any car just look after it and it will look after you! Keep up the good honest videos, people need to know about all the faults with cars to make a sensible financial decision.
Mine has 345k on the clock and I beat the crap out of it fairly regularly on the track, and it's holding up amazing. The only things are just normal wear and tear stuff, like the clutch is starting to go and the suspension bushes are getting a little tired. The only thing that's annoying is the wastegate is starting to fail and making an annoying noise and making it so that sometimes you don't get full boost. But for one that's done a few laps of the block and has been tuned to over 300whp I'd say it's going pretty damn good.
My mate has a 130i. Great engine! So much fun! Definitely not cheap to own. Suspension needs work but the engine has been fairly reliable. Just do your maintenance and make sure you actually rev it out fairly regularly! The vanos (vvt) system is actuated by oil pressure. Apparently he reckons you need to actually use the vanos system to avoid it clogging up with old oil/having issues. So maybe don't by one off a grandma?
I recently just bought a sportivo to learn manual in and fukin hell it’s a blast to drive. It’s got good power but also very fuel efficient when you want it to be.
French hot hatches are great, but I wouldn't have another one. Had a new 1999 Peugeot 206 GTi in the UK, great to drive, but always in for warranty work, and it failed its Pre Delivery Inspection (water pump/head gasket leak). Part exchanged it 3 years later for a 2003 Honda Civic Type-R (EP3) which I still have today in Oz :) Renault's drive great, but always had a rep for poor reliability in the UK - perhaps much better now ?
Mate I'm the same. I've had a 206GTi 180, Renault Megane 225 Cup and RS275 Trophy, all of which gave me grief at some point. All superb to drive, when they worked but wow, what a minefield. - AK
Quite surprised that the 2007 - 2012 Toyota blade didn't make the list?. The FWD 2.5ltr four cylinder is really quick. If you have extra cash lying around, you can pick up a 3.5ltr V6 master variant (an 206kw / 344nm powerhouse) for under 25 grand. Or do you guys not have them in Australia?
@@tristramfenech8284 i know...I was saying if you wanted to be even more discreet,more equipments and having a lift back instead of a hatch. There's plenty of XR5 Focus but there isn't many XR5 Mondeo around.
I used to own a manual base model of one of those focus hatchbacks and for a base model focus the engine was quite impressive had good torque. Remember though for a base model car. Was a bit heavy for my liking though but was very practical had a lot of space and handled quite well.
Great list except the quality and reliability of Renault has improved significantly after partnering with Mitsubishi and Nissan. This applies to Megane RS250 and Clio III onwards. Anyway look forward to you reviewing one
Reliability and quality improved tell that to Australia Post and trucking giant toll Renault traffic has proven to be problematic .when Renault swallowed up Nissan it shredded it's once great durability record and I'm afraid Mitsubishi will go down the same road
I have been lucky enough to own most of these vehicles (Focus RS mk2 , Bmw 130 and 2x Corolla Sporitvos). Funnily enough the Toyotas were the least reliable. The Toyota doesn't have the strongest gearbox sadly and due to its terrible power band you have to ring it out. Out of all the cars though the corollas were the most enjoyable to drive. So much so that I bought a 2nd one after owning the vehicles discussed above. The engines character is fantastic and makes up for its terrible chassis. The Bmw was amazing to drive and looking back I regret selling it but it did have that feeling like BMW clipped its wings a little to make sure it wasn’t a m car. A Retune really helped though. Finally the Focus RS, Great car but I felt for Australian roads it wasn’t very well suited. being a wider vehicle it was a little hard to place on narrow country roads and due its immense capability you could only drive it at 5/10ths unless you wanted to lose your licence. I did end up loosing my licence and hence sold the car. It made me realise that I value dynamics and a high revving engine in a vehicle. Hence my current vehicle for the past 2 years has been a Mazda RX8. Honourable mention goes to the Skoda Fabia VRS. Was a fantastic allrounder, I’m glad I only owned it during the warranty period. Would hate to pay for the maintenance on a vehicle like that out of warranty. O and by the way thanks for the content, its fantastic.
I loved the corolla sportivos and really wanted to purchase one but ended up buying an accord euro CL9 and i gotta be honest similar power but the hondas far nicer.
2 cars that I'd say are underrated hot hatches are the 1991 Hyundai Excel LS and the Hyundai Getz. One thing I've noticed that you guys have said on other videos is that the cost of maintenance/repairing most European cars is quite high and while I won't disagree on that it'd be interesting to see a video what European cars are actually relatively cheap to own and maintain. Didn't disappoint with this video guys so keep up the good work and soon you'll be hitting 6 figure subscriber numbers which by right you all deserve 👍. Look forward to Friday's video and seeing which car you'll put the spotlight on this week.
@@ReDriven no probs guys you're channel puts in a lot more effort than some and you deserve the recognition for it. Also though the European cars video idea would give yourself, Hullsy and the team a fun challenge too
I used to have a Sportivo, revved like crazy and went like a scalded cat once the variable timing and lift came on song. I miss that car and one day maybe I’ll reward myself with a Renault RS…..👍🏻
Reward yourself? With a Renault? Think you mean punish yourself. That said, if you don't mind parting with large sums of money on a regular basis, and can afford to be without your car on a regular and extended basis as it's being diagnosed/repaired, an then waiting for parts, then sure. It would be cheaper I'd suggest just to buy a more expensive Toyota GR Yaris when you take in to consideration repair costs, depreciation, down time, inconvenience, lack of confidence, frustration ect. If you want the true Renault experience, be prepared, be very prepared for the true and actual cost. Not to mention the Toyota GR Yaris will become a cult following car, a Renault, yeah, well you decide.
@@MrWilliam.Stewart I hear you. I'd only buy one if it was new with factory warranty. I've always liked them but, have been frightened by reliability issues. I also love the Alfa Gulia but, again am too afraid to put cash down due to Alfa's history of reliability or lack of reliability. Unfortunately, in Australia both Renault and Alfa have a tiny dealer network and we don't when they will pack up and leave Australia. Yep, I'll stick with Toyota. The Corolla GR should be a goer.
i own an 2010 XR5T, sick car to drive, but yeah pricey on the repairs. Bought mine with 150,000KMs for $10k AUD and already spent around $3k on repairs, seems like I've gotten pretty much all of the main things that go wrong with em and haven't had issues for about 10,000kms so hopefully fine now
What happened on the Megane RS ? I drove tons of those. The engine is strong AF, I saw a few Meganes 3 RS with 400.000 km on it. Cops in France have some with 500.000 km with the original engine.
Mate, both gave me endless issues. Transmission problems, never ending electronic issues, just gremlins constantly on both. When it worked it was fantastic, but it spent so much time off the road being repaired, the positives just didn't outweigh the negatives. - AK
@@ReDriven So sad, electronic are the main weakness of French cars. Most of the times it is mount which tend to crack. I have been 2 times on the Nurburgring and the Megane is a monster. Miss the car.
Had a low milage Renault Clio Sport 172, it was remarkably good as a sports car, when it started. Now I have a standard high mileage base model 1.3L Yaris, that is remarkably poor as a sports car. But, and just like Kim Kardashian, it's a big butt, it is so much fun to drive at ten tenths. Because no one expects a standard Yaris to go fast, because no one lives on a race track, because no one enjoys driving a fast car slow, the little 23.6 Kilowatt Yaris with sticky tyres is the most fun car I've thrashed in the 32 years I've been driving cars. But please, please keep that to yourself. Also the Yaris cost nothing to purchase, nothing to fuel, has close to 400,000klm under it's economy car wheel bearings, gudgeon pins, disposable bores, poppet valves, Constant Velocity joints, cheap little fuel pump, nothing on it has broken, yet... Oh what a feeling... Fully trust the Yaris to drive me to Darwin and back, in chilly air conditioned comfort, couldn't trust the Renault to make it out of the driveway. Think I'm gunna have to start a channel devoted to the "Cold hatch" cause it's just so much fun to drive a slow car fast.
I'm sorry, but the 323 SP20 is not a great "hot hatch". I owned one for about 10 months before I got sick of it/bored with it and sold it. Handling felt good, and it had a nice gearshift (manual), but that was about it. I spent thousands on repairs on that car, and it really didn't feel all that quick/sporty to drive. It also wasn't all that economical to run. I sold the car for a Mini, which was way more fun to drive (but similarly expensive to service)! A much better hot hatch would be the 2012 VW Polo GTI I bought after the Mini. That thing was fantastic to drive, far quicker, super fun, and surprisingly practical. Servicing was pretty reasonable, and it was pretty comfortable on long drives. TBH my wife's mk6 VW Golf TDI would be a better 'hot hatch' than the Mazda, too. It's quicker and more engaging than the 323 SP20 to drive, way more fuel efficient, and cheaper to service (so far) than my 323 was. Even my current Alfa Giulietta is a better "hot hatch" than the 323 was, and I didn't even buy the sporty QV version... I would never recommend the 323 SP20 after my experience. Incidentally, my old housemate also owned an SP20, and his experience with it was not exactly great either... Also, @ReDriven, surely the fact that a brand isn't available in the USA shouldn't mean it is "not available in most countries"? Like Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, etc. are available in a lot of countries and huge markets. Incidentally, I would consider the former three manufacturers also produce quite a few excellent hot hatches. Surely the fact that these models weren't available in the USA shouldn't be a reason to exclude them from lists like this given the huge number of markets the are available in...?
Great vid as always yada, yada yada. Apart from the Corolla and SP20 in your vid I’d add “unmolested” N15 Pulsars with SR20DE and a XR4 Fiesta. The remainder are money pits (which is fine if you have the $) and insurance nightmares.
We very nearly put the XR4 in but they are so incredibly rare these days let alone an unmolested SSS Pulsar, again, cracking good car but so so rare. - AK
hey mate, you should have mentioned the powershift issues in Focus cars, probably the model you mentioned do not come with the powershift transmission tho
@@ReDriven AK Actually I just bought one in the past few weeks, and I've got heaps of insights into what to look out for, the different nuances and common problems between model year. Give me a message if you want to chat about it :)
Bahaha good old Renault GT great cars but boy they do become attached to you wallet, like real permanent, my wife had a GT 2014 (great fun car just loved spenging lots of time in the workshop) so we changed out for a 2018 same story both fun cars just left us nearly bankrupt 👌
No Honda Civic 🤫... they not make it down under ? Way better in every respect than any Renault especially the reliability, yes the Renault start to self destruct here in the UK as soon as they leave the showroom
Does Renault know how to make a good looking car? Thank god they don't sell those things over here in the U.S. of A. Also, they must not sell VW's GTI down under because they didn't make your list. Or, you guys completely blew it with your picks. The GTI is the King of the Hot Hatch category. Whiff!
Golf GTI is a brilliant thing however here in Australia, they're incredibly common and (depending on generation) can have a few issues. Plus, we wouldn't regard them as "bargains" as such. Good ones still command decent money. We've made it very clear in multiple other videos how much we love the GTI, we just felt not was time to share some love around. - AK
The Megane RS, is way better than the GTI. I had both the GTI is a joke, unreliable compared to the Megane or Clio RS. Renault knows how to make chassis, you have brembo brakes and Ohlins suspensions. The F4rt engine is reliable compared to the 2.0, saw a few Megane 3 RS with 400.000 km on their original engine.
A well maintained VW MK5 GTI will set faster track times than every car on your list. It’s fast, still very affordable and a hatch. And in 6speed manual form with a tuned FSI (still the most reliable engine built by VAG) you will have a very reliable & capable daily driver that can easily embarrass a lot of performance cars that are much more expensive. They have also been killing it in the NSW Production championships (Class D) in the capable hands of Josh Muggleton, consistently beating most of the class C cars & even some of the class B cars. That’s clearly a bias & not an oversight that you left them off the list.
Not in the slightest, we left it off as we've mentioned the GTI multiple times. So much so others have accused us for being biased towards it. We just want to share the love around some other models. - AK
The mentions for the Mazda and Toyota go to the genuine nature of this channel. Great stuff!
Thanks mate. - AK
8:15 That’s me!!! How awesome to be part of a Redriven video 😀 Love your work guys
Name checks out 😂
My Volvo C30 T5 is still going strong. 6-speed Manual, turbo five is just the perfect combo. Interstate trips, mountain passes and every day commuting - always enjoyable, and still looks unique and iconic. Love it!
Manual? Lucky man! They're super rare in NZ, my T5 is auto, great for the city, not so much for "spirited" driving, but it is a car of many talents. I'd describe it more as a premium GT hatch. I did put in a MPS rear swaybar that transformed the handling though. And 4 years in, 60k on the clock, no gremlins that he mentioned...
C30 T5 manual was my first car. LOVE how it drives and feels really premium in the interior with aluminium inlays and leather. Great car, sold it with 180'000km, was still going strong. Would recommend
The XR5 is such an underrated hot hatch!!! Makes good power, handles well and sounds amazing!
I had a 2010 RS200 Clio Cup throphy and had no issues what so ever and I sold it in 2018. On the other hand my mother use to own a Mazda 323 protege and that had oil consumption issues from new.
So you mentioned doing a review on a C30 Volvo in the future. Looking through the catalog of vids, you haven’t managed to do one yet.
I’ve got a super rare, C30 RDesign Polestar factory tuned car from 2012.
It’s such a well sorted car! I am having the discs and pads replaced soon, as it’s time, but if you make a trip to Melbourne in the future, you might like to come have a look?
I would love a C30 review - I have a 2007 T5 auto (nothing special), but I love it!
I had an xr5 and looked after her better than i looked after myself....great little car for a daily and responsible user. Im not sure how they go with decent thrashings in terms of mechanical stability, but like any car just look after it and it will look after you! Keep up the good honest videos, people need to know about all the faults with cars to make a sensible financial decision.
Mine has 345k on the clock and I beat the crap out of it fairly regularly on the track, and it's holding up amazing. The only things are just normal wear and tear stuff, like the clutch is starting to go and the suspension bushes are getting a little tired. The only thing that's annoying is the wastegate is starting to fail and making an annoying noise and making it so that sometimes you don't get full boost. But for one that's done a few laps of the block and has been tuned to over 300whp I'd say it's going pretty damn good.
A 2ZZ is the bomb.
My mate has a 130i. Great engine! So much fun! Definitely not cheap to own. Suspension needs work but the engine has been fairly reliable. Just do your maintenance and make sure you actually rev it out fairly regularly! The vanos (vvt) system is actuated by oil pressure. Apparently he reckons you need to actually use the vanos system to avoid it clogging up with old oil/having issues. So maybe don't by one off a grandma?
I recently just bought a sportivo to learn manual in and fukin hell it’s a blast to drive. It’s got good power but also very fuel efficient when you want it to be.
We need more videos like this! Great work!
Thanks so much. - AK
French hot hatches are great, but I wouldn't have another one. Had a new 1999 Peugeot 206 GTi in the UK, great to drive, but always in for warranty work, and it failed its Pre Delivery Inspection (water pump/head gasket leak). Part exchanged it 3 years later for a 2003 Honda Civic Type-R (EP3) which I still have today in Oz :) Renault's drive great, but always had a rep for poor reliability in the UK - perhaps much better now ?
Mate I'm the same. I've had a 206GTi 180, Renault Megane 225 Cup and RS275 Trophy, all of which gave me grief at some point. All superb to drive, when they worked but wow, what a minefield. - AK
Fiesta xr4/st150 is a great one so fun to drive
Quite surprised that the 2007 - 2012 Toyota blade didn't make the list?. The FWD 2.5ltr four cylinder is really quick. If you have extra cash lying around, you can pick up a 3.5ltr V6 master variant (an 206kw / 344nm powerhouse) for under 25 grand. Or do you guys not have them in Australia?
Not a car people would even think of but the Barina/Sonic RS. I've driven the manual and they can be a fun run around.
I love that you guys gave a shout to to the c30 T5! I am having a hard time finding a manual though...
Us too! - AK
Think I’ll hang onto my XR4 Fiesta thanks
Have a look at the Mondeo XR5 if you really want to be discreet with life. 5cyl,turbo,manual and liftback. Love it.
That's the ford focus xr5 in Australia mate it's on the list
@@tristramfenech8284 i know...I was saying if you wanted to be even more discreet,more equipments and having a lift back instead of a hatch. There's plenty of XR5 Focus but there isn't many XR5 Mondeo around.
I used to own a manual base model of one of those focus hatchbacks and for a base model focus the engine was quite impressive had good torque. Remember though for a base model car. Was a bit heavy for my liking though but was very practical had a lot of space and handled quite well.
Great list except the quality and reliability of Renault has improved significantly after partnering with Mitsubishi and Nissan. This applies to Megane RS250 and Clio III onwards. Anyway look forward to you reviewing one
Reliability and quality improved tell that to Australia Post and trucking giant toll Renault traffic has proven to be problematic .when Renault swallowed up Nissan it shredded it's once great durability record and I'm afraid Mitsubishi will go down the same road
Not sure about that Bach, but fun cars (money burners)
@@garybalasa3158 lol compared to XR5 and 130i?
I have been lucky enough to own most of these vehicles (Focus RS mk2 , Bmw 130 and 2x Corolla Sporitvos). Funnily enough the Toyotas were the least reliable. The Toyota doesn't have the strongest gearbox sadly and due to its terrible power band you have to ring it out. Out of all the cars though the corollas were the most enjoyable to drive. So much so that I bought a 2nd one after owning the vehicles discussed above. The engines character is fantastic and makes up for its terrible chassis. The Bmw was amazing to drive and looking back I regret selling it but it did have that feeling like BMW clipped its wings a little to make sure it wasn’t a m car. A Retune really helped though. Finally the Focus RS, Great car but I felt for Australian roads it wasn’t very well suited. being a wider vehicle it was a little hard to place on narrow country roads and due its immense capability you could only drive it at 5/10ths unless you wanted to lose your licence. I did end up loosing my licence and hence sold the car. It made me realise that I value dynamics and a high revving engine in a vehicle. Hence my current vehicle for the past 2 years has been a Mazda RX8.
Honourable mention goes to the Skoda Fabia VRS. Was a fantastic allrounder, I’m glad I only owned it during the warranty period. Would hate to pay for the maintenance on a vehicle like that out of warranty.
O and by the way thanks for the content, its fantastic.
Good shout on the 323 SP20. Extremely underrated.
Agreed!
I loved the corolla sportivos and really wanted to purchase one but ended up buying an accord euro CL9 and i gotta be honest similar power but the hondas far nicer.
Yess the Mighty 323 SP20 , my old daily !! what a fun car
The n52 in the 130i was leagues and leagues more reliable then the POS n54
2 cars that I'd say are underrated hot hatches are the 1991 Hyundai Excel LS and the Hyundai Getz.
One thing I've noticed that you guys have said on other videos is that the cost of maintenance/repairing most European cars is quite high and while I won't disagree on that it'd be interesting to see a video what European cars are actually relatively cheap to own and maintain.
Didn't disappoint with this video guys so keep up the good work and soon you'll be hitting 6 figure subscriber numbers which by right you all deserve 👍. Look forward to Friday's video and seeing which car you'll put the spotlight on this week.
Thanks again so much mate. - AK
@@ReDriven no probs guys you're channel puts in a lot more effort than some and you deserve the recognition for it.
Also though the European cars video idea would give yourself, Hullsy and the team a fun challenge too
Replace the " hot " with shopping trolley and your right. Excel would have to have, one of the worst gear changes period.
I used to have a Sportivo, revved like crazy and went like a scalded cat once the variable timing and lift came on song. I miss that car and one day maybe I’ll reward myself with a Renault RS…..👍🏻
Reward yourself? With a Renault? Think you mean punish yourself. That said, if you don't mind parting with large sums of money on a regular basis, and can afford to be without your car on a regular and extended basis as it's being diagnosed/repaired, an then waiting for parts, then sure.
It would be cheaper I'd suggest just to buy a more expensive Toyota GR Yaris when you take in to consideration repair costs, depreciation, down time, inconvenience, lack of confidence, frustration ect. If you want the true Renault experience, be prepared, be very prepared for the true and actual cost.
Not to mention the Toyota GR Yaris will become a cult following car, a Renault, yeah, well you decide.
@@MrWilliam.Stewart I hear you. I'd only buy one if it was new with factory warranty. I've always liked them but, have been frightened by reliability issues. I also love the Alfa Gulia but, again am too afraid to put cash down due to Alfa's history of reliability or lack of reliability. Unfortunately, in Australia both Renault and Alfa have a tiny dealer network and we don't when they will pack up and leave Australia. Yep, I'll stick with Toyota. The Corolla GR should be a goer.
@@Cammo-vp1gl But, the factory warranty runs out!
Had a 02 323 SP20 as daily fun little get arounds would love to get another modified it tastefully
21sec since premier...I must be an addict lol
Hell yea the sp20 so underrated!
i own an 2010 XR5T, sick car to drive, but yeah pricey on the repairs. Bought mine with 150,000KMs for $10k AUD and already spent around $3k on repairs, seems like I've gotten pretty much all of the main things that go wrong with em and haven't had issues for about 10,000kms so hopefully fine now
Owned two Renault Sport Clio and a Megane - close to zero issues.
Im so jealous. - AK
Cheers mates, yet again another great vid
Cheers mate! - AK
What happened on the Megane RS ? I drove tons of those. The engine is strong AF, I saw a few Meganes 3 RS with 400.000 km on it. Cops in France have some with 500.000 km with the original engine.
Mate, both gave me endless issues. Transmission problems, never ending electronic issues, just gremlins constantly on both. When it worked it was fantastic, but it spent so much time off the road being repaired, the positives just didn't outweigh the negatives. - AK
@@ReDriven So sad, electronic are the main weakness of French cars. Most of the times it is mount which tend to crack. I have been 2 times on the Nurburgring and the Megane is a monster. Miss the car.
The Mazdaspeed protege was turbo
Not in Australia
Had a low milage Renault Clio Sport 172, it was remarkably good as a sports car, when it started. Now I have a standard high mileage base model 1.3L Yaris, that is remarkably poor as a sports car. But, and just like Kim Kardashian, it's a big butt, it is so much fun to drive at ten tenths. Because no one expects a standard Yaris to go fast, because no one lives on a race track, because no one enjoys driving a fast car slow, the little 23.6 Kilowatt Yaris with sticky tyres is the most fun car I've thrashed in the 32 years I've been driving cars. But please, please keep that to yourself.
Also the Yaris cost nothing to purchase, nothing to fuel, has close to 400,000klm under it's economy car wheel bearings, gudgeon pins, disposable bores, poppet valves, Constant Velocity joints, cheap little fuel pump, nothing on it has broken, yet...
Oh what a feeling...
Fully trust the Yaris to drive me to Darwin and back, in chilly air conditioned comfort, couldn't trust the Renault to make it out of the driveway.
Think I'm gunna have to start a channel devoted to the "Cold hatch" cause it's just so much fun to drive a slow car fast.
Interesting selection, me, I'd like a Ford Cosworth 🙂
Please review Subaru Impreza!!!
What year and generation would you like? - AK
Review my 06 WRX wagon/hatch
Suzuki baleno is great
You forgot n15 sss
We very nearly included it but finding good condition unmolested examples is near impossible. Great car but. - AK
@@ReDriven I got one but 350,000 I messaged you on insta just then
Where’s the wrx
what about the Astra VXR there a pretty solid hot hatch.
I'm sorry, but the 323 SP20 is not a great "hot hatch". I owned one for about 10 months before I got sick of it/bored with it and sold it. Handling felt good, and it had a nice gearshift (manual), but that was about it. I spent thousands on repairs on that car, and it really didn't feel all that quick/sporty to drive. It also wasn't all that economical to run. I sold the car for a Mini, which was way more fun to drive (but similarly expensive to service)!
A much better hot hatch would be the 2012 VW Polo GTI I bought after the Mini. That thing was fantastic to drive, far quicker, super fun, and surprisingly practical. Servicing was pretty reasonable, and it was pretty comfortable on long drives. TBH my wife's mk6 VW Golf TDI would be a better 'hot hatch' than the Mazda, too. It's quicker and more engaging than the 323 SP20 to drive, way more fuel efficient, and cheaper to service (so far) than my 323 was. Even my current Alfa Giulietta is a better "hot hatch" than the 323 was, and I didn't even buy the sporty QV version... I would never recommend the 323 SP20 after my experience. Incidentally, my old housemate also owned an SP20, and his experience with it was not exactly great either...
Also, @ReDriven, surely the fact that a brand isn't available in the USA shouldn't mean it is "not available in most countries"? Like Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, etc. are available in a lot of countries and huge markets. Incidentally, I would consider the former three manufacturers also produce quite a few excellent hot hatches. Surely the fact that these models weren't available in the USA shouldn't be a reason to exclude them from lists like this given the huge number of markets the are available in...?
C30 T5 M66
!
Suzuki swift sport is another good hatch that could have made the cut .
Hi Randy, it did, we mentioned it at the end of the video. - AK
@@ReDriven You're right probably got distracted.
Almost bought a 130i but lot of gremlins after 10 years old..
Rather the 130i I'd say the M135i is the one to get
What do you think about the Toyota Vitz?
Great vid as always yada, yada yada. Apart from the Corolla and SP20 in your vid I’d add “unmolested” N15 Pulsars with SR20DE and a XR4 Fiesta. The remainder are money pits (which is fine if you have the $) and insurance nightmares.
We very nearly put the XR4 in but they are so incredibly rare these days let alone an unmolested SSS Pulsar, again, cracking good car but so so rare. - AK
@@ReDriven I’d be too scared to recommend a cheap euro turbo (hot hatch) to anyone on a budget.
What do you guys think about the 2016 Opel Corsa 1.4T 5dr?
You keep missing links
Which corolla sportivo model is good for purchase
The Astra SRI/VXR/HSV etc etc etc is also worth a look imo, impressive power to weight and relatively good reputation for reliability
hey mate, you should have mentioned the powershift issues in Focus cars, probably the model you mentioned do not come with the powershift transmission tho
Please poor one out for us Hot hatch lovers in the USA.
Please leave in the bloopers🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💀💀
They’re staying mate! - AK
I have a mondeo xr5 you guys can test if you’re ever interested
100% mate. Where are you located?? - AK
Review the FN2 Civic Type R please!
It's happening soon mate. - AK
@@ReDriven 😍
@@ReDriven AK Actually I just bought one in the past few weeks, and I've got heaps of insights into what to look out for, the different nuances and common problems between model year. Give me a message if you want to chat about it :)
@@WilkinsJLeong Bro YES!! Can you message Redriven on insta so we can chat???
Replace all the Renaults with a 2008 Golf 5 GTi 5 Door 💯🤝Thank You.
308 gti !?
Possibly more of a mechanical mine field than even the Renaults mate. - AK
@@ReDriven if your in Sydney you can review mine if you like! It even holds a 750ml water bottle in the door bins so you know its good
Nothing wrong with any of the LSD equipped Renaults.
thoughts on velo turbos?
Those thoughts will be coming in a review soon mate. - AK
@@ReDriven :D
What's the point of having drums in the background for the whole freaking time you are talking??
Golf GTI anyone?!?
Bahaha good old Renault GT great cars but boy they do become attached to you wallet, like real permanent, my wife had a GT 2014 (great fun car just loved spenging lots of time in the workshop) so we changed out for a 2018 same story both fun cars just left us nearly bankrupt 👌
The Corolla and Mazda great
The rest unreliable money pits
No Honda Civic 🤫... they not make it down under ?
Way better in every respect than any Renault especially the reliability, yes the Renault start to self destruct here in the UK as soon as they leave the showroom
Ah mate, we mentioned the Civic at the end of the video. - AK
@@ReDriven fair point... busted 🙈
Does Renault know how to make a good looking car? Thank god they don't sell those things over here in the U.S. of A. Also, they must not sell VW's GTI down under because they didn't make your list. Or, you guys completely blew it with your picks. The GTI is the King of the Hot Hatch category. Whiff!
Golf GTI is a brilliant thing however here in Australia, they're incredibly common and (depending on generation) can have a few issues. Plus, we wouldn't regard them as "bargains" as such. Good ones still command decent money.
We've made it very clear in multiple other videos how much we love the GTI, we just felt not was time to share some love around. - AK
The Megane RS, is way better than the GTI. I had both the GTI is a joke, unreliable compared to the Megane or Clio RS. Renault knows how to make chassis, you have brembo brakes and Ohlins suspensions. The F4rt engine is reliable compared to the 2.0, saw a few Megane 3 RS with 400.000 km on their original engine.
@@skippylegrandgourou2069 they called the engine F4RT???
Remove the Renault car and anything French it spends more time in the garage than on the road
A well maintained VW MK5 GTI will set faster track times than every car on your list. It’s fast, still very affordable and a hatch. And in 6speed manual form with a tuned FSI (still the most reliable engine built by VAG) you will have a very reliable & capable daily driver that can easily embarrass a lot of performance cars that are much more expensive. They have also been killing it in the NSW Production championships (Class D) in the capable hands of Josh Muggleton, consistently beating most of the class C cars & even some of the class B cars. That’s clearly a bias & not an oversight that you left them off the list.
Not in the slightest, we left it off as we've mentioned the GTI multiple times. So much so others have accused us for being biased towards it. We just want to share the love around some other models. - AK