Ben Barry | Hot hatch | £20k to £25k

Browse Reviews

Manufacturer

Ford (3)
Volkswagen (1)
Renault (1)
Mazda (1)

CAR Magazine overall rating

4 (5)

Owners' overall rating

3 (5)
2 (1)

£20k to £25k

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Results 1 - 6 of 6

Ford Focus ST (2012) CAR review

2.5

Ben Barry, 11 June 2012 00:01

This is the new 2012 Ford Focus ST. It’s Ford’s rival for the Golf GTI, but the blue oval hot hatch undercuts its equivalent key rival from Wolfsburg by over £4k. It also outpunches the GTI in the power and torque stakes, the ST’s 247bhp and 250lb ft being considerably ahead of the GTI’s 207bhp and 206lb ft. Ah yes, ...

Renaultsport Megane 250 Cup (2009) CAR review

3.5

Ben Barry, 21 October 2009 09:37

It’s been a big year for hot hatches, with the Golf GTI, Focus RS and Scirocco R fighting it out to name but three. Renault’s last-gen Megane R26R is still a match for them all despite its age, and now the French hot hatch expert is piling on the pressure with this, the all-new Megane 250. What are the headline ...

Mazda 3 MPS (2009) hot hatch CAR review

Ben Barry, 04 September 2009 00:07

Not that long ago, Mazda’s 3 MPS was the hot hatch king – well, with 256bhp it was the most powerful front-wheel drive hatch you could buy, if not the best to drive or look at. Now it’s back with an aggressive restyle, plus a whopping extra…sorry, old habits and all that. No, it’s back with exactly the same 256bhp ...

VW Golf GTI Mk6 (2009) new CAR review

Ben Barry, 07 April 2009 10:39

The old Mk5 GTI might have had its thunder stolen by the Focus RS, Megane R26R and perhaps even the Civic Type R, but it was still the best all-round hot hatch you could buy when it recently went off sale. And that – combined with the fact that the new Mk6 is essentially a very thoroughly facelifted Mk5 – ...

Ford Focus RS (2009) CAR test review

Ben Barry, 22 February 2009 11:01

At last! After months of studio shoots and passenger ride teases, CAR has finally driven the all-new Focus RS Mk2 – Ford’s 301bhp, front-wheel drive mega hatch – on some of the best mountain roads southern France has to offer. You’ll see how the new second-gen Focus RS stands up against the best hot hatches of all time (Renault Clio ...

Ford Focus RS (2009) first ride

3.5

Ben Barry, 09 January 2009 00:01

CAR has been lucky enough to bag the first passenger ride in the new 2009 Ford Focus RS with Jost Capito, the man responsible for Ford Europe’s fastest-ever production car. We experienced the car at high speeds in an ideal mix of typically British conditions – dry, damp, even icy – to analyse how a front-wheel drive car with 301bhp ...

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Quick poll

Which car most deserves a place in our hot hatch hall of fame?

	Citroen Saxo VTS
	Daihatsu Charade GTi
	Ford Escort Cosworth
	Ford Escort XR3i
	Ford Focus RS Mk1
	Ford Focus RS Mk2
	Fiat Strada TC
	Honda Civic Type-R (2001)
	Lancia Delta Integrale
	Nissan Sunny GTi-R
	Peugeot 106 Rallye
	Peugeot 205 GTi
	Peugeot 306 GTi-6
	Renault 5 GT Turbo
	Renault Clio Williams
	Renault Clio 172/182/Trophy
	Renaultsport Clio 200
	Renaultsport Megane 250/265
	Renaultsport Megane R26.R
	Talbot Sunbean-Lotus
	Vauxhall Astra GTE (Mk1/2)
	Vauxhall Astra VXR
	VW Golf GTI Mk1
	VW Golf GTi Mk5