Car choice: There's plenty of fun to be had with a classic hot hatch

Alex Smead owns an MG ZR1.4 but because he's a young chap (23), he fancies something a bit more stylish but just as much fun to drive. He thinks his ZR is great but it lacks power. Because he uses his car for work it must be reliable. Alex's budget for the replacement is £3,500. He has been looking at a lot of old-generation hot hatches and wonders if he has overlooked any models.

A car for the head

The problem for anyone aged under 25 is always going to be the insurance premium, which is always pretty steep. Alex needs to understand that power is not everything and some seemingly underpowered cars are very entertaining, but hardly fast. A case in point is the Ford Ka, which has a very old engine and is desperately slow, but is never less than a hoot to drive. That's why I think Alex should take a look at the old Ford Puma. Long discontinued, it shares plenty of Ka DNA, but the styling and larger engine make it a very entertaining drive without having a stupidly powerful engine. Some say the styling is a bit girly, but I am sure that Alex is confident enough to carry it off. This car's critics simply fail to understand it. It was, and still is, a superbly comfortable, practical yet sporty small coupé. Although available with a 1.4 and 1.6 engine, the largest, at 1.7, is probably best and will satisfy Alex's need for legal speed. Just £3,300 buys a year 2001 – with 60,000 miles and in immaculate condition – from a dealer. When I looked there were more than 600 available.

A car for the heart

I believe that the Puma will be the car for the heart, but if Alex prefers a more conventionally styled hatchback, then he will be spoilt for choice. He has been thinking as far back as the Peugeot 205 GTI, but I don't think he needs to take a risk on what was a great car, which could be rather tired by now. The Volkswagen Golf GTI was always the default hot hatch choice, but by the 1990s it had become too heavy and less responsive. However, the VW group did make what was effectively a Spanish version of the same model that was much closer in spirit to the original. The Seat Ibiza was a superb hot hatch. There was a 1.8 and 2.0 version and the 2.0 16v is probably the most responsive with Golf GTI engines in a lighter weight body. The VW engineering meant that reliability was pretty good and perfect for the daily commute. Servicing is every 10,000 miles and a good local garage should not charge too much. It would be possible to get a revised Ibiza from 2003, which will have covered 50,000 to 60,000 miles and come with a warranty from a dealer at about £3,200.

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