Six of the best: Used hot hatches for £5000

Want everyday performance for budget-car money? A second-hand hot hatch is the way to go…

How much performance do you get for £5000? Well, you could go and hire a supercar for the weekend, or you could buy a second-hand hot hatchback and enjoy a combination of space, usability and thrills in an everyday car that’ll make you happy, well, every day.

The good news is that there’s absolutely stacks of choice in the used hot hatch market. From the warm to the scorching, there’s something for everyone – and with so many available at very sensible money, if you fancy one you can probably afford it.

With so many manufacturers having hotted-up their hatches, there’s no end of different models around. Here’s a half-dozen to conjour with and savour, complete with real-world deals we spotted while compiling this list…

1: Suzuki Swift Sport

Proof that there’s more to it than lots of power. The Swift only had 123bhp, but it revved for fun and its chassis was more temptingly chuckable than a ball of rubber bands. The need for revs means the manual box saw a lot of action, so if there’s an area to check it’s there. At the money, though, the Swift is impossible to fault.

Real deal: Swift Sport (2008), 63,000 miles, £3490

2: Skoda Octavia vRS

Not just a fast car, a fast family car. If you want to take your kids to school then hoon your way to work after dropping them off, it can’t be beaten. As with the Swift, if anything goes wrong it’s likely to be the DSG gearbox, but the 2.0-litre engine can use oil too.

Real deal: Octavia vRS (2008), 73,000 miles, £4381

3: Honda Civic Type R

If the Octavia is a family car that goes fast, the Civic is from the other end of the hot hatch scale. Its hard-riding nature is the key to a pin-sharp chassis that helps you make the most of its unbelievable, rev-it-to-the-skies engine. Boy racers love it – and with Honda’s biblically proportioned reliability built in, so should you.

Real deal: Civic Type R GT (2008), 70,000 miles, £4995

4: Mini Cooper S

You weren’t expecting this list not to have a Cooper in it, were you? The classic combination of a twangingly good chassis and ever-eager engine make the S the one to have – so long as you steer clear of any whose oil services have been neglected, you’re on solid ground.

Real deal: Cooper S (2007), 63,000 miles, £4824

5: Volkswagen Golf GTI

Another one you’ll have been expecting. It’s a Golf, with all the qualities that brings, and it’s both fast and agile. Build quality is mammoth, but as with the related Octavia watch out for troublesome DSG gearboxes.

Real deal: Golf GTI 3dr (2006), 74,000 miles, £4995

6: Renault Clio Renault Sport 197

This is a case of saving the best to last. The Clio from around a decade ago was simply legendary, with real pace and fantastic handling. It was popular with boy racers, too, so steer clear of anything that’s been pranged, neglected or modified. Look out for electrical gremlins, too. For five grand, you should get a clean example so long as you’re willing to accept an early one.

Real deal: Renault Sport 197 (2008), 62,000 miles, £5000