Best used fast small cars on sale today

These include ease of parking to lower running costs. Small also means agile and less weight, which is a recipe for reverie when coupled to a potent engine. Here’s our pick of the best compact, quick used cars, listed in alphabetical order.

Compact fast cars don’t get much smaller than the Abarth 695, which has an overall length of just 3.66-metres. With an all-up weight of around a tonne, or slightly less with the Biposto version, it’s a rapid performer thanks to as much as 188bhp from the turbocharged 1.4-litre engine. For the 177bhp model, reckon on 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and 6.5 for the Biposto. What are not so small are prices for the Abarth 695. A Biposto version will cost from £27,500 and up, while a 165bhp T-Jet model starts at £12,500. There are several special editions and they hold their value well.

Despite Alfa Romeo’s sporting image, the Giulietta Cloverleaf is a hidden gem among fast compact cars. Its turbocharged 1742cc engine delivers 231bhp for 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds, so it’s on a par with a contemporary Ford Focus ST. That Alfa gives the Ford a run for its money in the corners, and the Giulietta is a more refined car for everyday use.

Around £5000 will get you into a properly cared for and maintained Giulietta Cloverleaf. It will provide decent family transport and comfort, as well as being a rare sight on the roads.

Audi’s S1 makes a good deal more sense as a used car than it did when new. This is because the S1 was just too expensive when new, costing almost as much as a Volkswagen Golf R yet delivering a drive more akin to the much less pricey Ford Fiesta ST. Now, you can revel in the rorty nature of the S1 from £10,000 and make the most of its 228bhp 2.0-litre engine. Make the most of that power and you’ll see 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds in the S1, and it will top out at 155mph. That makes it a very swift small hot hatch, which also comes with all of the usual Audi quality.

With the M1 name already taken by BMW Motorsport’s first true model, this 1 Series-based machine was christened the 1M. Whatever you call, it was an instant hit and classic the moment it arrived in 2011. It helped that it was also the last hurrah for BMW’s brilliant 3.2-litre straight-six as seen in the E46 M3. For this car, it had 340bhp and a six-speed manual gearbox, which allowed for 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds.

However, it was the way the 1M went down twisty roads rather than bald performance statistics that made it so compelling. Agile thanks to its small size, it was simple a hoot to drive, and it still is if you can afford the £34,000 minimum required to own one today.

The M140i has remarkably similar on-paper numbers to the now-legendary 1M. However, the M140i is a very different proposition, not least because you have it in practical five-door hatch form. While no less rapid than the 1M, the M140i’s 335bhp straight-six uses twin turbos, so the engine has more low- and mid-rev thwack. There’s also a slick eight-speed automatic gearbox to keep things flowing. If the M140i isn’t quite as engaging to drive as the 1M, it’s easy to forgive in a car that costs from half as much thanks to price for decent examples starting at £16,000.

We could have picked any Caterham, to be honest, as all represent the most undiluted driving experience you’re likely to find on the road. Part of this is due to the Seven’s small size, which makes it light and agile like few others, and also helps with performance as the engines simply have less weight to shift.

The 620 range represents the ultimate in roadgoing Caterhams, helped along by a 310bhp Ford 2.0-litre engine. With the 572kg R version, you’ll see 0-60mph in 2.79 seconds, and that’s completed without having to change out of first gear. It makes the £48,000 or so needed to own a 620 seem like a bargain.

Citroen and its DS sub-brand had dabbled with hot hatch versions of the DS3 before, but 2016’s Performance was a more concerted effort to get on terms with the Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTI. IT came with 18-inch alloy wheels, Brembo brake calipers, and a 205bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. 

Off the line, the Performance was good for 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds, but in the corners it was outpointed by the Fiesta ST and Mini Cooper S. However, if the DS3 Performance appeals, good ones cost from £13,350

Before Ford launched the current generation Fiesta ST in 2018 with its 197bhp engine, the previous ST was offered with an uprated engine in the ST200. Now with 197bhp and a 20-second overboost of 212bhp when you buried the throttle into the carpet, the ST covered 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds. 

It was helped by Ford shortening the final drive ratio for the ST200, which further livened up its responses and made it a treat to drive on flik-flak roads. This kind of compact performance brilliance can be yours from £10,000.

The hot hatch has evolved to take in the compact crossover and one of the best of this sub-set is the Hyundai Kona N. It’s a left-field choice but one that comes with a 276bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine that drives the front wheels. Get it off the line cleanly and the Kona N can manage 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds, and it will head on to 149mph. 

Twiddle with the drive settings and you can enjoy a crackling exhaust note, along with sharper throttle and steering responses. It all makes the Kona N an unexpectedly fun small, fast car, with used prices starting at £25,300.

By leaving off an ‘i’ at the end of the Proceed GT’s name, Kia hoped its warm hatch model would avoid direct comparisons with the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST. It worked in part, but comparisons were hard to avoid when looking at a 201bhp fast hatch and the Kia didn’t fare especially well.

However, looked at as a quick, comfortable and very well equipped car that’s plenty of fun to drive, the Proceed GT adds up, especially with prices from £6000.

The Mazda MX-5 makes a mighty fine small sports cars for anyone’s used car budget, but opt for a BBR-tuned model and it’s an even sharper tool. There’s a BBR upgrade to suit most budgets and needs, but the 200 version based on the fourth-generation MX-5 is the one to aim for. It delivers 221bhp for the 2.0-litre engine and gives 0-60mph in 6.0 seconds to feel very nippy. 

The conversion didn’t include suspension upgrades, but they could be added and are certainly worth having. Find one with this added and an MX-5 BBR 200 should cost from around £20,000.

As the first-generation of Mini John Cooper Works morphs into a modern classic, the second-generation version offers an affordable way into this swift version. With a turbocharged, rather than supercharged, 1.6-litre engine, this JCW delivers 208bhp and covers 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds. On the road, it feels even more rapid thanks to its broad mid-rev pull. The handling was already very good, but new buyers could upgrade with a bespoke JCW suspension package. However, it was by no means a necessity. You can now find clean, smart Mini John Cooper Works models built between 2008 and 2013 from £4800.

The only real downside to the Mercedes A45 AMG when it was new was its colossal price. In the used market, this has been negated and you can now find decent examples of the A45 from £15,000. For that sum, you get 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed pegged to 155mph. More importantly, this Mercedes feels rabidly quick through the gears. 

Mercedes still managed to retain all of the everyday usability of the A-Class in the A45, and this model comes with four-wheel drive for added grip in all conditions.

Peugeot made a very welcome and able return to the hot hatch fray with the 208 GTI. Here was a good looking, rapid supermini that took the fight to Ford and Renault, yet the 208 was also a more refined car for daily use. Its superb ride saw to that and also helped it handle corners on less than perfect roads. 

The turbocharged 1.6-litre engine offered up 197bhp to be bang on the money for its class, and 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds made it quicker off the mark than the Fiesta ST. Now, the 208 GTI looks great value when prices start at £4500 for decent ones.

The Renault Clio in its various RS guises is a stalwart of the used hot hatch scene. It offers storming performance and scythingly sharp handling, and all at prices that won’t scare off less moneyed enthusiasts. As the first-generation Clio Renaultsport models are now edging into the classic field, the 197bhp second-generation model is the one that offers the keenest performance per pound.

Look for a car that’s been routinely serviced and you should find a smart one from £4000. That sort of money might even bag you a Cup version with the uprated suspension set-up.

Just £4000 doesn’t seem a lot for a thoroughly modern supermini hot hatch, and the Seat Ibiza Cupra is a whole lot of fun for the money. Its turbocharged 1.4-litre engine generates 178bhp and fizzes through the revs, helping it from rest to 62mph in 7.2 seconds. The Ibiza Cupra comes with a six-speed dual clutch gearbox as standard, which not everyone will appreciate. However, this is a very rounded fast hatch that’s easy to live with.

Toyota’s GR Yaris follows in the wheel tracks of the likes of the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Evo as a rally-bred extrovert that’s captured the hearts of keen drivers. It’s not hard to see why when the GR Yaris packs 257bhp, four-wheel drive and takes just 5.5 seconds to get from a standstill to 62mph.

Demand for the GR Yaris has kept values at or above list prices until very recently. Now, look hard and you can find a GR Yaris for around £27,000 to save a small amount on the cost of a new one.

The Vauxhall Corsa VXR has always enjoyed a reputation as a bit of tearaway, and it’s deserved in some of the best possible ways. It’s not the most finessed supermini hot hatch in the way it delivers its power, which varies between 178- and 202bhp depending on the age and version you choose. All deliver 0-62mph in the mid-six second bracket and feel feisty on the road. Given all Corsa VXRs feel similar, a 2008 model with around 80,000 miles on the clock for about £2500 seems like strong value and will entertain your inner hooligan for many miles.

There are several Volkswagen GTI models that would fit the bill here, but none has nearly as much character as the Up GTI. It may be the slowest of VW’s recent GTI crop, taking 8.5 seconds to dispatch 0-62mph, but it’s the way it does this that counts. The Up GTI appeals because you can wring every last drop of its performance and handling ability while still going at licence-preserving pace. 

This has made the Up GTI a very popular used choice, so prices start at £12,000 for a tidy used example. Even so, it’s money well spent on a small but hugely enjoyable pint pot hot hatch.

It might take a bit of studied searching to find a Volvo C30 T5 as they were not huge sellers when new. However, make the effort and you’ll be rewarded with a 220bhp engine in a compact four-seat hatch. It’s good for 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds and 150mph, so it’s no slouch and in-gear acceleration is vivid thanks to the tuneful 2.5-litre five-cylinder motor. 

Based on the contemporary Ford Focus, the C30 rides and handles well, and it’s an unusual yet subtle choice. Volvo fans covet the C30 T5, so reckon on spending from £6000 for one in fine shape.