Hot Hatchbacks

[Rollo]

Aren't those hot hatchbacks a bit embarrasing? (If you're over 20 that is) A small car that is sporty but in reality terribly noisy and unpractical...

What do you mean unpractical?

To illustrate this, our washing machine decided to break down one day and my wife wanted to take it to a repair shop but the problem is that she drives a Nissan Skyline.
A 2.5L four door sedan with a big boot can not fit a washing machine in the boot or in through the doors to put in on the back seat, BUT a 1.3L Ka could.

Basically I still want a small car that when you put your foot down, gives you a decent shove in the backside, but I also want the utility of carting around stuff if I need to.

[Daniel]

What do you mean unpractical?

To illustrate this, our washing machine decided to break down one day and my wife wanted to take it to a repair shop but the problem is that she drives a Nissan Skyline.
A 2.5L four door sedan with a big boot can not fit a washing machine in the boot or in through the doors to put in on the back seat, BUT a 1.3L Ka could.

Basically I still want a small car that when you put your foot down, gives you a decent shove in the backside, but I also want the utility of carting around stuff if I need to.

It's always surprising how much you can fit in the back of a hatchback. With the seats down I could get 4 wheels with tyres on them in the 500. Could get 4 tyres in the back of the Subaru but only just and that's a far bigger car.

[Zico]

Aren't those hot hatchbacks a bit embarrasing? (If you're over 20 that is) A small car that is sporty but in reality terribly noisy and unpractical...

Definately not impractical, with the rear seats down it would surprise you what you could fit in a 106 and not far off the Subaru believe it or not.
It doesn't have to be noisy either (as standard) although I must admit I did fit a top quality 4-2-1 S/S manifold, decat pipe and performance panel air filter simply for the performance gains they brought.... probably an extra 10bhp all in?
Yes I'll admit I do feel that image burden at my grand old age of 35 and am/was embarrassed to be driving what has sadly become a boy racers car When I was attending job interviews etc, when I would always opt for the Impreza.... lol, but if you can look past that unfortunate image they now have, they really are a worthy descendant and share the same spirit as the iconic 205 GTIs... just more forgiving, better handling... and what a car for such little outlay, insurance and running costs.

[Mark]

Noisey...yes I suppose.

Define unpractical though. I can fit my 4 year old and 9month old neices complete with car seats in the back of my ST quite easily and it has more than enough room in the boot for shopping and carting around work files and my laptop etc. My car is practical for 99.9% of the time I'm driving it. I suppose I do have the option of using my other half's bigger car but I rarely actually require a car that big. I suppose a hot hatch costs more to run and insure but I wouldn't necessarily say that means its unpractical.

Because there's no particular compromise with the Fiesta ST, as it's just a normal Fiesta with a bigger engine (and suspension tweaks etc). It's not some strange car with tiny back seats etc.

[Mark]

What do you mean unpractical?

To illustrate this, our washing machine decided to break down one day and my wife wanted to take it to a repair shop but the problem is that she drives a Nissan Skyline.
A 2.5L four door sedan with a big boot can not fit a washing machine in the boot or in through the doors to put in on the back seat, BUT a 1.3L Ka could.

I know this problem! Karen's Dad used to have an Lexus, big car with a separate boot. Despite the car being so big and massive with the boot being separated from the inside of the car he couldn't fit anything in there. So if he wanted to move anything of size he'd have to borrow Karen's Peugeot 206, which was about half the size!

He's gone the other way now and has a still big and massive but hackback Honda estate. You could probably fit a Ka in the boot now!

[Daniel]

Because there's no particular compromise with the Fiesta ST, as it's just a normal Fiesta with a bigger engine (and suspension tweaks etc). It's not some strange car with tiny back seats etc.

Quite right. The only body shape that's really not that practical is a coupe where you can only access the rear seats by putting the front seats forward. When we went to France we had loads of stuff on the back seat of the 500 and it was easily accessible through the hatch. Sure a 5 door hatch would perhaps be a little more practical but even 3 door hatches are plenty practical

[wedge]

Seat Ibiza Cupra/FR

Renault Clio Sport

Quite right. The only body shape that's really not that practical is a coupe where you can only access the rear seats by putting the front seats forward. When we went to France we had loads of stuff on the back seat of the 500 and it was easily accessible through the hatch. Sure a 5 door hatch would perhaps be a little more practical but even 3 door hatches are plenty practical

Can easily stick 3 adults passengers (as long as 2 are under 6ft! ) and luggage in my Celica.

I had more problems with a 206 because the back seats never folded flat.

[DexDexter]

What do you mean unpractical?

To illustrate this, our washing machine decided to break down one day and my wife wanted to take it to a repair shop but the problem is that she drives a Nissan Skyline.
A 2.5L four door sedan with a big boot can not fit a washing machine in the boot or in through the doors to put in on the back seat, BUT a 1.3L Ka could.

Basically I still want a small car that when you put your foot down, gives you a decent shove in the backside, but I also want the utility of carting around stuff if I need to.

KA isn't a hot hatchback, is it? I was referring to cars such as Seat Ibiza FR which will make you deaf if you drive it on a motorway, has a suspension like a stone and isn't really that safe cause most vehicles are much heavier than it.

[Rollo]

KA isn't a hot hatchback, is it?

Mine was. I had a 130bhp on board by the end. Oh ho ho you might scoff but when you bear in mind that the original only had 60, and the current Zetec Fiesta only has 115, then it starts to look like something special.

[Mark]

the current Zetec Fiesta only has 115, then it starts to look like something special.

Do you mean the Zetec S? As the Zetec is a bog standard trim level with nothing particularly notable about it. Even then I wouldn't really call the Zetec S a hot hatch, luke warm at best! It's really just an excuse for boy racers to have flared wheel arches and bumpers etc with the same engines that are available in lesser trim levels. e.g. The 1.6TDCi engine I have in my Titanium model is the same one as in the Zetec S, which I doubt goes any faster!