Hot hatches as an investment? Give me your opinions!
Discussion
We all know that many of the 80s and 90s hot hatches have reached classic status and are now worth a lot of money. 00s hot hatch prices are also on the rise, and some good examples of cult favourites (182 trophy for example) are also very dear, and even recently cheap models are getting rarer and quite pricey (Saxo VTS anyone...). But there are still plenty of 00s and 10s hot hatches that can be had for a reasonable price. Some because there are still plenty out there, others because they were never too highly coveted.
I'm interested if there are still models out there that are cheap (less that £5000) that have the potential to appreciate, and are decently good fun. I'd like to get a hot hatch that I can enjoy on weekends, but also to be able to treat as a long term investment. I'd like to hear PHers' opinion on what would fit the bill. I'm especially interested in cars that are at the bottom of the depreciation curve (R53 Mini, Fiesta ST 150, Twingo 133, 206 GTI etc.)
I'm interested if there are still models out there that are cheap (less that £5000) that have the potential to appreciate, and are decently good fun. I'd like to get a hot hatch that I can enjoy on weekends, but also to be able to treat as a long term investment. I'd like to hear PHers' opinion on what would fit the bill. I'm especially interested in cars that are at the bottom of the depreciation curve (R53 Mini, Fiesta ST 150, Twingo 133, 206 GTI etc.)
A good Swift Sport ZC31S is a good bet at under £5k. This will get you the absolute best example. A MK7 Fiesta, standard and clean, would also be a good bet, but this would cost you a few £k more
When you say investment though, no 00s hatch will really be an investment, it might appreciate over the next 10 years, but running costs/ repairs etc will always make such a car, not an investment in terms of money.
If you want an investment you have to spend a bit more money and predict a wave of interest/ appreciation, such as R32 Skylines over the past few years/ Cosworths over the last 10 years etc.
When you say investment though, no 00s hatch will really be an investment, it might appreciate over the next 10 years, but running costs/ repairs etc will always make such a car, not an investment in terms of money.
If you want an investment you have to spend a bit more money and predict a wave of interest/ appreciation, such as R32 Skylines over the past few years/ Cosworths over the last 10 years etc.
Edited by MattsCar on Sunday 19th May 20:47
A Mk7 fiesta? A swift? Absolutely no chance
You want:
Fiat coupe 20v turbo - plus if possible but think they are above 5k now
Clio 172 cup or Phase 1
Golf VR6 MK3
Audi S3 225
None of the above will do the Supra 5k-30k increase in 7 years but they will steadily increase and they all have a large following.
You want:
Fiat coupe 20v turbo - plus if possible but think they are above 5k now
Clio 172 cup or Phase 1
Golf VR6 MK3
Audi S3 225
None of the above will do the Supra 5k-30k increase in 7 years but they will steadily increase and they all have a large following.
clio007 said:
A Mk7 fiesta? A swift? Absolutely no chance
You want:
Fiat coupe 20v turbo - plus if possible but think they are above 5k now
Clio 172 cup or Phase 1
Golf VR6 MK3
Audi S3 225
None of the above will do the Supra 5k-30k increase in 7 years but they will steadily increase and they all have a large following.
Fiat Coupe- not a hot hatch.You want:
Fiat coupe 20v turbo - plus if possible but think they are above 5k now
Clio 172 cup or Phase 1
Golf VR6 MK3
Audi S3 225
None of the above will do the Supra 5k-30k increase in 7 years but they will steadily increase and they all have a large following.
Clio 172, not a bad call.
Golf VR6, not a 00s/10s car and undesirable other than the engine sound what do they offer? minimal appreciation in the past 10 years.
Audi S3, again, minimal appreciation in the past 10 years.
MK7 Fiesta ST has A LOT going for it. It is a fast Ford. It is an exceptional drive, running a Clio 200 close. 10 years time they will be 20 years old and people will be looking back to their youth. Look at XR2i values.
Swift sport is also the last of the old school hot hatches. Lightweight, naturally aspirated, cheap to run and getting harder to find a good one. Over the last year the prices have gone up, not massively, but they are going up. Similar to your Saxo VTRs.
Edited by MattsCar on Sunday 19th May 21:13
Depends how much you'll use it and how long you plan to keep it.
I don't think there's much chance of making serious money unless you lock away a mint car with hardly any miles for decades but where's the fun in that?
Otherwise as long as you buy a good clean car with decent history, look after it and use it lightly then anything from the 00's should see you okay.
Something like this Focus ST2 maybe.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024051697...
Or there was the original Astra VXR, a tidy one of them should be available for £5k. With the Civic I'd actually go for a mint FN2 over the EP3 now for value.
Plenty of R53 Minis and Clios still around for that money. They'll never make a fortune but prices of good ones are rising slowly.
You do have to factor in maintenance costs though, and the older you go the more expensive they'll get.
I don't think there's much chance of making serious money unless you lock away a mint car with hardly any miles for decades but where's the fun in that?
Otherwise as long as you buy a good clean car with decent history, look after it and use it lightly then anything from the 00's should see you okay.
Something like this Focus ST2 maybe.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024051697...
Or there was the original Astra VXR, a tidy one of them should be available for £5k. With the Civic I'd actually go for a mint FN2 over the EP3 now for value.
Plenty of R53 Minis and Clios still around for that money. They'll never make a fortune but prices of good ones are rising slowly.
You do have to factor in maintenance costs though, and the older you go the more expensive they'll get.
Very small gains (if any), but Lupo GTI or Panda 100HP maybe?
The 90s stuff skyrocketed in value (admittedly more in terms of sports coupes or saloons etc) partly because that generation that grew up coveting them then became financially able to buy them years later. Not sure it’ll be the same for this ‘cycle’ of cars and buyers, but you never know, as electrification takes hold.
The 90s stuff skyrocketed in value (admittedly more in terms of sports coupes or saloons etc) partly because that generation that grew up coveting them then became financially able to buy them years later. Not sure it’ll be the same for this ‘cycle’ of cars and buyers, but you never know, as electrification takes hold.
Seeing as most modern hot hatches are turbo charged, automatic and 5 door I would choose something that's 3 door, naturally aspirated and manual.
FN2 Type R or a Clio 197 would be the obvious choices, while keeping an eye out for an EP3 or 172/182 that might fall into that price bracket.
FN2 Type R or a Clio 197 would be the obvious choices, while keeping an eye out for an EP3 or 172/182 that might fall into that price bracket.
I would be looking at R53 Mini Cooper S, Clio 197/200 or Fiesta ST Mk7.
If you want it to appreciate or at least hold it's value then lower owners, lower miles and a good service history will help.
Standard cars are a better bet than modified.
And if you can find a rare special edition with desirable options then that will help, for example a plain Clio 197 is unlikely to ever be worth much but one with Recaros and the cup pack or even the F1 limited edition could become collectable, similarly a Mini Cooper S JCW
If you want it to appreciate or at least hold it's value then lower owners, lower miles and a good service history will help.
Standard cars are a better bet than modified.
And if you can find a rare special edition with desirable options then that will help, for example a plain Clio 197 is unlikely to ever be worth much but one with Recaros and the cup pack or even the F1 limited edition could become collectable, similarly a Mini Cooper S JCW
My ill-informed opinion would be to look at the 2-litre Clios and non-turbo Civics.
People will be looking for something different to what would be available new, so things like manual boxes and lack of turbos would be appreciated.
Maybe the last mk7 Golves in 3 door manual form in the shorter term (this is on my current short list) - and similarly the recently extinct 3dr Fiesta ST.
It you can find a Focus ST170 for buttons then you'd never make a loss, as someone would want a nice simple car to tinker with.
People will be looking for something different to what would be available new, so things like manual boxes and lack of turbos would be appreciated.
Maybe the last mk7 Golves in 3 door manual form in the shorter term (this is on my current short list) - and similarly the recently extinct 3dr Fiesta ST.
It you can find a Focus ST170 for buttons then you'd never make a loss, as someone would want a nice simple car to tinker with.
There's not a lot of hot hatches with a manual box that you can buy new these days, turbocharged or otherwise.
The Abarth 595 is hanging in there. We've just lost the i20N, the Mini, the Focus ST is on its way out. At the top sits the Civic type R for about £50k but how long will that be available?
I've considered paying £20k for a lightly used i20N and keeping it forever. The only thing stopping me is that in 5 years time I'll be wanting to change it. My mk7 ST3 has a part ex value of around £5k and I can't see it losing much more money if I just kept it.
The Abarth 595 is hanging in there. We've just lost the i20N, the Mini, the Focus ST is on its way out. At the top sits the Civic type R for about £50k but how long will that be available?
I've considered paying £20k for a lightly used i20N and keeping it forever. The only thing stopping me is that in 5 years time I'll be wanting to change it. My mk7 ST3 has a part ex value of around £5k and I can't see it losing much more money if I just kept it.
Terminator X said:
There is a 106 Rallye parked up at Bicester Heritage. Low miles too apparently. Fair play to the owner, see that worth a fortune in the future.
TX.
Had one new, wasnt great.TX.
Personally Civic Type R or a decent Clio 197/200 Cup car is where there is most likely to be a gain to be made.
MattsCar said:
When you say investment though, no 00s hatch will really be an investment, it might appreciate over the next 10 years, but running costs/ repairs etc will always make such a car, not an investment in terms of money.
Edited by MattsCar on Sunday 19th May 20:47
For only £5k you're going to get something that's already well used, and if the plan is to carry on using it then it's difficult to see how the cost of keeping it in 'investment grade' condition is ever going to be recouped. Plus it seems that every man and his dog have hit on the idea that any vaguely warm manual car is a future classic that will one day be worth a fortune, so I'm not sure supply is going to be that restricted either.
If you want an investment get an equity tracker. If you want a car get the car you want.
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