Top 10: Nineties hatchbacks for less than a grand
Classic cars from the Nineties have been on the up for a while, but there are still some accessible bargains around, especially if you go for run-of-the mill family hatch, which, let’s face it, is where the nostalgia lies... We pick out our top 10 on-the-cusp classics – buy them now, while they’re still available for beer money.
The Mk 3 Golf had a very hard act to follow. Its predecessor, the Mk 2, was the best car in its class in many respects. Durable, reliable, beautifully executed, and over-shone by a halo model in the form of the iconic Mk 2 Golf GTi.
As a result, the Mk 3, with its dumpy styling, bland cabin and indifferent handling, was a bit of a disappointment. But that’s not the whole story. It was also a car of many firsts… It had water-based paint (which, sadly, made it somewhat rot-prone), it was more recyclable than any other car in its class, and in ‘Ecomatic’ format was the pioneer of today’s stop-start technology.
darthmaud on 28 November 2016
There's some truly shocking examples of automotive engineering in this list.cfc2000 on 29 November 2016
The ZX was decent to drive, but front shafts were fragile and the fuel lift pumps only lasted about 50,000 miles. Better than that Golf though, which then as now was hugely over-rated and over-priced. None of those cars is dstinctive enough to make it collectible. Soemthing like a Saab would make much more sense, cost less than £500, and be a bit different (even if it is a Vauxhall in disguise).Chris C on 9 February 2017
Agree with the R8's but it's a shame that early ones often have badly faded grey bumper plastics. Don't forget the Honda equivalents which are often in excellent carefully kept condition, no K series engine problems and relatively much rarer.Add a comment