By: IOL & Star Motoring staff
We all dream about exotic machinery with explosive thrust, but the real world keeps that a poster dream for most. The good news is that those able to stretch their budget to the R300 000 mark still have many enticing options.
But which is the king of pocket rockets? Our team set out to pick the cars that offer maximum driver satisfaction on a budget. That’s not to say comfort and refinement were left out of the equation, because it would be pointless recommending cars that we couldn’t at least live with on a daily basis.
After voting by our team of motoring journalists there were six pleasure-mobiles that rocketed to the top.
1.Ford Fiesta ST
With its sporty body kit and Recaro bucket seats, the new blue-oval bomber is a carrot to any boy-racer. Throw in its 134kW EcoBoost turbo 1.6 engine, firmed-up suspension, upgraded brakes, and understeer-defeating Torque Vectoring Control, and you have yourself a terrific little track tool. But the bargain R254 500 pricetag, undercutting its main rivals by around 30 grand, is the real clincher.
2.Volkswagen Polo GTI
The Polo is already a damn fine car in standard form. Throw in a little terror of a 132kW 1.4-litre turbopetrol engine, sharpened handling and a super slick DSG gearbox and what’s not to like?
Sure, it is missing one or two items on the standard features front and at R283 900 it does cost more than the Fiesta ST, but the “GTI Lite” ultimately impresses in the way it matches firecracker performance to decent dynamics and a high-quality interior.
As one of our team members put it: “The Polo is probably the car I would choose to drive home right now out of all, because I’m a stickler for quality.”
3.Toyota 86
A prime contender on our wish list, the 86 is an eye-catching, low-slung coupé offering rear-wheel drive kicks on a budget.
Yet there is one bone of contention in the underwhelming performance offered by its 2-litre flat-four engine. Being normally aspirated, altitude is not kind to it and it took all of 8.6 seconds to get the Toyota to 100km/h at our Gauteng test facility.
Still, if you’re not a robot-to-robot bandit and you can appreciate a beautifully-balanced rear-wheel drive chassis, you may just discover that you don’t always have to go fast to have fun.
Price: R298 500
4.Mini Cooper S
For quick-turning, kart-like handling there’s still nothing that’ll put a smile on your dial quicker than a Mini Cooper S. Show it a fast corner and the Mini impresses with its pin-sharp agility and talkative steering. The little critter also has the performance to match thanks to a feisty 135kW 1.6-litre turbo engine that’s happy at all altitudes.
On the downside, the Cooper S is more expensive than its rivals, coming in at R295 868, and the current model is nearing the end of its life-cycle – although its retro design is at least more timeless than most.
5.Opel Corsa OPC
This Opel is also getting a tad long in the tooth, having been launched in 2008, but we’ll never forget how good Opel’s little hot hatch feels to thrash around a racetrack.
It’s still great entertainment value for an enthusiast driver, and the 141kW/230Nm 1.6 turbo motor puts it at the sharp end of the performance spectrum.
It’s not the most comfortable pocket rocket out there at R284 000, but the boisterous styling inside and out, nimble handling and pulse-quickening performance make it an uncompromised hot hatch of note.
6.Nissan Juke 1.6T
Given that it’s a pavement-hopper of sorts, Nissan’s turbo-boosted Juke is somewhat top-heavier than the other cars we voted for, but still great fun to drive.
The 1.6 DIG-T motor pushes 140kW and 240Nm and while it’s not as quick as a Polo GTI, its 8.3 second 0-100km/h time – at Reef altitude – is certainly respectable. The Juke is also more practical than the average small hatch but what gets us fired up is its brave, anti-establishment styling. It’s yours for R278 900.