4 of the best hatchbacks to buy online in 2024
Hatchbacks dominate Britain’s roads – and for good reason. These four standout examples demonstrate why
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The hatchback and Britain go together like fish, chips and Brighton beachside.
Hatchbacks are a natural fit for these isles, offering interior space in a compact footprint and a hatched boot to improve functionality.
In a country of narrow urban roads and snug parking spaces, the hatchback is the perfect solution.
Little wonder they’ve topped the sales charts for decades – and still dominate the roads, despite the rise of SUVs and more.
It’s by no coincidence, then, that cinch has a plentiful supply of hatchbacks available to buy online, with more than 5,100 at the time of writing providing an option to suit everybody after one.
City-focused superminis, family-ready five-doors and performance-focused hot hatches – they’re all there to meet your needs, and we think that’s worth celebrating, which is why we’ve plucked out four champs from our hatchback range.
Each model is immensely popular on cinch, so we thought it only right to run through what makes them great and what versions are offered. Long live the hatchback!
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Used Ford Fiesta
Bread and butter – that’s what the Fiesta is to the world of hatchbacks.
A long-standing icon of the class, it’s always stood for good value, strong practicality and great handling.
In fact, the latest, the eighth-generation car – along with its immediate predecessor – is hailed for being one of the nicest cars to drive from any class.
It rides and steers so confidently that even owners of more premium machines can take joy from sitting in the driving seat.
Better still, the latest car comes packed with tech, including a brilliantly-functional infotainment system, which is easily one of the most intuitive to use on the market.
Admittedly, the Fiesta is not the most spacious car of the class – although three- and five-door versions widen its appeal – but the Fiesta has always been fun and easy to live with.
Much has to do with its selection of available engines, from the punchy 1.0-litre EcoBoost to the genuinely powerful 1.5-litre engine of the hot Fiesta ST – they’re all great.
Handily, cinch’s digital showroom features a sizeable selection of the Fiesta’s best, including cars dressed in sporty ST-Line trim (which mimics the look of the hot ST on a less sporting Fiesta base), as well as posh Titanium models and even über-swanky Vignale ones.
These Fiestas are the most well-equipped, but don’t let their presence put you off the entry-level cars.
Fiestas are a great buy across the board – as the near-300 cars on cinch demonstrate so well.
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Used Volkswagen Golf
No UK hatchback list would be complete without the Volkswagen Golf.
The model that took the hatchback to premium heights has long trodden its own path, being decidedly classless in terms of its social standing.
A Golf looks no more out of place parked up on the posh end of the high street than it does sat outside the local superstore, and much of that has to do with the number of variants Volkswagen produces.
There are value-focused versions, posh versions, and the legendary GTI variants.
There’s even an extreme R model, which does a good job of giving sports cars a run for their money. In many ways, all Golfs punch above their weight.
Volkswagen’s latest and second-latest Golf models – the seventh- and eight-generation cars respectively – are based on the same platform, so while there are differences, there’s also a lot shared between them.
That’s a good thing, because the seventh Golf remains a brilliant car and the very latest version only builds on its strengths, adding more high-tech infotainment to what’s one of the best-put-together interiors of any segment.
Functional, tough and comfortable, a Golf interior is immensely easy to live with.
If you find yourself in the market for a Golf, firstly, congratulations, and secondly, don’t be overwhelmed by the choice.
Best to whittle it down by engine choice first – there are petrol, diesel and hybrid versions available – and then decide whether you want performance, economy or comfort to be the car’s priority.
Naturally, every Golf comes with a Volkswagen seal of quality, and they get a decent amount of technology across the board.
Our pick? We’d find it hard to not be lured towards a sporty GTI, or the sensible-and-sporty GTE, to access hybrid efficiency.
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Used Toyota Yaris
That said, if it’s efficiency you want, Toyota’s Yaris hatchback is hard to beat.
It too gets a hybrid version that’s great for drivers wanting to maximise fuel economy, but even the purely petrol Yaris does a good job at sipping from its tank.
Toyota’s engines are world-renowned for this stuff, and thankfully, the Yaris body they go into isn’t half bad, either.
They’re one of the best-built and most reliable hatchbacks money can buy in all guises and trims – which is why they’re as popular with driving instructors as they are experienced, shrewd motorists.
That’s not to say they’re sensible but boring though, because Toyota dresses its Yaris – both the latest and previous generations – in shapely bodywork with a snarling front-end design.
The brand even produces a Sport version that gains black alloy wheels and a rear spoiler to boot (pun intended).
If you’re mad, you can even get into a Yaris tuned – or more like totally reinvented – by Toyota’s Gazoo Racing motorsport department.
The Yaris GR, as it’s called, has 261hp and all-wheel drive. It’s quite literally a rally car for the road – and we currently have two on cinch.
Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting such a car would be right for everyone, and thankfully, neither is Toyota.
That’s why its Yaris range includes eco-conscious hybrid versions, petrol and even diesel versions.
If you’re sold on the prospect of Yaris ownership there’s almost certainly a version for you on cinch right now, whether you hail from the world of new drivers, pound-stretching motorists or, indeed, those who like to get their pulses racing…
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Used Ford Focus
Yep, another Ford. And guess what – this one’s just as good as its smaller sibling.
Offering more space than the Fiesta, especially in the back and in the boot, the Focus is Ford’s answer to the Volkswagen Golf.
Starting from a lower entry point than its German rival, the Focus offers excellent value for money without sacrificing functionality.
It can also stand toe-to-toe to the Golf in the premium sense because Ford’s Focus comes with higher-grade variants.
Take the Titanium, for example, which gets alloy wheels, climate control and cruise control, as well as parking sensors.
Go for a sporty Focus ST and you can add part-leather seats and a powerful 2.3-litre engine that’s shared with the discontinued (but iconic) Ford Focus RS.
Handily, cinch has a handful of those in stock, emphasising just how far-reaching the Focus range is – and just how racy Ford’s family-friendly hatchback can be.
Like the GR Yaris mentioned earlier, this is a car that has one eye on circuit work. But it can also handle the weekly shop.
Ford’s love of good handling means you don’t need to go for an RS to feel the best of a Focus.
Humbler models still possess a good ride, nice steering and eager reactions, making them popular with car fans and high-milers alike.
Thanks to the spacious interior and practical five-door body of Ford’s Golf rival, the whole family can experience those joys.
And with the inclusion of both petrol and diesel models, there’s theoretically a Focus for every family.
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And the rest…
Okay, so while we’ve highlighted four stars in the above list, it's true there are plenty of great used hatchbacks to buy online.
Needing little introduction, a used Vauxhall Astra offers Focus-rivalling practicality and value for money.
Hyundai’s i30 is a relative newcomer to the top crop of hatchbacks, yet it feels firmly established with its great handling, equipment and sharp looks.
Look further up the ladder for a used Mercedes A-Class providing an even more premium option, with its closest direct rival: a used BMW 1 Series.
Never has the hatchback segment been so brimming with talent.
So go on – now you’re briefed, it’s time to have a look at our hatchback selection.