13.02.2009
Following our supertest feature ‘Fierce Creatures’, we can now bring you our two-part video of the quickest and most characterful hot hatchbacks on sale today.
Have a look at the video and then share with us your views and perspectives on the cars we included..
Click image and go to DR TV
About Eds
Tell us what you think..
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10 Comments
jl123
February 18, 2009I think this video was of very little interest. Though most will have no idea as to why- except Richard the quiet one.
The problem with figuring out what consumers want is that they rarely understand it (what they want) themselves. They just know when they don’t like something, then they still buy it- which fools the provider, and eventually after months they stop buying/looking for it. And still if asked why did you stop the product they say, “I’m not sure entirely I just wasn’t interested anymore.”
jl123
February 18, 2009I think this video was of very little interest. Though most will have no idea as to why- except Richard the quiet one.
The problem with figuring out what consumers want is that they rarely understand it (what they want) themselves. They just know when they don’t like something, then they still buy it- which fools the provider, and eventually after months they stop buying/looking for it. And still if asked why did you stop the product they say, “I’m not sure entirely I just wasn’t interested anymore.”
Ian M
February 21, 2009On the contrary I found the videos most enjoyable. They did not go far enough or cover enough cars, but good and enjoyable nonetheless.
Why no Golf GTi as a benchmark though. I realise it is not the fastest hot hatch out there, but it easily one of the best all rounders and would have acted as a clear standard against which all the others could be judged. In fact since you seemed to have chosen “modified” versions of each hatch then you could have used an Ed 30 or similar.
You also missed an opportunity to test the very best all round hot hatch in this august company based on style and all round perfomance the Audi S3 which would have beaten all these car round the track, except maybe the R26R. It would have certainly beaten everything in the rain! In terms of driving environments there is no hot hatch which offers a more pleasant experience.
Ian M
February 21, 2009On the contrary I found the videos most enjoyable. They did not go far enough or cover enough cars, but good and enjoyable nonetheless.
Why no Golf GTi as a benchmark though. I realise it is not the fastest hot hatch out there, but it easily one of the best all rounders and would have acted as a clear standard against which all the others could be judged. In fact since you seemed to have chosen “modified” versions of each hatch then you could have used an Ed 30 or similar.
You also missed an opportunity to test the very best all round hot hatch in this august company based on style and all round perfomance the Audi S3 which would have beaten all these car round the track, except maybe the R26R. It would have certainly beaten everything in the rain! In terms of driving environments there is no hot hatch which offers a more pleasant experience.
JD
February 21, 2009No Golf GTI or R32.
Come on what is the point of a hot hatch review without one of these?????
0/10
JD
February 21, 2009No Golf GTI or R32.
Come on what is the point of a hot hatch review without one of these?????
0/10
Steve
February 22, 2009@JD – There’s always a reason for what appears to be such an obvious gaffe and in this case there are two factors at work, firslty the GTi was out of production (there is a new one being launched by VW shortly) and secondly there is usually the difficulty in getting hold of a press car once a model is no longer being sold – believe it or not the manufacturers prefer to sell their press cars as soon as they are no longer useful (for them, not us). I believe one of these was the reason for the GTi’s omission.
The S3 would have been a good inclusion, although its price would put it in a different category to cars such as the Civic Type-R and Focus ST. We’ve got to draw a line at some point when assembling these group tests but it sounds like there is an appetite for a rematch when the new Golf GTi joins the fray.
Steve
February 22, 2009@JD – There’s always a reason for what appears to be such an obvious gaffe and in this case there are two factors at work, firslty the GTi was out of production (there is a new one being launched by VW shortly) and secondly there is usually the difficulty in getting hold of a press car once a model is no longer being sold – believe it or not the manufacturers prefer to sell their press cars as soon as they are no longer useful (for them, not us). I believe one of these was the reason for the GTi’s omission.
The S3 would have been a good inclusion, although its price would put it in a different category to cars such as the Civic Type-R and Focus ST. We’ve got to draw a line at some point when assembling these group tests but it sounds like there is an appetite for a rematch when the new Golf GTi joins the fray.
JethroBovingdon
February 22, 2009As Steve suggest the Golf is now an old model line – and although it’s still a terrific car this test was really for the more extreme special editions; a look at the state of the maddest hatches before the Focus RS arrives if you like. We didn’t try to get a GTi because the new model is launched in March and I’m sure it’ll find its way into a DR grouptest very soon.
JethroBovingdon
February 22, 2009As Steve suggest the Golf is now an old model line – and although it’s still a terrific car this test was really for the more extreme special editions; a look at the state of the maddest hatches before the Focus RS arrives if you like. We didn’t try to get a GTi because the new model is launched in March and I’m sure it’ll find its way into a DR grouptest very soon.