Gearheads looking for practical but affordable fun have gravitated towards hot hatches for decades now, since the original Volkswagen Golf GTI essentially created the segment way back in 1975. While being small enough to thread through cities with ease, their hatch-styled trunks offer plenty of cargo space, so they’re ideal as everyday runarounds. At the same time, their accessible front-wheel-drive handling balance makes them a joy for everyone, and not just the most skilled of drivers.
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