13 FWD Cars That Are Perfect For Driving Enthusiasts

Far too often, we hear the conversation that RWD is the only drivetrain layout that matters, and FWD is reserved for economy cars and for cars where handling and dynamics aren’t a priority. As Jeremy Clarkson once said, FWD is for the feeble.

But actually, things aren’t quite that simple. Sure, FWD cars can’t do awesome drifts, and they give a feeling of being pulled out of a corner rather than pushed through it, but FWD cars have their own unique experience behind the wheel that can be a lot of fun.

Automakers have done some fantastic things with FWD cars over the past few decades, and they can put a smile on your face without the drifting or scary oversteer and stability issues, making them perfect for driving enthusiasts.

Ford Fiesta ST

Regardless of whether you have the first generation with its turbo four or the most recent one with the turbo three, the Ford Fiesta ST pushes the boundaries of fun and smiles per mile in terms of FWD cars and hot hatchbacks.

This is because the Fiesta, one of the best-selling cars of all time, is fun to drive even in its non-performance form, so it’s a great base to build upon. When it comes to bang for your buck hot hatchbacks, it’s almost impossible to beat the Ford Fiesta ST.

Mini Hatch

Notice how there’s no specified variation of the Mini Hatch. That’s because, no matter how you spec your Mini hatch, it will always be a fun car to drive. The go-kart comparison has been used so often with the Mini hatch that the automaker itself has started to embrace it.

Whether you have a three-cylinder, or even one of the supercharged or turbo four-cylinders, the Mini Hatch is a brilliant little car, and yet another piece of evidence that FWD can put a major smile on your face. Just be careful, as a used Mini can bankrupt you with maintenance costs.

Mazda 2

No, not the Toyota Yaris-based one. The second-generation Mazda 2 was not available in the United States, and that’s really unfortunate. Despite being a direct competitor to stuff like the Volkswagen Polo and Renault Clio, Mazda injected some of that Miata magic into the 2.

All of the available powertrains did a good job, but the 1.5-liter N/A four-cylinder was a real highlight, being super peppy despite having only 105 hp. Combine that with excellent chassis tuning and a great gear shift, the Mazda 2 is a very cheap and small way to have a lot of fun.

Dodge Neon SRT-4

Seeing what Japan was doing with FWD performance cars, Dodge wanted in on the action. A domestic FWD pocket rocket that can take the fight to the imports? Sounds like a great idea, and in a rare exception for early 2000s Chrysler, the Neon SRT-4 nailed the execution.

The turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood developed well over 200 hp, and combined with excellent chassis engineering, the Neon SRT-4 had no problem hanging out with all the Civics and Mazdaspeed Proteges. This is, unfortunately, one of many discontinued Dodges.

Volkswagen Golf GTI

It was technically not the first hot hatchback, but the Golf GTI was the first one to really make a huge impact, causing the competition to go into high gear to put together some competitors. Today, the Golf GTI is still one of the archetypal hot hatchbacks.

Almost every generation of the Golf GTI does the whole power thing very well, and thanks to VW’s engineers putting in the extra effort, they all handle beautifully. Just avoid the Mk3 and Mk4, because that’s when the GTI badge kinda lost its meaning.

Honda Civic Si

This is an obvious one. Even though North America didn’t get the Civic Type R until a few years ago, the Civic Si was the de facto top-of-the-line Civic model on the continent. It’s very different from Type R, but it’s still a fantastic prospect.

From the beginning, the Civic Si has always been about affordable fun. It’s not the most powerful warm hatch in the world, but it comes standard with a manual transmission, and it’s great fun to drive. For the money it costs, both new and used, it’s tough to beat.

Hyundai Elantra N

When Hyundai started getting serious about performance cars, everyone was skeptical, but intrigued. The arrival of Hyundai’s N models showed that the engineers definitely knew what they were doing, and that is certainly the case with the Elantra N.

Based on the humble Elantra compact sedan, the turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood of the Elantra N puts out 272 hp, making it one of the most powerful FWD cars on the market today. Regardless of which transmission you go for, it can certainly scare a VW Jetta GLI.

Mazda 3

Easily one of the best-looking compact cars on the market today, the current Mazda 3 has been with us since 2019. Since then, it has shown Mazda’s commitment to reinventing the ICE, and it also shows that every Mazda comes with a sparkle.

Regardless of powertrain or transmission choice, the Mazda 3 is great fun to drive. AWD is on offer, and if you really need extra power, the 250-hp Turbo version should do the trick. The N/A engines are also great, and it’s one of the last current compact cars to offer a stick shift.

Ford Focus ST

The Ford Focus RS was one of the ultimate hatchbacks almost a decade ago, but they haven’t really gone down in value and are quite rare. The next best option is the final (for North America, anyway) Mk3 Focus ST. Sure, it loses out on the AWD system, but it has plenty of other merits.

For one, it still has 250 hp courtesy of a 2.0-liter turbo EcoBoost four, and it was only ever offered with a six-speed manual transmission. It handles great, there’s plenty of aftermarket support, and it’s a good price. If you live in Europe, you can even have it as a wagon!

Toyota Matrix XRS

How about a bit of a sleeper? The Toyota Matrix XRS was North America’s stand-in for a Corolla hatchback. For the most part, the Matrix lineup was just a compact Toyota from the 2000s, but the XRS was a totally different story.

The XRS boasted 180 hp from a 1.8-liter 2ZZ-GE four-cylinder. You know, the same engine as a Lotus Elise? The one that revs to 8,000 RPM? Yeah, that one. It was great fun to drive, too, and you can get one for basically no money nowadays.

Renault Twingo R.S

Before the days of turbo four-cylinders, the Renault Twingo R.S was a more traditional small hot hatchback. A simple 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder sent 130 hp to the front wheels through a mandatory manual transmission.

It may not seem like all that much power, but the Twingo R.S weighed less than 2,500 lbs, and it was all about the corners, and it was quite good at those. There was even a special Gordini version in that iconic blue exterior and white stripes.

Ford Mondeo ST220

Back in the day when Ford of Europe took performance cars far more seriously. For the Mk3 Mondeo, a new ST version was in order to replace the cult Mondeo ST200. The ST220 followed the same principles as the ST200.

A naturally-aspirated V6, 3.0 liters in this case, putting out well over 220 hp through a mandatory six-speed manual transmission. While it doesn’t have the same oversteery thrills that a BMW did, it was a fantastic left-field performance sedan, and it was much more affordable.

Peugeot 205 GTI

For a while, it seemed like no one could take the fight to the Golf GTI, but eventually, Peugeot would do just that. Not only did Peugeot choose the exact same three letters for the 205-based hot hatch, but for once, the French actually managed to beat the Germans at their own game.

The 205 GTI was an absolute riot, regardless of which of the two engines was under the hood. A wheel in the air, lift-off oversteer, super direct turn-in, all the best ingredients for a spectacular hot hatchback were there and done beautifully. Luckily, the 205 GTI is one FWD icon that you can legally import to the States.