Though I prefer cars of the four doors and a boot variety (like the balance better), among the best FF Hatches I've driven are the:
Stock:
1. Ford Focus RS - very sharp steering and handling. Kind of stiff to drive on rough surfaces at speed, but ultra-light weight and quick responses make it a killer on track against any other FF car, stock-stock (and yes, that includes the SRT4 and the Integra).
2. Renaultsport Clio 2.0 - very simple, quick-ish, but lacking high speed oomph. A no-brainer to drive and lots of fun for a quick romp.
3. Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk V - since we're limiting this to hatches... and the other big candidates are, in my opinion, just not as good as their coupe versions. This is a very soft and wooly car, but accurate enough and very quick.
Alfa Romeo 147 GTA - would've picked it, but the Alfa Romeo GT coupe is much better balanced, and easier to oversteer.
Honda Civic Type R - more understeer, and, subjectively, less useable powerband than the Integra Type R.
The Integra Type R, Ford Focus RS and the Alfa Romeo GT are the best driving stock street FFs in my book.
Modified:
Ford Focus SVT - good weight balance, controls very neutral with big power.
Mini Cooper S - snappy in stock trim, but pretty slow compared to similarly powered competitors. In modified trim stays stable and unflustered, but can still spin on a dime.
*The Ford Focus RS is difficult to modify, as it's already balanced so keenly. It's also pretty light, and putting much more power down than stock is very very difficult.
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