Best used hatchbacks
High-quality used hatchback cars from rated and reviewed dealers
Best used hatchbacks of 2025
The humble hatchback has always made for a great family car, thanks to a clever combination of compact proportions, a usefully spacious interior, comfortable cruising manners and an ability to really put a smile on your face on a twisty country road. Owing to their incredible popularity, there are plenty of used hatchbacks cars that you can score an absolute deal on on the second hand market. Here, we take a look at some of the best used hatchbacks around.
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What’s not so good
The Volkswagen Golf has always been the consummate all-rounder - it’s handsome, spacious, comfortable, and feels pretty posh on the inside too. We’d say look for a previous-generation model (so you avoid the new car’s fussy infotainment system). You might be able to snap up a saucy GTI performance model for a bargain if you buy used, too.
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The Ford Focus has always been the family hatchback that you can have the most fun in on your favourite backroad. The latest generation model continues that trend, and we think it’s one of the best second hand hatchbacks you can buy. Just don’t expect it to feel as posh on the inside as a VW Golf, however.
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While you could easily score a good deal on a current Audi A3 on the used market, we’d advise you look for a low-mileage example of the previous generation model. Weirdly, that car feels even more luxurious on the inside than the newer ones - though its tech won’t be quite as up to date. Drives nicely, too.
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If you want a posh hatchback that’s also pretty fun to drive, then the BMW 1 Series should be at the top of your list. It can feel a bit firm over lumps and bumps, but as far as used hatchbacks are concerned, it makes for a great buy - particularly as the latest generation model has been on sale for a while now.
Battery range up to 40 miles
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The Mercedes A-Class looks handsome on the outside, and has a properly flashy interior - at least at surface level. It’s very comfy at a cruise, but space in the second row is pretty tight and its four-cylinder engines can be a bit loud and thrashy at times too.
The Skoda Octavia is the used hatchback to go for if you need a lot of cargo and passenger space. These sensible cars are by no means the most fun things to drive on a good country road, but they’re comfortable and, as a used buy, represent excellent value for money. Both the current and previous generation models would be a good choice.
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The Toyota Corolla makes for a great used buy if you want a hatchback that’ll be cheap to run and super reliable. It has a petrol-sipping hybrid system that’s super economical around town, and it’s actually pretty fun to drive too. You might not be overly sold on the looks, however, or the rather plain interior.
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The Mazda 3 is not only fun to drive, it’s posh inside and handsomely styled too. You may find its petrol and diesel engines to be a bit weedy, but it has one of the best manual gearboxes in the game. Rear space is a bit tight, mind, and the boot is a bit of an awkward shape.
The SEAT Leon is effectively a Volkswagen Golf with a sportier look and a sportier drive - particularly if you go for the previous generation model. Some of the on-board tech might feel a bit long in the tooth by now, but it works much better than the glitchy systems you find in new SEAT models.
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The Kia Ceed might not be buckets of fun to drive, and its interior might be a bit plain, but it comes loaded with kit and has a decent-sized boot. With a seven-year warranty, even used examples will still be covered for a serious amount of time too. Talk about peace of mind.
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