Ring in the New Year with a dose of horsepower – Vijay Pattni brings you the top hot hatch buys on Auto Trader right now.

Fancy a turbocharged shopping trolley?

No – this is not an audition for a ‘YouTube’ style video feature where a rocket is strapped to a Tesco trolley…you can bag yourself a pumped up hatchback with enough power to put a very big smile on your face, and with a very healthy discount.

But which to buy? With contenders from Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen, there’s more than enough horsepower on offer to keep you spinning sideways…

Ford Focus RS (2002-2003) – save £8,500

Ok…so this might be more than five years old, but the new one isn’t even on sale yet, so we’ve plumped for the original.

The 212bhp Focus RS resurrected Ford’s tradition of building desirable hot hatches – anyone remember the Escort RS Cosworth? Clarkson does – he used to own one – and he also loves this Focus RS.

And now is a great time to bag a first generation Ford Focus RS – it cost £19,995 when it launched in 2002, but we’ve found loads of examples hovering around the £12,000 mark, including this 2003 Ford Focus RS with 19,000 miles on the clock, for £11,495.

Vauxhall Astra VXR – save £2,662

“The only thing this car really needs…is a straight-jacket.”

Is the Astra VXR really as mad as Jeremy Clarkson says?

It looks like a hot-hatch should look, with bold lines, a pumped-up bodykit and huge 19-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Astra gets sports seats and racing trim, signalling this Lutonian isn’t going to spend its life collecting cab fares…

But open the bonnet and suddenly Jeremy’s thinking begins to make sense – 240 rampaging horses sent through the front wheels?

Floor the throttle and the Astra VXR might have a tendency to do what it wants to do – but you’ll love it even more.

And with prices hovering around the £15,000 mark for a decent low miler, there’s never been a better way to get 240bhp AND supermodel looks.

We found this 2009 Vauxhall Astra VXR – with just the delivery mileage on it – for £16,333, saving £2,662 off its list price of £18,995.

Volkswagen Golf GTi – save £3,005

No hot hatch list would be complete without the daddy of the pack – the Volkswagen Golf GTi.

The first two generations are the stuff of legend – excellent handling, performance and space for stuff in the back made the GTi the car for all seasons.

And with the new generation (Mark V), VW has reignited the flame which burnt in the hearts of petrolheads across the world.

The Golf may be in its sixth generation now, but the GTi is only currently available in Mark V form, and we’ve found loads of used approved examples, including this 2008 VW Golf GTi, with less than 4,000 miles on the clock, for just £16,990, saving £3,005 off its £19,995 list price.

Honda Civic Type-R GT – save £4,005

A favourite of fans who enjoy watching The Fast and The Furious films, the Honda Civic Type-R blends proper 21st century styling with unimpeachable build quality.

Those space-age looks and that bomb-proof build quality come with plenty of storage space (a 485-litre boot) and loads of room for people. The rear spoiler kills visibility somewhat, but the Type-R in GT form is a great package.

And don’t forget Honda’s famous high-revving 2-litre petrol engine which develops 200bhp and revs like a motorbike.

We found this 2008 Honda Civic Type-R GT with just over 2,000 miles on the clock for £14,995, saving over £4,000 on the GT’s £19,000 list price.

BMW 130i M Sport – save £6,820

Ok – this is a serious hot hatch…the BMW 130i M Sport.

More of a ‘premium’ hatch than the other contenders in this line up, the baby Beemer has a lot to shout about, including a 265bhp 3-litre petrol engine.

This means a 0-62mph time of just six seconds, and a limited top speed of 155mph.

The 130i M Sport looks sharp, boasts BMW’s famous build quality, and – unlike all the other hatches here – is rear-wheel-drive, meaning those 265 Munich thoroughbreds are sent to the back.

Weighing in at over £26,000 brand new, we found this BMW Approved Used 2008 BMW 130i M Sport, with 2,500 miles on the clock, for just £19,990.

BMW M Power - for less than half price

What's YOUR favourite hot hatch?

Check out the trailer for the upcoming tuner flick, Fast & Furious: