pend a little, get a
lot: that’s the spirit
in which Autocar’s
annual Britain’s Best
Affordable Driver’s
Car competition is convened –
and it has yet to fail to produce an
engaging contest or to address the
appetite-whetting relevance needed
to make for essential reading on any
of the previous occasions we’ve run
it since the turn of the decade.
This year, BBADC majors on
v a r ie t y. It br i n gs t oge t he r e x a mple s
of go-faster fun from purveyors of
the stuff as alphabetically distant
a s A ba r t h i s f r om Vol k s w a ge n.
It includes performance-tuned
takes on the supermini, city car,
estate car and four-door fastback
GT, as well as several full-sized hot
hatchbacks – and one classic sports
car appearing in none other than
its 30th anniversary year. Front-
driven, rear-driven and all-wheel-
driven options are included and
any can be yours for less than the
price of a mid-range executive
saloon car: £35,000 and
downwards, or thereabouts.
Yup, t h i s y e a r ’s i s a v a r ie d bu nc h –
and identifying the most dependable
s ou r c e w it h i n it of sm a l l-bud ge t
at-the-wheel fun ought to tell us
plenty besides, not least about the
state of the enthusiast car in 2019.
So with daily usability and
performance value front of mind
and a day each of fast road and track
driving to help them decide, it’s over
t o ou r jud ge s t o e le c t t h i s y e a r ’s b e s t
affordable thrill-drive. ◊
S
Nine enthusiast’s cars but just one can win our annual contest – and only
after a day’s hard driving in the Welsh mountains and another on track
PHOTOGR A PHY OLGUN KORDAL, MAX EDLESTON
BRITAIN’S BEST
AFFORDABLE
DRIVER’S CAR
VW GOLF GTI TCR
SEAT LEON CUPRA
RENAULT MEGANE RS