Here’s one for you: “Why did the compact performance car apply for a job? It needed to “shift” gears and accelerate its career.” Sounds like a nice little joke, but the compact segment has long accelerated its career. Long gone are their days of humble beginnings when compact cars were no more than economy options.

Thanks to rapid advancements in technology, engineering, and design, many compact cars now match and even surpass the performance, handling, and raw power of larger, more expensive cars.

The thing about punchy small cars like the MINI Cooper S and Fiat 500 Abarth is how they blend urban practicality with spirited driving experience. For many driving enthusiasts, nothing can be better. Without further ado, here are our 10 picks for those looking for a fun daily driver or a capable weekend warrior in a small package.

2023 Honda Civic Type R

The Civic Type R has many hearts and wallets with its high-revving 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. In 2023, the turbo-4 deliver 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque to go with the hatchback’s inborn razor-sharp handling.

The real kicker is that Honda pairs this powerplant with a six-speed stick shift. With that power routed to the front wheels, you’re not so worried about letting your teen get behind the wheel.

That’s as long as you’re good with handing over command of a $43,000 fun machine to a teenager or anyone, for that matter. The Type R is the fastest Civic. It can race to 60 mph in 5 seconds and a top speed of 170 mph.

2022 Volkswagen Golf R

Like the Civic Type R, the 2022 VW Golf R rocks a 2.0-liter turbo inline-4 that also makes 315 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the Civic, though, this Volkswagen favored a sophisticated 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (DSG) to transmit power to the car’s 4MOTION AWD system, which now comes with what the German manufacturer calls “R Performance Torque Vectoring.”

That’s just their way of saying the system distributes power variably between the front and rear axles as well as between the right and rear wheels.

“The differential from the 4MOTION drive system,” says Volkswagen, “transfers the power via a multi-plate clutch to the left and the right-hand rear wheels with a ratio of 50:50 – even when the differential lets them rotate at different speeds when cornering.” Volkswagen fans are already familiar with this technology from other VW MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix) models.

2021 Mazda3 Turbo

Underestimate this Mazda at your own peril. Mazda needs to work harder to convince the market, which is why it went out of its way to make a first impression with sporty aesthetics and a driver-focused cabin.

This model year featured a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque with premium fuel. Regular gas reduces the output to 227 hp with the torque unchanged, with a six-speed automatic routing the power to the front wheels or Mazda’s i-Activ all-wheel-drive system.

All told, the 2021 Mazda3 Turbo races to 60 mph in approximately 6.4 seconds. It’s a decent performance for the money, especially when you throw in the car’s renowned agile handling, thanks to Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control technology.

2018 Ford Focus RS

The RS can still be found in the used market, although models as far back as 2016 still command upward of $30,000 or more. Note that the 2016–­2017 models had gasket issues. Regardless, this little hatchback can run rings around many cars that ask for a lot more money when new. It started at around $41,000 in 2021.

Gearheads snapped up every one of the 1,000 produced for the US market because the RS is a glorious thing to drive. Canada got just 500 units. It featured a high-performance 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four, producing 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque.

Like the Civic Type R, a six-speed manual dispatched that power to the car’s Ford Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system. All told, it raced to 60 mph in about 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 165 mph.

2021 Hyundai Veloster N

The Veloster N is another fun car we were sad to see go. It’s a “love at first sight thing.” You love it long before you learn the little, smart-looking thing actually delivers 275 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.0-liter straight-4.

The car’s quirky styling is so apt it looked good in every cloth – yellow, red, black, whatever. Hyundai paired the engine with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT), although the six-speed manual is the clear favorite.

Believe it or not, this car belches out a unique sporty sound when you flatten the pedal, thanks to its electronically controlled exhaust system. It made it to 60 mph in approximately 5 seconds, and that – is a decent performance for $33,000. You need a budget of $25,000 to get one now.

2020 Subaru WRX STI

The STI was born to pack a punch. It boasts a rich rally heritage, which informs its distinctive boxer engine design, which contributes to the car’s lower center of gravity, ultimately enhancing the handling, stability, and overall performance.

The 2020 model featured a 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-4 (boxer) engine producing 310 hp at 6,000 rpm and 290 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. A six-speed manual transmission sent the power to all four wheels, making it the perfect recipe for a spirited driving experience. It was available in Crystal Black, Silica Crystal Pearl, and Lapis Blue Pearl.

2020 Mini John Cooper Works GP

While we’ll probably need a detailed roster to keep up with the MINI’s many versions and sub-versions, the 2020 John Cooper Works GP is a standout edition, and that’s not just because only 3,000 were manufactured worldwide.

The GP is rare and track-ready, boasting aggressive aerodynamic elements like a large rear wing, rear diffuser, and front splitter. It flaunts a stripped-down interior, with a digital dash and racing seats to complete its driver-focused cabin.

The motivation came from a 2.0-liter turbocharged straight-4 producing 306 hp at 5,000–6,000 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque at 1,750–4,000 rpm. Its 8-speed automatic featured a mechanical limited-slip differential, sending power to the front wheels. It raced to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 165 mph.

2023 Toyota GR Corolla

Despite its copious aggressive styling, the GR Corolla can easily be mistaken for a regular student ca. Don’t let the Corolla nameplate fool you. It can make it to 60 mph in approximately 4.9 seconds, while the even rarer Morizo variant makes the distance in 4.4 seconds.

The base and mid trims are called “Core” and “Circuit.” This little hatchback delivers rally-inspired handling and 300 hp, thanks to a 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo engine.

Toyota rubbished the “student car” notion with a six-speed manual transmission, routing power to the car’s proprietary GR-Four all-wheel-drive system designed to distribute torque variably between the front and rear wheels.

2020 BMW M2 Competition

While the M2 Competition is relatively larger than the hatchbacks on this list so far, it’s nonetheless too powerful for its size. It never hurts to gift the market a high-performance coupe that combines sport with power.

The 2020 M2 Competition packs a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six that throws an explosive 405 hp at 5,230 rpm and 406 lb-ft of torque at 2,350 rpm.

The power travels to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic shifter. Naturally, it’s the quickest car on this list, waking to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. The top speed is limited to 155 mph to keep the peace.

2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI

A song for the 2022 Golf GTI would have many verses, with several lines dedicated to its enhanced performance and driving dynamics. Notable features include its limited-slip differential and adaptive suspension which comes as standard equipment.

The 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI’s motivation comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, producing 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic dispatched power to the front wheels. It raced to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds with the DSG.