Here are a few sub-200bhp cars for under £5k we found this week

Not the most well-furnished car in the world, and certainly not the most comfortable, but what the third-generation Renault Clio R.S. provides is a fantastic drive courtesy of its 2.0-litre four-pot engine - good for 197bhp and a 0-60mph sprint in under seven seconds. The hot Clio badge also has a history of dramatic handling, so don’t be shocked when it cocks a wheel for bants.

Incidentally, the 2.0-litre version of the second-generation Audi TT also has 197bhp. This example is on sale for the exact budget amount and features a cosy red interior with a selection of elegant switch gear seen in plenty of Audi vehicles during this period. Sadly, the rear seats are pointless unless you’ve got matchsticks for legs.

You can get the second-generation ST for well within the £5k budget, but they produce 222bhp. We're stickler for rules here at TG. No, seriously, we are. So in the interest of true journalism, it must be excluded *rolls eyes*. Happily, a first-generation ST-170 will do just fine.

The second estate featured could not be more different from the first if it tried. For just £3,650, you could be the proud owner of a vehicle which explodes every time you breathe near it - how could you not find that appealing? It’s okay though, because this Azzuro Nuvola Blue (the only in the UK according to the ad) doubles up as a fine piece of art. If you stand and admire it from 10 metres away… and ensure the use of a face mask.

Anyone fancy a tidy, second-generation SLK200 with 89k on the clock? Perhaps the perfect open-top summer cruiser on a budget, with its 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine putting out around 181bhp and a similar amount of torque. Plentiful for a weekend road trip to-and-from the Lake District, where you’ll be able to put on your best villain laugh as you fly past anyone who opted for the obvious choice in the Mazda MX-5.

Smart cars only seem to be growing in public appearances as the world’s cities get more congested and parking spaces get tighter. So if you’re going to join the party, why not do so in a turbocharged Brabus Edition? The upside: it has 177bhp and a host of creature comforts inside. The downside: there’s less space if you were to spend 24 hours in one.

C’mon, this is Top Gear - it would be wrong not to squeeze in another Alfa. This time we’ve opted for a Spider, and while the remake doesn’t command quite the same level of attention as its predecessor, it’s still a truly gorgeous product. Happily, there’ll be plenty of time to admire it when, in a moment of pure madness, a lapse in your concentration leads to someone getting way too close and fatally exhaling near it.