my mate had a megane was abolute sh@t, never by with spending money on it and did sensors in for fun!
Type r's are generally very reliable, they do however use oil and need to be kept topped up, if this hasnt been done then im sure you're aware if the issues, i hated mine for the fact if road had so much as morning dew on it it lit up the inside wheel just trying to go to work! Missis liked it tho, my JDM dc5 integra tho was a really good carry on but they are still good money.
What about a dc2 integra type r?
When i mentioned the st170 it was partly because there are a few advertised near me for 1200 ono which realistically is a good value for money car.
Seen a few fiesta st's at just a smidgen over 2k?
Leon cupra r's are also about at similar money?
I have had a load of subarus and can't complain about any of them, just the older ones below a grand are becoming the corsa of today!!
mk4 astra gsi, not my cuppa tea but seem cheap enough
on the older front, e36 m3? evo 2-3-4?
similar to civic type r but bit different toyota corolla tsport
and the one everyone is scared from, mazda rx8, i had one new in 2005 and was really good fun but piss poor on fuel. They are buttons now tho but obviously some have obviour reliabilty issues!