The Corsa is a car we've seen on the roads the past dozen years. In its newest update – launched in 2003 - it is a tasty little package with a lot going for it. It is an easy-to-drive supermini that is cheap to run and insure. It is a safe choice, but lacks the fun factor, and falls short of its competitors.
The review car
The car we reviewed was a Vauxhall Corsa SXI Twinport with a 1.2 litre 16 valve engine. It was standard spec with alloy wheels fitted.
Driving experience
Driving the Corsa can only be described in a single word: Easy. The clutch is light, there is no way to put the car into the wrong gear, and the power-assisted steering, unlike the engine, is powerful.
The combination of all of this means that it is very simple to drive. The instrument panel is simple - Spartan, even - and there is very little to distract you from the reason why you are behind the wheel: driving the car.
Performance out of the 1.2 litre Twinport was adequate - You will never be the first one away from stop-lights, and acceleration is not great at higher speeds, but it does offer enough power to take you where you need to go. On the motorway, the car happily cruises at or just above the speed limit, without being overly noisy.
The positive side-effect of lack of power, is that the engine is very frugal indeed: With a bit of careful driving, you should be able to get close to 48 mpg out of it - or roughly 450 miles per full tank of fuel.
Vauxhall have obviously spent a lot of time to make the car user-friendly. Unfortunately, that means it isn't very driver friendly, certainly not for experienced drivers. The brawny power-steering means that skilled drivers will be annoyed by the lack of feedback from the steering wheel: it is difficult to sense what the car is doing, which means that if it begins to spin or loses grip, you only find out when it is too late to do anything about it, and are left to recover, instead of preventing the problem. Of course, this can be countered by driving more carefully.
The gear lever feels like it slots in and out of gear, which is great if you aren't used to changing gears, as it means that you have to be quite assertive to select the next gear. Chances of selecting the wrong gear, or accidentally trying to drive off with the car half in gear or in neutral are nearly nil. Not so good if you like quick and smooth gear-changes however.
Long distance driving in the Corsa can be tiresome; The vehicle is not very accommodating to tall drivers. Height-adjustable drivers seat is a useful feature, but in order to make space for long legs, the seat has to be in its lowest position. Combined with a non-adjustable steering column (adjustable available as a £95 option), the long hauls become awkward and a tad uncomfortable.
The suspension on this car is quite stiff. That is good in that it makes the car feel solid and stable. Sadly, the hard suspension also means that every imperfection in the road is all too obvious to those inside the car: Not a big issue on the motorway, but for those of us who frequently have to drive on B-roads or (the real horror) cobblestones, it isn't particularly nice.
The brakes on this car are particularly good: The Anti-Lock Braking system which is standard on all models works the way it should, and is effective at bringing the car to a halt, even when panic braking on wet or loose surfaces.
The Corsa has a relatively high level of safety. Dual air-bags and ABS brakes are standard, and four stars in the Euro-NCAP crash test isn't to be scoffed at (although both the new Renault Clio and the Fiat Punto had better results). The lack of Electronic Skid Prevention and Electronic Stability Control makes the car seem particularly dated, and they are not available as options either - quite a significant downfall, as both technologies are potential lifesavers, especially to inexperienced drivers. It is worth noting that all competitors at least offer it as an option - and some even include them as standard.
Design and usability
For a small car, it has a lot of appeal as a run-around. The boot isn't terribly large, but for shopping runs, there is always the back seat - excellently accessible if you have a 5-door model, but not too bad on the 3-door either.
Despite the fact that the current-model Corsa is essentially a face-lifted model of the Corsa launched in 2000. For a 5-year-old model, it has kept its looks very well: The exterior is cheeky enough to be interesting.
There isn't an awful lot of room for passengers in the back, but 9-year-olds with not-too-tall parents could be accommodated for shorter trips. On the 3-door model, getting into the back seats is better than on many cars, but if you are planning to transport people around frequently, a 5-door is highly recommended.
Who is it for?
The Corsa is an ideal first car, or as a cheap runabout for around town or for shorter trips. It is especially well-suited for people who are new drivers, or unsure of their driving ability: Considering that traffic can be confusing at the best of times, it is good to know that at least the Corsa does what it can to help you along the way.
So, should you buy one?
The small-car market is hotly contested, and while the Corsa was an honest contender when it was launched five years ago, it is dragging its feet a little now. The new Fiesta, the new Polo and the upcoming Renault Clio are all alternatives that are better value-for-money, but also better in general. Watch out, though, as Vauxhall are due to bring out a completely re-vamped version of the Corsa. If you decide to buy or lease one now, make sure you get a really good deal.
Resale value (known as “Residual Value”) for the Corsas is quite depressing, but approximately on par with the other cars in the same class: Over the first 3 years, they lose roughly 70% of their value. In comparison, Fiestas lose about the same, but a similar-priced Polo with a TDI engine loses only 50% of its value.
This means that if you are planning to buy a Corsa, doing so as Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or an outright purchase is generally the best option.
If you were to consider leasing, you may as well lease a Volkswagen Golf or a higher-end Polo with a turbo-diesel engine: The lease cost will be around the same, and you get a far better car out of the deal: A more economical engine, a higher level of comfort, and a better vehicle overall.