Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback (1993 - 2000) 1.0 12V Envoy 3d (1999/T) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Sensible motoring with a twist!

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Good value for something that is meant to take me from A to B.

Would you buy this car again and why?

If I am under the same conditions, definitely! It was cheap all the way!

What are you likely to buy next?

Probably something larger like an estate, as I need something to transport bicycles and boats. But I don't know if I won't keep this one as a cheap runabout!

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£900

When did you buy the car?

April 2013

Did you get a good deal and why?

The car had about 23k on the clock when I bought it, so I figured I couldn't go very wrong with it. Furthermore, insuring it was relatively cheap, especially considering I didn't held any insurance on my name in the UK at the time. It is true that paying £900 for a car with no power steering or central locking may be a bit too much, but it drives like a new car!...

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Low mileage, cheap to run and insure, not too much to go wrong as it is very spartan!

What was the dealer like?

Well, his yard was full of cars he was doing up and selling. Seemed like an honest sort of guy, even though I did an HPI check on the car and brought a friend with me...

What's it like to drive?

Well, the little 54 hp engine on a 800+ kg car doesn't make any miracles, although it can happily cruise on the motorway at 70-80 mph. It feels safe and solid, although not very exciting... The engine is surprisingly torquey at low revs, I got used to making gear changes much sooner (and skipping gears) which is then a problem when I drive other cars.

What's it like to park?

Probably the versions with power steering will not have this issue, but depending where I am it can be a bit heavy to turn the wheels. Good thing that I'm a rower :).

Have you had any problems with the car?

Well, it failed the MOT this year but it wasn't entirely the poor car's fault - the driveshaft was slightly bent and got replaced by a 2nd-hand part which happened to have a slightly leaky CV-joint - that's what failed it!

What's most practical about your car?

Even if it is a 3-door it is still fairly spacious (I've moved houses with it, and carried God-knows how many different large items in it, ranging from rowing machines to fridges and bookshelves). The fuel economy is brilliant (this is the 3-cylinder, 1 litre Suzuki engine), easily averaging 55 mpg.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Not many extras! The Envoy was basically the very base model, minus the metallic paint which is of a lovely electric blue colour (one of the reasons I went for it). This is standard in all Corsas but I like the outdoor temperature display, it is useful!