Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback (1993 - 2000) 1.4 16V Sport 3d (1999/S) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Probably that I was a young kid with not much money.

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

They thought it was ok for the price and didn't complain about being inside it or going on fairly long journeys in it.

Would you buy this car again and why?

I don't think I'd buy another Corsa. I've developed a liking for larger cars such as saloons or coupes.

What are you likely to buy next?

After this car I bought a 2.0cdti Mondeo.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£1,400

When did you buy the car?

October 2009

Did you get a good deal and why?

I think I got a fair deal. The car was in great condition and had cover good miles for the age of the car (50,000). I got a years MOT and tax and the car was ready for me to drive away the next day.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I wanted a car that was a step up from my old 1.0 litre corsa, something with a bit more power and luxury yet still affordable to buy and insure.

What was the dealer like?

The dealer was a bit of a typical car salesman, kept telling me how the phone was ringing off the hook for it, how he could sell it for a lot more etc. But he did give me a good part-exchange price on my old car.

What's it like to drive?

This car had decent power for its size and never really felt like it struggled with anything. It was fairly bumpy and noisy at high speeds but this was more of a town car. The brakes weren't too good, with no ABS, skidding was a common problem in the rain and harsh braking.

What's it like to park?

It was very to park. It was small and had good all round visibility, and power steering made turning very easy at low speeds.

Have you had any problems with the car?

The car had a few niggles in the 2 years I had it. The exhaust starting blowing quite badly and had to be replaced. I had to have the timing belt replaced at 55,000 miles and the car started to make a horrible whine that I thought was the timing belt going but replacing it didn't help and a mechanic friend couldn't place the fault.

What's most practical about your car?

The car was fairly practical as it was small and had plenty of room in the back for its size. It could carry 4 people around if comfort. The car had 90bhp and didn't really feel like it struggled anywhere unless you had 3/4 people in the car and you had a fairly steep hill to contend with. The mph was fairly poor for a small engined car, only averaging about 35mpg a tank with mixed driving.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Coming from a car with basically nothing on it, this car was fairly well equipped. It had air con, electric windows, a cd player, central locking. Didn't have everything you could ask for but it was decent for the price.