Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback (2000 - 2004) 1.0i 12V Club 3d (01) Owner Review

Got this car a couple of years ago as my first car back in 2013 - my parents have owned it since 2007, and I'm still driving it today. It's been pretty much the best car we've ever owned. It's worth mentioning it is completely gutless and leans a lot in the corners - but then again you don't go buying a 1 litre car expecting fireworks, do you? Unsurprisingly, motorway journeys are loud. Possible, but loud. Regardless of the car's lack of performance, it's still fun to drive. The gruff 3 cylinder engine gives it character, and is smoother than a lot of 3 cylinder engines out there. The ride is not comfortable by any stretch. The seats are good, and if you get an SXi they have some nice side-bolsters, but the suspension will crash and bang over big bumps. As a first car or second runabout, not really much of a concern. In terms of reliability, these Corsas get a lot of bad press, but we've never had any expensive problems with this car. It hasn't been trouble free by any stretch, but as long as you keep up with yearly servicing they won't steer you wrong. Parts are cheap, as a bonus. Fuel economy isn't fantastic for a car this size. I averaged just under 50MPG before I removed the rear seats for a bigger boot. Then it went up to 54 average. Expect to see around 400 miles out of a full tank. Respectable, definitely, but not amazing. Drive it hard and it'll drop to about jsut under 40MPG. In general, the 1.2 is probably the best mix of economy and performance (I've driven one), and low mileage is a bonus. We've hads no problem with the chain rattle these are known for. Either way, to get 9 years of relatively trouble-free motoring out of a car that's now 14 is rare these days. It still drives as it did when we got it, and never misses a beat. If you take care of it, it will take care of you.