Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback (2000 - 2004) 1.2i 16V SXi 3d (2001/Y) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I'm cheap and I don't mind if my car breaks down all the time

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

boy racer who can't afford insurance for a car with a decent engine

Would you buy this car again and why?

no. I might get one of the diesel Corsas, with the bigger engines. This one just doesn't have the grunt - the engine is anaemic especially at low revs and at high speed. Also the reliability is embarrassing - my mechanic saw more of me than my girlfriend does

What are you likely to buy next?

I was looking to get a Japanese diesel estate car - Honda or Toyota. However given the amount of money I have wasted on the Corsa in recent years I am forced to get a Vauxhall Astra diesel estate. At least it was cheap.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£6,500

When did you buy the car?

March 2002

Did you get a good deal and why?

I got an OK deal although it turned out the car had been involved in a smash and they never told me.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I drove a Corsa SXi as a courtesy car after an accident I'd had previously and loved it - hugged the road, great seats, great handling. Bought a normal Corsa but it wasn't the same. After I wrote that one off, I bit the bullet and got the SXI :)

What was the dealer like?

It came with a 3 year warranty so it had to be serviced by Vauxhall (the rules have changed now thank god). In 3 years they never opened or cleaned the rear brakes - as witnessed by the dust that came out of them when I took it to my mechanic. Also in that time they had charged me 3 times for a new pollen filter, but when I took it to my mechanic he removed the filter and it was the original one from when the car was first assembled (it was dated 2001 and black). I dread to think what else they charged for without actually doing.

What's it like to drive?

Nippy but woefully underpowered for the motorway, sounds like you're about to take off, especially because of the trundling from the suspension as it hugs the road like a limpet.

What's it like to park?

Easier than an easy thing. Parks in spaces that are technically smaller than the car itself - obviously not true but I got in to some real tiny gaps in this thing

Have you had any problems with the car?

plenty, it's a Vauxhall. The gear linkages went and I ended up half way across 3 lanes of traffic unable to move, the steering wheel column bolt sheared off - luckily while parking, all the electrics would randomly reset together while driving - this improved when I had a new ignition coil pack installed at great expense. It improved but still happened occasionally, probably needs new ECU. The key fobs stopped working and couldn't be reprogrammed. Window winding mechanism fell off.

What's most practical about your car?

Small, nippy, seats go down to give a decent sized cargo area... it goes and stops and is reasonably pleasant to drive except at high speed for long periods of time. Can carry a fair amount of stuff - oil shocks mean it handles heavy-ish loads well.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

remote radio controls on the steering wheel and a proper full-sized spare wheel. Light-as-a-feather power steering - good as it has alloys.