2003 Vauxhall Corsa SXi 1.7 DTi

Summary:

The best diesel car of this size on the market. Buy one

Faults:

Wiper blades look like they need replaced already. Otherwise, everythings great.

General Comments:

Very economical to run.

Extremely good traction for a small car. Great for taking off from lights or making right turns.

I'm very pleased with the acceleration, at all speeds.

The back end looks a bit flat, or is that just me? Otherwise, a great sporty looking little car.

ABS seems ineffective. Just this morning I had to control a skid on a wet road to avoid a 'men working' sign on a country road, when oncoming traffic appeared unexpectedly over the brow of a hill. I know I was traveling too fast.

Nimble handling with predictable understeer.

A bit dead until the turbo kicks in at 1800rpm or so.

Very high spec interior - I like.

Standard alloys could be a bit more aesthetically pleasing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th September, 2003

25th Dec 2003, 10:02

How come your sxi hs a turbo and ABS when normally it doesn't come as standard.

11th Feb 2004, 07:23

Addressing the above comment: "How come your sxi hs a turbo and ABS when normally it doesn't come as standard."

The Corsa being discussed has the 1.7-litre DTi diesel unit, which has direct injection and a turbocharger. It provides very good performance and will outshine the smaller petrol units.

A petrol Corsa with a turbocharger; now that I would like to see... brings back memories of the old Fiesta RS Turbo.

ABS is available as an option on virtually all Corsas and is standard on some models. Don't forget that standard specifications are continually changed anyway.

2003 Vauxhall Corsa SXi 1.2 16v

Summary:

A great little bargain

Faults:

It's too new to say really. Almost nothing has gone wrong apart from one minor problem.

The drivers seat in the last 60 miles has started to 'clunk' whenever you move in it, as if a bolt or something is slightly loose. It feels as if the seat has a about a centimetres worth of play in it through the forwards/backward motion. If it gets any worse, I will get it looked at.

General Comments:

In my own opinion, this is the best all-round model in the current Corsa range. We used to have the old shape 1.6 Sport which was terrific.

Specification is quite high considering it's price tag. Remote central locking, CD Player, leather steering wheel & gear knob, chrome effect plastics and rear head restraints although I am a little disappointed that the third centre headrest has been removed from the Corsa range in recent months. Another little gripe is the fact that unlike the old Corsa, the current models seem to have a lot more plastic on display, such as the door panels and the back of the head restraints. The seats are excellent in terms of comfort and the drivers' side has plenty of adjustment.

Mine is in Aztec Gold, which really does stand out! I am glad I picked this colour too, as it is quite rare and unique to SXi and SRi derivatives. A few relatives don't really like it (saying it looks too 'orange'), but most of them love it and thinks it stands out from the usual Black Sapphires, Flame Reds and Star Silvers.

At the moment, it isn't as quick as I hoped it would be. My previous car was a little Ford Ka, which in terms of performance, I was quite happy with, especially for what it was designed to do. It may be just down the the lack of miles at the moment and it may need further running in, but it feels just about on par with the Ka at the moment! It is a very smooth little unit though, quite quiet and in terms of economy it is impressive so far.

Although I personally feel the interior doesn't look as durable as the old models, it is currently creak free and lasting very well. On the open road, refinement is brilliant.

My local dealer is excellent. I have relatives in Vauxhall UK and our local dealer has always had the same friendly faces and over the years they have got to know us very well. They are always willing to help out and I have no worries about taking it there with any future problems (if there will be any - hopefully not!) and for servicing. I would recommend them to anyone I know and would almost certainly buy from them again. It's also very clean.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th September, 2003

26th Jun 2004, 00:59

Very honest pleased vauxhall got this one right.