Faults:

Front brake pads replaced at 17,000 miles.

Front anti roll bar drop links replaced at 15,000 miles.

CD player chatters until punched at start up.

Front seat lifter handles so stiff they're hardly operable.

Timing chain replacement at 17,000 miles (known fault).

Central locking deadlocks failed at 17,000 miles.

Eco service flex advisor hasn't worked since ownership.

On harsh braking, the drivers seat tends to slide forwards a few millimetres.

General Comments:

When maneuvering through town, this car leaves everything else standing.

It's very nippy.

It looks great, quite sporty.

It's very economical, £40 for 250 miles at the moment (at £1.03 per litre). Insurance group 1, which is always a plus.

Gives you a heart attack on most corners! The roll in these things is incredible; I definitely wouldn't push it and I have wider tyres on mine too.

Horrible to drive in the wet and don't even think about ice! This car is so light you can probably start in first gear, cut the engine and skid for the next half a mile; very exciting if you like living on the edge.

The seats are quite firm, so not too much comfort on long drives.

I'm tall, but still find I have plenty of room in the cabin. It feels much bigger than it looks inside.

Faults:

ALL I HAVE DONE SINCE BUYING THE CAR SECOND HAND IN APRIL 2006 IS:

Oil change, new spark plugs and brake discs and pads.

Gear linkage gradually became slack, made gear change quite loose and clunky; just had it replaced, and it's now like new again.

The alloy wheels are particularly easy for my mum to kerb when she borrows my car; thanks for that mum.

Original backbox developed several holes in it, which made it sound like a truck, and has just been replaced.

Silver seatbelts are now quite grubby.

Fabric on drivers door now starting to appear worn where I have my arm resting.

Drivers side handle to move the seat up (so people can get in the back) has snapped; easy to replace.

All the above faults can be attributed to the car's higher than average mileage; and mainly town driving I think.

General Comments:

The active model is very well equipped. It has power steering, air con, CD player with additional controls on the steering wheel, electric windows and mirrors, metallic paint (greyish silver), ABS and 15" alloy wheels. I do not like the look of the standard wheels, so when I finally get some spare cash, I will look for some aftermarket ones.

The car is mechanically very sound; the faults listed above were down to the cars mileage and high use. Surprised that there are no interior rattles yet, even at motorway speeds... a very refined car!

The performance isn't bad for a 1 litre; you don't expect miracles from it, but it's fast enough to get you in a heap of trouble if you're not careful. I have hit 100mph in this car, but it was a struggle and required an empty motorway. I have been in one that has done 110 by drafting behind another car on a slight downhill slope though, so you do have to work hard to get anything out of it!! But it was built for economy not for speed, let's face it.

It has short gear ratios in the first 2 gears, so initial acceleration can surprise some people, like my friend with a 1.3L Ford Ka. Still very easy to wheelspin. Mid range power is adequate, but after 85mph in 5th the car doesn't want to know. Having 12 valves is a godsend really. With 5 people and luggage the car can labour a bit, but that's only to be expected. Drive carefully, and you will return perhaps 60mpg. Drive hard like me and expect to halve that.

Insurance is extremely cheap! Group 1 insurance - which is good for me as I'm a poor student. This car would make an ideal first car, as it is quite well equipped, stylish (very important) and very cheap to run.

With the air con on, it saps some of the power, but it's probably the best air con I have ever experienced; very quick to cool the car down. Also, due to the small engine, it's very quick to warm up on those freezing winter days.

The interior is well equipped; stylish and of good enough quality for me. It's rather roomy for a small car, especially in the back. The boot is also a decent size, not that I use it to go shopping much or anything.

Handling; well, it's perfect around town, with speed-adjusted power steering. A chimpanzee could probably drive this car - it's that easy to drive. On country roads or hard steering the car can be quite wallowy, with its soft suspension, but it was never designed to be a rally car in the first place. I can say with confidence however that the brakes are top notch for a car of its size, and have gotten me out of one or two hairy situations, without the ABS even having to activate!

I would definitely recommend buying a Corsa, although I would prefer a larger engine. The 1.0L is great around town or for first drivers, but if you are going to go over 60mph at any time, opt for the 1.2L. It has surprised me how trouble free the motoring has been with the Corsa... I used to have a Peugeot 106 and it was nothing but trouble!