Vauxhall Corsa Pre Model Exclusiv 1.2i 16v 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The suspension settings on the Corsa are very well matched with the poor quality British roads, with the suspension taking the edge off the vast majority of bumps and potholes. The steering is quick to respond and fairly light, and there is plenty of grip when cornering, but when it comes to motorway driving the experience does feel a little twitchy because of the light steering. Inside the cabin the driving seat and the steering wheel are both adjustable, but one major issue is the fact that visibility is also limited by the thick windscreen pillars.

In terms of the engine performance, the 1.2 litre motor can deliver acceleration from 0-62mph in a fairly ponderous 12.7 seconds, and the top speed of 107mph is quite competitive for cars with engines of this size. The refinement in the cabin is very good, and even when driving on the motorway the cabin stays quiet and calm.

The Corsa is a model that has seen a number of upgrades and facelifts over the years, but the current generation still shares those distinctive headlight cluster and grille combinations. The back end is also tidy, but the hatchback door has been curved inwards so that the large tail light clusters can remain on the body. Inside, the car is quite nice with an easy to use centre console and a dashboard that is easy to read and has all the necessary information to hand.

The level of equipment with the Exclusiv trim is a fine balance of cost and practicality, with a CD stereo that has an MP3 socket for those who keep all their music on an MP3 player. It also has the dual level boot floor which can be lowered when larger items need to be transported, and it also has folding seats for this purpose too. It is a shame that stability control and alloy wheels are only on the optional extras list.

There is no doubt that the Corsa is a car that is designed to offer a balance of practicality and ease of use around town, and although it isn’t hugely spacious it can still accommodate four adults, or five at a squeeze. The boot isn’t huge, but folding rear seats mean that the load space can be increased, however the boot door is also quite small. Vauxhall Corsa owners have suggested in driver surveys that reliability isn’t particularly good, but it does come with an excellent warranty.

The Corsa is also a very safe car, having achieved five stars in the Euro NCAP safety test, and this version does come fitted with six airbags to look after the driver and passengers. It is however disappointing that stability control isn’t included as standard.

The Vauxhall Corsa range is one that has generally been priced very competitively, and with a list price of £12,960, this model does offer a good balance of cost and equipment.

The running costs are also fairly reasonable, with the 1.2 litre engine able to deliver an average 51.4mpg, which is good, if not class leading. The insurance group for the car is very low, meaning premiums are competitive, but one issue is that the Corsa does suffer from a big drop in value when it comes to selling the car. Vauxhall currently offer a superb warranty on their cars for up to 100,000 miles, which will cover the entire lifetime of the car in many cases, and also has a year’s roadside breakdown assistance.