Vauxhall Corsa Pre Model Exclusiv 1.4i 16v 3dr Car Review - February 2012

The steering is accurate and efficient, responding quickly to driver instruction, and this is supplemented by a ride that is well tailored to the bumpy British roads, preventing most of the bumps from being felt. The steering remains light at high speeds which does mean that there will be plenty of adjusting the wheel when driving on the motorway. The driving position is comfortable, but people will be glad that the Exclusiv level of trim includes a seat-height adjustment feature. However, the windscreen pillars do restrict visibility, particularly at junctions.

The engine performance delivered by the 1.4i litre engine is ideally suited to the chassis and size of the Corsa. Acceleration from 0-62mph is a brisk 11.9 seconds, and the top speed of 112mph is plenty to keep drivers having fun without making too big a dent in the fuel economy.

The Corsa is quite a nice looking car, and the oddly shaped headlight clusters blend very well into the curving front end. The stylish fog light mountings go very well with the air intake to complete a nice front end, and the rear styling is very tidy. On the inside, the sheer number of dials and buttons may be a lot to take in for some people and it is a pity that alloy wheels are an optional extra on a car in this price bracket.

In terms of the equipment that is included as standard, it does have electric windows in the front and also has electric heated mirrors. The CD stereo is very good, but many of the best luxury features are to be found on the extras list rather than included as standard.

One area where the Corsa does do very well is in terms of practicality, as it is small enough for driving around town, but is also large enough for people to use as a small family car. Legroom in the back isn't excellent, but space in the front is very good, and the folding seats at the back means that the reasonable sized boot can be converted to carry larger loads. Vauxhall are known for making reliable cars, and the comprehensive warranty is certainly a sign of their confidence in this reliability.

The car has been awarded five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests, and the Corsa is supplied with six airbags as standard. It also comes with traction control and ABS included, but it is a shame that ESP is a feature that has found its way to the optional extras list, costing £465.

The Vauxhall Corsa may be a small car, but the list price of £13,070 will tempt prospective buyers into considering larger vehicles. The lack of features for the list price will also be a concern for some people.

The fuel efficiency of this version of the Corsa is quite good, delivering 51.4mpg from the 1.4 litre petrol engine. A low insurance group means that premiums are kept quite low, but the Corsa can suffer with depreciation. The excellent 100,000 mile lifetime warranty is a sensational package that really does add to the value of the car for buyers who will not be driving long distances regularly.