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

The 1.2-litre petrol engine produces 84 bhp at 5600 rpm and 85 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. This translates into a 0-62mph time of 13.6 seconds and a top speed of 107mph which is perfectly adequate for a car of this type, if hardly earth-shattering.

The handling is good and the steering is precise and controlled and this means that driving this model around town is easy and comfortable. The ride, however, is very jiggly even at low speeds.

Engine noise is also fairly quiet and noise from the wind and road is largely excluded from the cabin although this does increase during motorway driving.

The Corsa SE 1.2i comes with a decent amount of standard kit.

Power steering, central locking, electric door mirrors, electric front windows and a stereo system with CD player are all standard features. On top of this, MP3 connectivity is added to the stereo system and a number of features which were not optional or only available at cost in other trim levels are fitted as standard.

These include, alloy wheels, air conditioning and cruise control. Climate control, which is unavailable on the other models, also becomes available at an additional cost of £305. A built-in sat nav and Bluetooth connectivity can be added for the same price as in the Exclusiv: £750 and £315 respectively. Rear parking sensors still cost £285 with stability control still priced at £465.

The Corsa feels robust and well built and is offered with an impressive 100,000 mile warranty.

The boot offers a reasonable capacity of 285 litres with the seats up, increasing to 1,100 litres when the seats are folded down.

This five door model also offers more headroom within the rear of the car and this means that the cabin is more comfortable for adult passengers. In general, four adults can fit into the car comfortably and the additional headroom helps to make longer journeys more pleasant than in the three door model.

The car also performed fairly well in the NCAP safety tests, attaining a five star rating for occupant safety. The model is fitted with driver and passenger airbags as standard fittings with front side airbags also included.

To protect the car from theft there is an immobiliser fitted as standard but unfortunately this model lacks an alarm and there is no option to have one fitted.

At £14,865 the Corsa SE 1.2i 16v 5dr is relatively reasonably priced. The combination of good fuel economy, affordable road tax costs and fairly low insurance premiums (under insurance group 6) makes the car cheap to keep on the road too and this could be an attractive feature for buyers.

However, the small engine lacks the performance credentials of other models and despite the advanced trim level, some may find the initial outlay too high to reconcile. Some features are still only available at cost and, as performance is not enhanced, customers need to consider how highly they value such features before making their decision.

In comparison to the three door model, this five door family car is only £430 dearer. The increased practicality offered by the marginally larger boot and increased headroom in the cabin is something many buyers are likely to consider worth this small outlay, making the five door model the better option.