It was time to change my car, not because I wanted to but I had too. I had got a Peugeot 107 new 8 months earlier to use when the weather was too bad to ride my motorbike. However I managed to fall down some stairs and shattered my elbow. Unable to change gear I thought it was a good idea to look at automatic cars.

I had always been a fan of the Vauxhall Corsa. I previously had a 1.2 model in an older shape and had been very happy with that. I decided to look at the latest models to see how they had changed. I checked a few dealers and finally found a 10 month old 2010 model 1.4 SE 5 door Auto for £8900. New the vehicle had cost just under 16500!

The SE model is pretty well equipped. It comes with air con, auto lights, auto wipers, auto dipping rear view mirror, cruise control, cd player/radio with steering wheel controls, heated front seats and a pretty cool heated steering wheel which I had never heard of before. On trying out the heated seats I was very impressed with how affective they are and the heated steering wheel is very welcome on cold mornings as it really does warm up the palm of your hands. In the boot there is a floor level removable shelf that enables a flat load level when you fold the rear seats down. I also found the shelf very useful as it splits the boot into 2 compartments. Be aware the shelf comes with the SE spec 2010 models onwards and is priced at around £60 if you want one for a lower spec model. There is a first aid kit, warning triangle and hi vis jacket also stored in the boot along with a full size spare wheel. The boot alone is a pretty decent size and can take 2 medium and one smaller suitcase when the floor level shelf is removed.

The interior of the car is fairly spacious for this class of car. The seats in the SE model are nicer than the lesser spec models and have leather trim. They are very supportive and good for longer journeys and the drivers seat is height adjustable. I like how easy it is to get into and out of the car both front and rear due to the seat height, rear passengers have good space with an impressive roof height. I like the layout of the dash and the finish of the soft touch dashboard which looks more expensive than some cars. The attractive piano black internal trim used for the SE model looks elegant. Most other models have a silver trim around the radio etc and this has been known to cause distractive reflections on the windscreen. The controls are easy to use and well laid out. There is a nice orange glow to various switches and dials which makes finding them in the dark a breeze.

In 2010 the 1.4 engine was redesigned to extract a further 10 BHP bringing it up to 100 BHP. Many owners of the 90 BHP version had stated that the engine was a little under powered which is not surprising as the car is pretty heavy but this translates to a solid well built car. The fuel economy has also been improved. I recently averaged 38 MPG when using around town / on A roads with 4 adults in the car. This is fairly good when you consider the car is quite heavy and the transmission is an auto. The car pulls well and happily can cruise at 80 MPH for a good period of time. 0 - 60 time is between 12 to 13 seconds which will keep up with traffic. The automatic gear box is smooth but a little jerky when engine is cold but still better than the auto 1.4 Fiesta i test rode. Some may find the ride a bit harsh but it does a good job of smoothing out the imperfections of the road. On twisty country lanes the slightly harsh suspension comes into it's own as you weave the car around and it is more fun than it should be.