I got my 2003 reg corsa in 2010, so it was just under 7 years old. When looking at price, it really does reflect the state of the car, and I regret paying more for mine as I have had a number of problems. Firstly, the car runs great. Its a quick and easy run around considering its only a 1 litre. The gear box was easy to manoeuvre and since I had just passed my test it was very easy to adjust to, and many others would agree that it's an easy drive. When looking at petrol, it's also not too bad. If I put £10 in then i usually managed 70 or so miles out of it, and the petrol light flashes with 40 or so left in the tank, although this obviously is not a good idea. My insurance as a new driver was okay, about £1400 and that was with a few add ons such as privacy windows, and it was slightly higher because the car was black. The audio in the car was good, but as there are no back speakers I had some fitted. The electric windows are also a godsend, as most cars of this age do not have this. Although the car was small it was also spacious and the boot was a good size for longer journey's, I drove to Eastbourne and back from Birmingham with no problems and £90 worth of fuel. Despite the initial judgement, the car cost more than its worth. Within a year and a half two tires popped, the gearbox went, I had to replace the brakepads, and numerous other problems especially with the car battery dying if you leave it for a short time without the ignition on. Having not had a car before, I can't really compare, but driving down the motorway is definitely scary when your gearbox decides to break. Another major problem I had was with the water and oil. The water had to be refilled frequently, but I also found that my car overheated because of an oil leak. Soon after this two of the light bulbs in the front and back had to be replaced. It was a nightmare and I have to say it was a good job my dad was an engineer. All in all a great first car, however at this age, things will go wrong and they won't be cheap. The tires were £60 for the two alone, and the gearbox was an expensive nightmare. I had a new car recently and was sad to see see my little black corsa go, but on the other hand I don't have the funds for these types of problems again.