My purchase in August 2002 of a 2000 X-plate 1.0 12v GLS Corsa was a desperate reaction to the astronomical running costs and appalling reliability of my 1999 S-plate Fiesta Finesse 1.3i. Having had all sorts of trouble with the main dealer sourced Ford, I finally cut my losses when the white Corsa appeared on the Forecourt, awaiting preparation, at my local Vauxhall dealer. The car had 21,000 miles on the clock and had been used as a Vauxhall demonstrator before spending 12 months in the ownership of one private lady owner. It had full service history and a screen price of £4995.00.

Although slightly dubious about moving from a 1.3 to a 1.0, I purchased the car that day for £4700.00. In the 13 months since I have covered 21,000 miles in the car (it now has 42,000 showing) and apart from routine servicing and consumables (2 tryes, brake fluid change, front brake pads) has cost me nothing. Although cared for very well, the car is subjected to the horrors of driving 80 miles to and from work on the motorway every day and never misses a beat. Furthermore the little 3 cylinder engine keeps up very impressively and is extremely quiet and smooth, even at 80mph. It is actually better in this respect than the more powerful Fiesta I p/xchanged! The driving experience is surprisingly good - this example corners well and even copes uphill. Fuel consumption is excellent (around 60mpg) for a petrol model and the GLS spec with electric windows, heated electric mirrors, central locking, electric PAS, leather steering wheel/gear knob etc., and height adjustable drivers seat provides a very high level of comfort. If I take passengers there is ample space in the back for 2 large adults, and the rear headrests add to their comfort. For what is essentially an old design, this car looks very smart in GLS spec with its colour coded bumpers and mirrors, and the white colour (normally something I would avoid) suits it very well, adding bulk to the appearance. In fact,
I often think its more attractive than some newer designs like the latest Fiesta or even the latest shape Corsa.

I often speak to colleagues about their cars and when I hear about their bad experiences of brand new cars breaking down and leaving them stranded I feel sure that the reliability and comfort of my humble little car is worth far more than having the latest, high powered car. I do not expect a car to let me down and thanks to its superb Ecotec engine, high quality build, and comfort this Corsa has given me a very good impression of Vauxhall. My car is still on its original exhaust - on previous cars I had to change the pipe at 16,000 miles (Fiat Cinquecento), and 23,000 miles (Fiesta).

Incidentally - what made me look to Vauxhall to save my motoring distress was my brother's M-plate Corsa 1.2 which, at 8 years old and with over 60,000 miles sailed through its MOT with only a light bulb needing replacement.

I would readily recommend the Corsa to anybody as a comfortable, reliable and enoyable little car and would buy another Vauxhall without hesitation. Whilst not a car for racing or beating right angle bends, it does everything a car should do without breaking the bank. Excellent.