Vauxhall Corsa Review | Has It Grown Up?

[@stevecollins6858]

What a load of crap this guy is spouting. I test drove one last week and it's fabulous. It feels smooth and it's decent on the launch. A Pretty quick little car. It impressed me a lot. So much so I traded my DS3 in and brought a 1.2sri premium.

[@BuckleUpShow]

Given you've just bought one you must have thought it's pretty good (though you may be slightly biased of course 😉). Inherently it's not a bad car (as I said in the conclusion) but it's just let down in a couple of key areas. As an owner of a previous-generation Corsa I'm well-qualified to talk about the differences. The new one is a good step up in most areas but the engine, I'm afraid, is not one of them.

[@bjornb4696]

@@BuckleUpShow What about mention the 4 cyl 1.5 diesel, or the electric, version as an option, if the gasoline version should be so miserable? I got the diesel version last month and fully satisfied!

[@steveguest6207]

That engine sounds rough we have a Polo and T cross both 3 cylinder and no problem with vibrations the Polo is more thrummie when you excelerate it only has 95 bhp the T Cross is 114 bhp with automatic iit is much better. We have never had VW before but appart from the hard seats they seem like good 3 cylinder engines. Thank you for the honest review on this car.

[@BuckleUpShow]

Thank you for watvhing, Steve. The idle on this is the roughest I'd felt from a 3-pot. It's smoother once revved up, but still nowhere near the most refined 3-cylinder I've driven.

[@rizaanjappie]

I do believe this corsa is now the top selling car in the UK in it segment. So there u go

[@BuckleUpShow]

It's not an inherently bad car, it's just let down in a couple of areas. It's more than adequate as a run about, small family hatchback 😊

[@mirola73]

The Fiesta is gone, so yes of course.

[@mirola73]

In 2016 everyone was raving about the 1 liter 3 cylinder engine, are we talking the same one here ? It was balanced, quiet, economic, perky etc. etc. NO ONE mentioned anything negative about it. What has changed ?

[@BuckleUpShow]

It's not the GM 1 litre. This is a PSA 1.2 three-pot. In turbo form it's okay for power and general driving but has a noisy idle. In non-turbo form it's awful.

[@adebowaledollars1]

Thank you for this video, put my mind to rest a bit, as I bought one 2weeks ago. I thought something was wrong with the engine with the noise when it’s idling & also the way it shudders at low revs & also taking off. One thing I haven’t worked out is the electronic fuel gauge. If I do a trip of 3miles & Fuel gauge was show 30miles left, after a 3mile trip, I would expect to see 27miles left, but I see something like 24 miles left on the petrol gauge, is that okay? As that would suggest a 3 mile trip has consumed 6mile worth of fuel. **if I watched this before purchasing the car, I wouldn’t have.

[@BuckleUpShow]

That trip behaviour is semi normal, as the car will adjust remaining range based on how efficiently you've driven. If those 3 miles were an inefficient journey, you will have likely used more fuel than the car expected.

[@adebowaledollars1]

@@BuckleUpShow have to look up efficient driving now 😅. But any tips on that?

[@BuckleUpShow]

Looking further ahead and adjusting speed slightly in advance to try and avoid braking where possible. Changing up sooner rather than later (without lugging the engine though) and staying away from higher rev ranges as much as possible.

[@soots-stayingoutofthespotl5495]

His description of the way the car drives was enough to halt my interest. I had a new Mk4 Clio which drove the same way and I found it horrible. It's probably a 'small 3-cylinder' thing: okay if you're hammering along but can make for a jerky/ lurchy drive at low speeds or in stop/ start traffic. I know I shouldn't tar all manufacturers with the same brush, but in the real world a lot of these 100bhp 3-pots aren't all that good on fuel and they're not exactly punchy either, so I do wish the manufacturers would just stick with small 4-cylinder power plants, whether turbo or not. In other words, the 3 pots are too much of a compromise, and sorry but I don't buy into to the 'they're thrummy and make a lovely noise' thing. That's pure romanticism, and in my experience they're more likely to evoke old diesel cars than sporty Porsches. Thanks for the review Buckle Up.

[@BuckleUpShow]

It was indeed a shame that the engine soured the overall experience of the car for me. The frustrating thing is, that while three-pots are less refined, they're cheaper and quicker to make than a four-pot as there are fewer components. It was a lurchy experience at times, no matter how smooth I was with the clutch. The smoothest three cylinder I've been in is Rob's GR Yaris, which was incredible - testament to how a properly engineered and balanced engine can perform. Thanks for watching! Jasper

[@HugoRodallega20]

Hi, not sure ill get a response hear but gonna try anyway 😅 I'm after a car around 12k or less and found this one really nice. I dont travel alot mainly around town, short trips to work and a rare motorway drive. Also has to be automatic and preferably petrol. Is there any other cars simular age and spec to this that's worth considering? and is this car worth considering for 12k ? Thanks

[@BuckleUpShow]

Price is fine, sounds like the car will suit you too. You could consider the VAG rivals in the form of the VW Polo, Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia which will be a bit more refined. If you want the most reliable car then a Honda Jazz is probably the place to look. Avoid the Ford Fiesta if you're going automatic as that gearbox isn't very reliable.

[@HugoRodallega20]

​@@BuckleUpShowThanks for the reply. I'll have a look at the other ones you mentioned. Would you know which one is the best over bumps/bad roads and has the highest ride height? Thanks

[@HugoRodallega20]

(I had a look at the ones you mentioned and didn't like the outside look of the Polo and Jazz. And prefer the Corsa looks more than the Ibiza & Fabia. I do really like the look of Peugeot 208, but it's around 2k more than the Corsa unfortunately)

[@BuckleUpShow]

For comfort I would go with a Citroen C3

[@AlanSmith-xu3lo]

I got one the ultimate great car

[@BuckleUpShow]

I'm pretty sure BMW have the word ultimate in relation to cars on lock

[@MrSmid888]

I’ve got a 1.2 turbo hire car of this whilst my 1L vetec civic is in the garage. Let me tell you, the 1L Honda is far quicker, far more sporty and feels more expensive. The Corsa engine to me is a pig unless you rev it off limits, 5 gear manual I’ve got on hire, need to drop to 4th to overtake lorries, 5th is dead, whereas my civic will pull in 6th gear. To me these are an excellent first car as you can’t go quick enough to crash. Sound system is good, interior is cheap.

[@BuckleUpShow]

If the hire car only has 5 gears, that means you have the 1.2 normally aspirated model, which is only 75 PS. This would explain why it feels so sluggish in comparison with the civic. That will have a turbo engine that produces around 130 PS. This generation of Corsa is available with the 1.2 Turbo engine in either 100 or 130 PS states of tune, which do both feel a lot faster than the non-turbocharged model.

[@MrSmid888]

@@BuckleUpShow it’s 1.2L Turbo Elite model. 100bhp. All I’m saying is the vetec in a any Honda is an engineering marvel. The 1L far exceeds the Corsa 1.2 “turbo” **that’s what the hire paperwork tells me.

[@MrSmid888]

@@BuckleUpShow why have they put the wrong model on the paperwork??? What car do I have? It looks the same. Surely they must specify the exact car you’re driving.

[@BuckleUpShow]

@MrSmid888 my guess is your hire paperwork is wrong 😂 I've just checked online, and the Elite model only seems to come with the 5-speed box and non-turbo engine (75 PS). The Elite Nav Premium etc. come with the 6-speed and turbo. If the car was turbocharged it would have the 6-speed box. I guess this is why the car feels sluggish, I'm pretty confident you've only been given one with 75 PS. Might be worth putting the reg plate in a free online car spec checker to see what it should have? 😂

[@BuckleUpShow]

Honda's attention to detail and engineering will far surpass that of PSA/Stellantis every day of the week, especially when it comes to hatchbacks.

[@darrennico8527]

Hi how does it compare to the 2016 astra 1.6 diesel cdti 108hp version. That has sport button etc . Nippy car to . What's the Corsa like to that one. Or even the older 1.3 cdti 95hp corsas what best all round . And nippy but good on fuel still )))))???

[@BuckleUpShow]

No idea as we haven’t driven either of them

[@autoclearanceuk7191]

The position of the rear view mirror is intrusive (if not dangerous).

[@BuckleUpShow]

I didn't find it particularly bad, but I'm relatively short. I can see it being an obstruction if you're quite tall though?

[@autoclearanceuk7191]

@@BuckleUpShow - I am six feet tall. I have the driver seat as low as it will go. It is just low enough to have a reasonable view.

[@simonsupersi2225]

They ever do a 2 door one?

[@BuckleUpShow]

Nope

[@laffin04]

i am getting one of these next week..elite nav premium spec... so i have a 7 day test drive period to see if it stays or goes

[@BuckleUpShow]

Thanks for watching

[@johnfromtennessee2651]

Did you keep it? How do you like it?

[@simonsupersi2225]

Dont like the radio set up ford fiesta screen and set up wayyyy better

[@BuckleUpShow]

The screen on the Ford Fiesta isn't integrated into the dashboard. The cabin design and layout in this is objectively better.

[@colinmumford267]

It's plastic eats the juice and just cheeply made, sounds like a diesel engine , rigity to drive ,wing mirrors wobble wen drive , suspension superb tho but not worth the money

[@BuckleUpShow]

Daddy needs his juice

[@bradleykhan2542]

Serius face - IS it MATURE

[@BuckleUpShow]

Eye in the sky

[@bradleykhan2542]

Mature, mature ... mature mature ....mature mature ,,, mature

[@BuckleUpShow]

Cheddar?

[@peterlaurence-couzens8913]

Had one as a garage courtesy car this week. Not impressed at all. Could be the most uncomfortable car I’ve driven in nearly 40 years (and I’ve driven some bad cars in my time). Of course, this is only my opinion. A resounding thumbs down, and retrograde step from me.

[@matth1j]

Useful feedback Peter. I'm still deciding on what to go for. I know reviewers have said the ride perhaps isn't as good as they were expecting, but they seem to think it's not bad overall. Can I ask in what way it was uncomfortable for you, and what are you comparing it with? Was yours a low spec variant with less comfy seats?

[@Silver-st2zq]

@@matth1j Renault Clio is pick of the bunch, comfortable, good to drive and a 5 year warranty.

[@BuckleUpShow]

Whats the important criteria for you in the new car, if its old fashioned squidgy suspension comfort I'd recommend the Citroen C3, if your looking for reliability and piece of mind I'd say Toyota Yaris or Honda Jazz, if you're looking for driver involvement I would say Ford Fiesta and if you want a car that feel like a big car (long journeys, motorway miles ect) I would say a VW polo. If you are eering towards a Clio as the other comment suggests then don't forget the Nissan Micra is basically the same and if you bargain with the dealer a bit you'll get a lot more optional toys for your money. Finally don't forget about the Koreans, both the Río and the i20 are very competent and offer brilliant long warranties if you plan to keep the car for longer than the usual finance period.

[@matth1j]

@@Silver-st2zq I know the Clio gets good reviews, but I'm looking at leasing for 3 years on 10000 miles per year. And at the moment the Clio isn't competitive - the cheapest on leasing.com is a 65 Play, which has a 0-62 of 17.1 and no climate, for £8.6k. A Leon 150 FR is £8.3k.

[@matth1j]

@@BuckleUpShow Thanks, but as I mentioned to Holliday, I'm looking to lease, and lease cost is a big factor. The Fiesta Active X is definitely on my shortlist, £7.5k (3yr 10k mileage, total cost), as is the 208 100 Allure Premium, £8k. But having previously had an Arona, I actually quite fancy a Skoda Kamiq, with DSG - ones with the old 115ps engine in SE L trim are currently going for £8.1k which seems like a bargain given the spec. Even the current 110ps is only £8.3k. Not a real drivers car I know, but reviewers and owners seem to like them. And you get an umbrella in the door :) For comparison, a Polo 95 Match is £7.9k. I have looked at C3s, Micras, Rios and i20s but they're not on my spreadsheet so I've ruled them out for some reason.

[@johnthornton224]

It’s a Peugeot so it’s a shit box and it with had lot of French fits

[@BuckleUpShow]

I mean, since the 2016 3008 every new peugeot has knocked it out of the park really. If you want to take your opinions from six year old episodes of top gear though then far be it for us to try and dissuade you

[@matth1j]

My wife had a 10 year old 207CC for a couple of years until recently, and even the powered retractable roof didn't have any problems. Quite a nice little car.