ALT-2 Good Small Cars for the UK
I brought my Vauxhall corsa expression (1.0 litre 3 door hatchback) around 3 years ago second hand from my cousin. The corsa itself is a no thrills cheap' car (I use the term cheap in inverted commas because it's relatively inexpensive for a car of this standard.)
The overall feel of the car is first-class, with the new 2001 on style you have power assisted steering which makes it a lot more easy to shift than the older model, i know because i have driven both!
I cant quote on the boot space because I have a big amp that fills the whole of the boot and I have never seen it empty, but guesswork probably tells me that it is reasonably sized and could fit a weeks shopping at least in there.
The corsa hardly has any problems mechanically even though I have had some problems, for example when I indicate to go left sometime the indicator gets jammed in and the light stays on, also I have had one oil light that has been showing on my corsa for about 2 years! When I took it to get it's MOT they said they have serviced its problem yet the light for some reason has stayed on!
Nowadays you can find a corsa like this second hand for around 2500, or you can buy it 1st hand for around 7000 Either way I think this is a bargain because compared to other cars of it's size and power it comes out somewhere near the top performance wise and somewhere down the bottom price wise which is always a good thing!
I don't think there are many negatives about the corsa, some, for example the ones I mentioned earlier are minor and do not effect the way the car dives, one thing I will say is compared to other cars the corsa gets very dirty very easy, I don't have a clue why this is but be warned you might have to take it to the car wash every few weeks!
The corsa that I drive is manual locking and does not come fitted with an immobilizer or an alarm, so it might be necessary to have them fitted.
As far as extras or upgrades go the corsa is no thrills.' The corsa offers minimal upgrades but does come with all the mod cons, air con, radio etc etc...
Overall I rate the corsa a 7 out of 10, it's a great car, it's easy and simple but is also no thrills and has a few minor problems, it's a great starting car for new drivers but may not be the right car for you if you're looking for a spacious family car however it is a good small car for the UK.
