Vauxhall Corsa Turbo VXR

Vehicle Review

Ride & Handling The chassis is shared with the Fiat Grande Punto, but it has been retuned by Vauxhall. There are two settings: a standard arrangement that makes the car good to drive but gives a nice ride into the bargain, and a firmer set-up for the SXi (optional with SE trim) that's a bit too extreme for UK roads. Either way the steering is sharp, but you do have to make a lot of adjustments on the motorway. Refinement By and large, the Corsa’s an extremely refined car. The 1.7 diesel rumbles more than we'd like, but most of the others are pretty quiet, even when working hard, and there's little road noise in the cabin. The five-door body stirs up more wind noise than the three-door along the flanks, but neither is bad. Buying & Owning Aggressive pricing and low insurance rates help make the Corsa an attractive buy. Fuel economy of petrol models is good, but at the expense of driveability. Resale values are pretty poor, so make sure you get a good discount on the list price. Quality & Reliability First impressions count a lot, so Vauxhall has made big efforts to ensure the Corsa's fixtures and fittings look and feel right. There's a nice choice of colour and trim options if you want to get away from dreary old black or grey, too. All the engines are proven, while the mechanical layout is relatively simple. Space & Practicality Three- and five-door cars are the same size, but the three-door's only a four-seater because its sides taper towards the back. The five-door's big enough for a family, though, with good head and legroom. The luggage area's small, but from Exclusiv trim upwards you get split-folding rear seats and a boot floor that can be lowered.

Technical Information