62 Reg Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 S (Surprisingly Good)

[My_Yeti]

First of all, I hated Vauxhalls - I thought they were all under engineered, especially in the engine department (premature cambelt snap, chain jumping tooth etc)

 

Following my the recent mishap with the Yeti and the run-away Honda Civic Type R on the M6, I was taking the train to work, but turned out to be so expensive, I had to have spaghetti hoops for dinner...every night.

 

Imagine my surprise when I found out I could hire a car for cheaper than the price of taking the train, off me go immediately.

 

Bearing in mind my hatred towards Vauxhalls, I deliberately booked a Chevrolet Aveo (yes GM group etc etc) to avoid a Vauxhall.

 

Rocked up the rental forecourt hoping I would see an array of Vauxhall blob, I was disappointed (but nor surprised) to find that they have offered me a Vauxhall Corsa instead...

 

I am familiar with the style, the over styled front end and ridiculously short rear over hang, there are thousands of the on the road!

 

I have to say, the driving position is the most simple I have come across. No rack / reach adjustment on the steering wheel, no tilt on the driver's seat, the only adjustments I could make is the back rest height and the leg travel. Not the most comfortable driving positions I have come across and how on earth did they get away with scraping the bare necessities, I don't know ... To be honest, at that stage, I was just glad to be getting behind the wheel again.

 

Started the engine, is it a diesel? No, it's a 4 cylinder Petrol that sounds like a Diesel. This combination is magical, whilst other car manufacturers are trying to make a Diesel engine as refine and as "Petrol" like as possible, Vauxhall has to be different - why I don't know.

 

Put the car into first gear, this is really knotchy, no different to the Mk2 Mondeo I had! Well never mind, it's a car.

 

This is where the bad things end!

 

Driving down Albert Embankment, I begin to appreciate this little car (well not so little...), the engine, though sounding very diesel like, is responsive for a 1.2. The other 2 cars with 1.2 I have driven are the Yeti and the Fabia (3 cylinder). It is best to compare with the Fabia's 1.2, whilst the Fabia's have great low down toque and interesting note, the Diesel sounding Vauxhall 1.2 has adequate torque (but not enough to give a nice clean pull from the traffic light), venture above 3,000 rpm the engine really comes alive. I am very pleasantly surprise by this engine, but this is not the best thing about this car...

 

The ride is so composed I thought I was driving a Golf Mk5, there is really very little to separate them, this is really really very very good. It also felt very solid. It rides very nicely on smooth road and over rough roads, it still manage to judder very little. I could not believe how good the ride is. The tyre roar and motorway noises are also very well surpressed, definitely not Golf level, it is much better than the Grande Punto (which has the same gene) I have driven previously.

 

I have now done 250 miles in the car, over M, A, B and city roads and I have to say I am very impressed by this car.

 

I never thought I would say this about a Vauxhall but this really is a great little car!

Edited 21 November, 2013 by My_Yeti

[skodanorman]

I take it you haven't come across a hill yet?