The Corsa may be the baby of the Vauxhall family, but it is also the most versatile: as first car, family car or retirement car — you name it — the Corsa can do it all. Little wonder it was the UK’s second-biggest-selling car last year, after the Ford Focus.

Today’s third-generation, 2006 model has come a long way from the first Corsa of 1993. It is much larger: at nearly four metres long and 1.74 metres wide, it gives owners all the cabin and boot space they could want from this class. The shopping-trolley looks of the original have been left behind and replaced with sleek lines and decent road presence. As is usual with superminis, it’s the three-door that turns heads; the less pretty five-door typically costs about £300 extra.

There are many engines to choose from. At launch there were 1-litre, 1.2 and 1.4 petrol units and a 1.3 diesel in 73bhp and 88bhp guises. For the cost-conscious, the smallest of the petrol units looks a good buy, although the Corsa’s increase in size brought a gain in kerb weight, making it a bit gutless.

A better bet is one of the diesels, both of which have strong pull in the midrange and are more than capable of returning nearly 60mpg in general driving. Two more powerful engines were introduced in 2007 — a 1.7-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre turbo petrol — both of which are great fun, though some drivers may find the extra torque a bit too much for the front-wheel-drive chassis.

The Corsa is a pretty good drive, with decent ride comfort and great visibility, factors that make it popular with driving instructors. The steering can be too light, however, and the diesel engines are noisy when cold.

The high-grade plastics used in the Corsa’s cabin, in conjunction with its clean design, give it a Volkswagen-type, premium feel. On the downside, many owners complain about the distracting reflections caused by the central dashboard pod, and you will be hard-pushed to fit much more than gloves into the glove box.

Buyers should be warned, too, that the Corsa isn’t always reliable. Reported faults include defective windscreen wiper stalks, heater-fan problems and leaking automatic transmissions. Such faults are easily fixed, but you should ensure the car is checked by an expert before you buy, and ideally find one still covered by the maker’s warranty.

With keenly priced used examples aplenty, supermini buyers should have Vauxhall’s bestseller high on their shopping list.

 

Alternative

Or for similar money:

2007 57 Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 Multijet Dynamic
2006 55 Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D T Spirit
2007 56 Honda Jazz 1.4i-DSi SE
2006 56 Ford Fiesta 1.4TDCi Ghia
2006 55 Renault Clio 1.5 dCi Privilege

Figures based on CAP November 2009 edition

 © Bumper Media Limited November 2009