Nice New Vauxhalls

The Vauxhall Corsa is a well designed mini that rises above the rest. General Motors European division of Opel, and its sister company Vauxhall had produced a reliable little car.

It comes standard with a 1iter engine, which is a bit underpowered for a mini. Producing 65 horsepower, this motor keeps up along the motorways but often overtaking is out of the question. For this there are several other options for the motor. The 1.2 litre petrol engine produces 85 horsepower. The final option for petrol engines is the 1.4 litre engine that produces 100 horsepower and is rated at about 51 miles a gallon.

The most attractive option, in our opinion, is one of the two diesel engines. The 1.3 CDTI 95 horsepower diesel ecoflex motor is your first option. In most cases, a diesel motor is not worth your while in a mini, but this is an exception. This motor achieves 76.3 MPG on the combined cycle, and 88.3 MPG on the extra urban cycle. And if you’re interested in a little bit more pep, the 1.7 CDTI diesel produces 130 horsepower. The company claims that it has reduced average consumption by more than 13% with five out of the six engines. Making it are truly appealing option for the eco-friendly driver.

The interior in the Vauxhall Corsa is simple and well designed. Seats are comfortable, but it feels like you’re riding high. Almost as if you’re driving on, as opposed to in the car. Designed with eco friendly technology in mind, there’s an eco gearshift indicator located in the cluster. Although touted as an advantage, some have found it to be overly sensitive degrading the overall performance of the car. But if you’re buying this vehicle you’re not looking for performance. We would state, however, that the interior is the best that we’ve seen in a mini. Interiors offered are generally what one would see in a higher class of vehicle. Fabrics and design are of a high quality. In addition, there are a variety of interior color schemes that make the ride a more pleasant experience.

Generally another problem found in minis, is interior noise. In comparison with the other minis available this cool car offers better noise insulation. At idle speed the interior is quiet and at high engine speeds the noise level is quite tolerable. However, with the six speed transmission there really is no need to ever experience the high rev noise. Standard features on almost all models are cruise control, an onboard computer. The SRi model comes with air conditioning, 17 inch five spoke alloy wheels, and a VXR styling kit.

It comes in 3 door or 5 door options. While the three door option has nice styling you lose head room in the back. The 5 door is a bit more practical and offers of all the room that one would expect. The wheelbase is equal on both options and the 5 door obviously offers better access. If you want more size your best to choose a larger car.

The bottom line is, we feel that the Vauxhall Corsa stands out as an exceptional vehicle in its class. Designed with the eco-friendly commuter in mind it fills its design objectives nicely. And although it’s a bit pricier than the other models in its class we feel that it’s well worth the price. With a stable suspension and abundant reliable options; for the drive train it is a solid little car. In addition it has a nice aesthetic touch that adds that special something that you don’t always find in economy class vehicles. You will be pleased with this car and it will give you years of reliable, economical service. It doesn’t guzzle petrol too much, drives smoothly on the road, and very soon you could start a trend everyone will want a car like yours! It’s time you head on down to the showroom, and pick up one of these neat cars, like the age old saying goes “buy now while stocks last”.

Underdogs. What is it about them we like so much? By sheer definition an underdog is inferior to its rival and therefore shouldn’t have any fans. Yet charm counts for a lot and so in any walk of life the second favourite is always the people or neutrals’ favourite. A lower division football team playing Manchester United in the FA Cup will always have large support, despite the bookies offering no odds for a United win. Remember Eddie the Eagle? The British ski-jumper who was rubbish, yet he’s a national treasure for going to the Olympics and having a go. The Vauxhall Corsa is in a similar boat. By no means rubbish, it has always found itself in an overcrowded small car market where the Ford Fiesta has reigned supreme.

The Corsa however is still a very successful car and I put this down to two key factors: it’s very good and appears in everyone’s holiday memories. Go to any car hire place on holiday and under the small car category I’d be willing to bet my house that nine times out of ten you’ll take receipt of a Vauxhall Corsa. The reason for this is quite simple – people that hire things treat them like something they’ve stepped in.

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve rented a DVD only for it to stop halfway through the movie. The reason is always a massive scratch right across the good bit of the film, where someone appears to have been playing air hockey with the disc. Car hire is no different, with holidaymakers racing from seaside town to seaside town with no regard for their vehicle’s wellbeing. This then is why the Vauxhall Corsa gets the nod for being abused – it can take the punishment.

I’ve fond memories of my time on holiday driving the last generation Corsa in 2007 and whilst I treated it like royalty compared to the bloke before me, who seemed to take a cliff and slam it into the side of the car, I certainly wasn’t a Sunday driver either. Once I’d overcome the whole driving on the wrong side of the road routine, I found the Corsa a joy to drive through the twisting mountain roads of Ibiza. It had great air-conditioning too and was super economical despite racking up hundreds of miles. I however am aware that it was so bland to look at you could park it in the middle of Manchester United’s cup tie and no-one would notice.

Great news with the new model then because it looks fantastic. The car is all triangles and other-angles and manages to balance sophisticated styling for the gents with that cute and fun factor for the ladies. The front headlights rake up to the sides, the mirrors follow the triangle theme and the bulge above the rear wheels gives it an aggressive, sporty stance. Unlike some of its rivals it hasn’t plumped solely for style or solely for driver experience but has aimed for the middle ground between the two. What you get as a result is a car that on paper isn’t the best at anything but overall could very well be number one.

The handling is well-mannered and the Corsa feels composed at all times. Once you’re out on the windy roads however, you can really start to have fun. The engine options for the standard car may not give it too much get up and go, but the great handling means you can carry much of your speed through the corners without getting on and off the brake pedal.

Your best options on the engine front are either the 1.4 litre petrol which develops 90bhp and returns 47.9mpg, or the 74bhp 1.3 litre diesel unit which although initially noisy, is refined once heated up. This returns a whopping 61.4mpg combined although you may find the 0-60mph dash of 13.6 seconds too sluggish.

When it comes to build quality, even holidaymakers will have trouble damaging the new car, with both exterior and interior well put together and using better quality materials. The piano black dashboard is very striking and all the dials and instruments fall easily to hand. Rear leg room isn’t great for adults as the back seats cannot be moved back and forth however the boot space more than makes up for this.

Despite all these improvements and to my mind the new Vauxhall Corsa being that special breed of car that can do everything well, it’ll still be seen as the underdog compared to the Fiesta. However don’t let this sway your judgement because the Corsa really is the champion is disguise.

Mark Creese

So, what can I tell you about the new Vauxhall Corsa? Well I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised with its driving performance and the amount of space in the back! It’s quite a nippy car which I found unexpectedly comfortable. This is a far cry from certain small cars I have previously owned which I have driven countless number of times up and down the motorway. Saying that, the car is noisy after you get over 60mph so you won’t necessarily have a nice relaxing journey. My advice is to turn your radio on or whatever device you have these days (ipod, MP3, Bluetooth anybody?) to drown out the noise from the engine.

Alternatively fork out an extra couple thousand pounds to upgrade to a 1.6 which will help cut out some of the noise, it is up to you. Going back to the radio/CD player it sounds great at the front but the speakers at the back are a bit to be desired, literally meaning they’re not that great especially if you have the interference from the loud, dominant sound of the engine. Well, some potential and indeed past and present Vauxhall Corsa drivers would argue that you could always put bigger, louder speakers in the back of your car but to be honest I just think it looks too spruced up ‘boy racer’ for me.

Some small ’supermini’ cars I have driven seem cheaply made with tacky plastic interior not to mention the lack of paint finish (e.g. cutting costs by not painting under the bodywork of the bonnet.) The Vauxhall Corsa however seemed well built and to be honest not that tacky. The interior seems well built; the seat material is nicely finished but is the average mundane colour you would expect to find on lower priced cars (e.g. grey and black, maybe the odd speck of colour if you’re lucky.) So don’t expect any leather seats.

The heater works quite well which, as the winter draws in and the days get colder has become increasingly important (well for me anyway). I’m not so interested in the air conditioning, I don’t know about you but I haven’t experienced a heat wave in the UK for some years now, but I’m sure it works just as well on the models that have this function.

For anybody counting their pennies (thus worried about price) the Vauxhall Corsa is priced mid range compared to other superminis (i.e. it is not the cheapest which you can tell from the better finish, but it also not the most expensive, which you can tell by the finish…) If you can wait until 2010 Vauxhall is launching a new car which is called Corsa ecoFLEX. As I understand it this will be in tax band B so road tax will be cheaper than current models, mpg will be better and hopefully car insurance too. All in all the Vauxhall Corsa a good looking car, reasonably priced, easy to drive but the smaller engines (anything from 1.0 up to 1.4) are generally noisy.

Pete J Ridgard

VAUXHALL manufactures many models, many of which are not in production. Listed below are some famous models

VAUXHALL ASTRA 5Dr Hatchback:
The Vauxhall ASTRA 5Dr Hatchback is a wonderful vehicle. It is stylish and efficient. However finding the spare parts for this vehicle might pose you some challenge. Therefore it will be best if you search for the spare parts online. Most of the sites that deal with spare parts will have the parts that you want.

VAUXHALL CORSA 3Dr Hatchback:
The Vauxhall is British automobile brands that are a part of Gm’s brand of vehicles in Europe. Most of these vehicles are right handed versions of Gm’s Opel brand of vehicles. The brand is however also known to produce left hand vehicles that are used to export in the European market. The CORSA 3Dr Hatchback from Vauxhall is a very popular vehicle out of Vauxhall stable. The classy design makes it a good vehicle for everyday use. Also the vehicle is very efficient. The spare parts of this vehicle are available online so you don’t have to go hunting for them in the market.

VAUXHALL VECTRA 5Dr Hatchback:
The Vauxhall brand is a part of the GM Euro group. It is a British brand of vehicles that can be most commonly classified to have cars that are right handed version of the Opel which also belongs to GM. However the brand also produces left hand drive vehicles that are used for export in the European market. The Vauxhall VECTRA 5Dr Hatchback is one of the most popular cars among the enthusiasts of the Vauxhall brand. The car is stylish and elegant. Also the car is very comfortable. The spare parts of this vehicle can be a little hard to obtain but they can be easily found on the internet.

VAUXHALL ZAFIRA 5Dr Estate:
Vauxhall is a British brand of vehicles that is one of the market leaders in the automobile field in Europe. The vehicles mostly resemble Opel’s models because most of them are right hand versions of Opel’s models. However the brand also produces left hand drive vehicles for export in the continent of Europe. The ZAFIRA 5Dr Estate out of the Vauxhall stable is a very spacious vehicle and perfect for you if you have big family and love going on road trips. If the spare parts of this vehicle are not available in your area then you can easily obtain them from the internet through sites that deal with spare parts.

VAUXHALL OMEGA 4Dr Saloon:
The British brand of Vauxhall is one of the biggest brands of vehicles in the continent of Europe. They are known to manufacture both right hand and left hand drive vehicles. The left hand drive vehicles are for export in the European market. The right hand vehicles are mostly a subsidiary version of Gm’s Opel. The OMEGA 4Dr Saloon from Vauxhall is a classic saloon that was very popular at a period of time. If you own this vehicle and are finding it hard to get spare parts then you should try ordering them from the internet. This will save from all the trouble of searching for them in the market.

VAUXHALL FRONTERA 5Dr Estate:
One of the biggest brands of cars under the GM Europe name is the Vauxhall. This brand makes both the right hand and the left hand drive vehicles. Many performance vehicles that are made from open performance center are also modified by this brand. Both Vauxhall and open are owned by GM. The FRONTERA 5Dr Estate from Vauxhall is a big spacious family vehicle that can also be effectively used in crowded roads. The inside is spacious and comfortable. The spare parts for this vehicle can be obtained online without any difficulties. You just need to find a site that deals with Vauxhall spare parts.

VAUXHALL CAVALIER 5Dr Hatchback:
Vauxhall Motors is an automobile manufacturing company set in the United Kingdom. It is a part of the General Motors Corporation. The company was founded by Alexander Wilson in 1857. It has its headquarters in Luton, England, UK. Besides manufacturing automobiles, the company has also sponsored the Football Conference from 1986 to 1998. The Vauxhall CAVALIER 5Dr Hatchback is another beauty from the Vauxhall stable. This classic vehicle can be quite difficult to maintain these days though because of the unavailability of the spare parts. However these can be easily found on the internet on sites that deal with car spare parts and accessories.

VAUXHALL TIGRA 2Dr Coupe:
Vauxhall Motors is an automobile company of British origin incorporated in 1857 by Alexander Wilson. Headquartered in Luton, England, this company has been a subsidiary of GM Europe and has become one of the leading manufacturing companies today. Many of the automobiles produced by Vauxhall are majorly derived from the Opel brand of GM. The TIGRA 2Dr Coupe from Vauxhall is one of the most popular cars out of the Vauxhall stable. The car is a beauty and is also very efficient. However the spare parts can be a little difficult to find in the market. However these spare parts are easily available online and can be ordered on your doorstep.

VAUXHALL MOVANO LWB:
Having its headquarters in Luton, England, Vauxhall Motors has made it big in the list of the top automobile manufacturing companies of the world. Incorporated by Alexander Wilson in 1857, the company was originally called Alex Wilson and Company, then Vauxhall Iron Works and later came to be known as Vauxhall Motors. The MOVANO LWB from Vauxhall is a very popular truck that has many commercial uses. The vehicle is spacious and also fuel efficient. Also the vehicle can be easily navigated through traffic. The spare parts of this vehicle are available on the internet on sites dealing with spare parts and other accessories.

VAUXHALL VIVARO 2900:
Vauxhall Motors is one of the leading automobile manufacturing companies in the world. Being a major part of the Opel brand of General Motors Corporation (GM), Vauxhall has produced a lot of automobiles over the years. Some famous models are Tigra, Movano and Vivaro. Vauxhall Motors was launched in 1857 by Alexander Wilson. The VIVARO 2900 from Vauxhall is a spacious and efficient truck that is used for many commercial purposes. Also the vehicle is quite rugged. If you are looking for spare parts for this vehicle then you can easily obtain them from the internet and have them delivered at your door step.

The face of the Vauxhall Corsa has changed dramatically over the years, going from a small, boxy car to the larger and more spacious size of today. Heralded by the irritating ‘C’mon’ adverts, the new model offers a different face to the brand. Due to the fact that the whole car is now bigger, the small engine struggles to pick up speed, especially on high speed motorways. The diesel picks up quicker, but at current fuel prices, will give your wallet a hefty whack.

The five door is spacious, with plenty of room for guests to relax, and the drivers seat offers a chair that you can put up and down, as well as move nearer and further to the wheel. You cannot adjust the steering column, but with these features even the shortest legged lovely should be OK. If you go for the three door option then it is very hard to get three in the back, as the tapered shape minimises comfort and better suits two.

The boot seems small but offers a deepener, much like a parcel shelf, that you can remove if you have lots of shopping or bags to go away for the weekend. The spare wheel is hidden away nicely too.

Inside, the dashboard is smart and most models have air conditioning and a CD player, as well as being compatible with MP3 players. It looks stylish, and is certainly better than earlier models.

The engine is slightly noisy, but stick the radio on and you won’t be able to hear it. The car comes with six airbags as standard for added safety, and if you go for the more deluxe model there are plenty more safety features for you to choose from, to keep you secure when on the roads.

The car is cheap to tax, and Car Insurance Quotes come in very cheaply too.

All in all, the new Corsa is a great city car for zipping around, and is stylish and contemporary.

Laura Hartson

Yes, you did read that right. A survey conducted in early 2009 revealed that the Vauxhall Corsa was the second most popular car in 2008. Who would have thought it? Well, actually, if you think about just how many Corsas you see on the roads, it is easy to see why this has secured the number 2 position as the most popular car. Corsas are everywhere in the UK!

Affordable

In 2008, 99,574 Vauxhall Corsas were sold and it seems there is no sign of this figure decreasing. With the new style Vauxhall Corsa that’s been on the market for a couple of years now, drivers have renewed confidence in Vauxhall and the affordable appeal that it has always been known for rings truer than ever. Vauxhall Corsas really are the budget car for a hard-hit economy.

Suitable For Everyone

But its not just new Corsas that have sold like hotcakes. Used Vauxhall cars continue to cause quite a stir, as people know they can pick up even more of a bargain during the credit crunch. The new car purchase necessity is no more and drivers are hunting down the used Vauxhall Corsa bargains. As the second most popular car in the UK, Vauxhall have no worries about sales at the moment. Corsas are the preferred choice for school-leavers and elderly couples alike, and it is this broad age range appeal that makes Vauxhall cars a firm favourite. They are also really easy to drive, so if you’ve never claimed to be the next Lewis Hamilton, you can get to grips with a Corsa quickly and easily.

Corsas are also very affordable when it comes to insurance and tax, so this is a comfort to drivers who struggle with paying out for car necessities during the recession. You can buy a Corsa, or in fact any used Vauxhall car, and not have to worry about the additional costs. They also hold their value well, and this is one of the reasons why sales of the Vauxhall Corsa have increased so dramatically.

For your reference, the number 1 most popular car in 2008 was the Ford Focus.

Author Mark Woodcock

Vauxhall, bless ‘em, have really made a major thing about trying to corner the market price for the sub compact car in the last 20 to 30 years.

Now that the Vauxhall Corsa has outgrown its micro status and moved into the heavyweight supermini class there has now appeared a gap within their product range and this is one thing that the new car is set to plug.

The idea says the company is to come in and provide a relatively cheap cheerful city car. Basically what has happened with most car manufacturers is that ever since the petrol crisis of the 70s effectively signed the death warrant for the gas guzzlers every man and his dog have been hell bent on trying to provide the smallest and most economic car possible.

The trouble is none of these companies have really got it right from the start and none of them got their analysis of the basic human psychology right.

Yes we all want something for nothing. Yes we all want a car that is as cheap as possible. Yes we’ll want a car that is going to run as cheaply as possible and yes we’ll want a car that would provide all of the previous things (at once as well) but we all want our creature comforts as well.

Therein lines the problem. You see everything is a matter of compromise and nowhere has this become more self-evident than in the sub compact sector of the Automobile Industry. What has happened here is that ever since the manufacturers all launched their micro cars with such missionary zeal in the early eighties is that slowly but surely they have added one extra feature after another so that their original concept has been slowly compromised.

As babies grow into little children and little children grow into big children so have the micro cars grown into the super Mini category. So much so that their involvement has led to manufacturers now announcing that they need a car to take over where the old ones left off.

Such as the new Vauxhall Nova. Proudly following on from the tradition set down in 1983 when the initial Nova was launched, the new Agila as it is now known is aimed at taking off where the original Nova left off. The car is a true hybrid of all of General Motors (Vauxhalls Parent Company) international car divisions. Based around a basic Suzuki platform built at the Japanese companies Hungarian Manufacturing plant the car will share most of its parts with the new Suzuki Splash.

The new Agila is longer than its predecessor but not as tall. The car will come with two classes of petrol driven engine, the 1 litre version and the 1.2 litre version. A 5 speed manual gearbox will be standard in most of the cars but buyers of the 1.2 version will be offered the opportunity of an automatic gearbox.

The company also plans to release a diesel powered version of the car with possibly a 1.3 litre diesel engine in the not too distant future.

The company plan to release the Agila officially to the marketplace at this years Frankfurt motor show in September with the car going on sale to the general public in the spring of 2008.

Stephen Morgan

Look on used car websites and you begin to notice a trend. There is a shortage in the number of used cars on the market which has led to dramatic price hikes. In fact, the price of a used car has increased by a colossal 30% over the past year. This change in the market has occurred because of the government-funded Scrappage Scheme.

In an effort to kick-start the failing new car market the government decided to inject some much needed funds into this industry The Scrappage Scheme got underway in May and has been since hailed as a success.

The scheme not only increased new car sales, but also helped to get old, dirty cars off the road. So the scheme has also benefited the environment as old gas-guzzlers have been replaced by new fuel-efficient cars.

The Scheme has been so successful that it has even been extended until next year. Ford and Vauxhall have benefited the most during the scheme, in particular they saw great sales figures during the all important 59′ plate launch month.

However, although the scheme has helped local car dealers – and the larger manufacturers in particular, it certainly hasn’t benefited used car hunters.

The Scrappage Scheme made the prices of brand new cars seem so appealing that people rushed to scrap there old cars in return for a shiny new one. Therefore, those that would have otherwise sold on their older cars to fund the purchase of their one vehicle have decided to have them scrapped – meaning that the used car market has been severely depleted.

Inevitably, because of the lack of supply, the demand has increased and therefore prices have seen a significant rise.

In some cases, because of the great deals available on the Scrappage Scheme, some people have been able to buy a brand new car for less money than the same model a year old.

This has meant that people looking for a bargain first car are really struggling to find one. The likes of the used Vauxhall Corsa and the little Ford Ka have been scrapped in their thousands – both of these cars have always been a firm favourite among young first-time drivers as they are cheap to insure and run.

As the Scrappage Scheme has been extended the used car market won’t really change until next Spring at least. Once all funds have been exhausted then we will be able if the market returns to it usual state…but then perhaps new car sales will fall once again…

Lucy Penn

The Vauxhall Corsa has been loved by UK drivers for over a decade often topping the charts for the most popular car in the UK. It is especially loved by new drivers for its low insurance costs, cheap running costs and nippy performance.

There is no doubt that such a loved car has hundreds of thousands of units floating around the UK car market which provide a great supply of cars for those that want to purchase one, but as with any second hand product, there are many lemons out there as well.

There are a number of things to watch out for when buying a used car as well as specific things to watch out for with certain models. It is no secret that older cars tend to rust but the earlier versions of the Corsa where particularly vulnerable to rusting, especially around the wheel arches.

One should always see the car before buying it so if you can, go see the car and make an extra effort to get down and dirty by getting on the floor and looking under the car at the under tray and at the wheel arches. You will literally need to get on the floor so bring some old clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty!

Perhaps an obvious thing to look out for is the engine condition but let’s face it, who amongst us knows what a healthy engine looks like. Instead look at how clean the engine is. Chances are an owner that takes the time to clean the engine will have taken good care of it. Rust on any part of the engine is also a big no no to watch out for as well as general wear and tear which can be expected to some extent but is a sign that the engine might be approaching the end of its lifespan. If you really have no idea what you are looking for why not bring a friend who knows a little more about cars to look at the car with you.

The Corsa is a robust and well built car and should anything go wrong, parts are in large supply and comparatively cheap in comparison to other cars and models. However, this should not be an excuse for not inspecting your car before you buy it. Perhaps the best piece of advice is to buy a car from a certified Vauxhall dealer or from a website that provides history checks.

For a driving instructor, they need a dual control vehicle to do their job, so something like a dual control vauxhall corsa is the type of vehicle that they will want to get. There are some definite benefits of having a driving instructor car hire of a vehicle like this, which will be examined in this article.

Leasing a vehicle like this is a good idea, as a driver instructor’s vehicle can go through a lot of wear and tear on a daily basis, and to be able to trade it in within a year or two can be a good thing. When shopping for a dual control Vauxhall Corsa contract hire vehicle there are some things you want to make sure you check on.

Benefits of getting a dual control Vauxhall Corsa contract hire are:

* Comprehensive coverage on service, maintenance and mileage
* Variety of cars available for leasing
* A brand new car is available more often than on a regular lease
* Consistent costs month after month to make budgeting easier

There are other things you will want to discuss with the company where you are looking at getting your dual control Vauxhall Corsa contract hire vehicle from such as who pays for replacement tires, how often you are able to switch vehicles, who covers the different taxes involved and what happens at the end of the hire term. What options are included and which options do you have to pay for in order to get them in your vehicle? Here is an area that companies can do a bit of negotiating in, so you may be able to work one company against another to get a better deal.

Another thing to consider when looking at a company that you are considering for a dual control Vauxhall Corsa contract hire is what their business consists of. Do they deal only in driver instructor car hire or do they also have driver training at their location? If they also offer instruction, how do you know that you are getting the best prices you can from the company?

An important issue to consider is what happens if your vehicle is in an accident or something happens to it where it is not drivable for a considerable amount of time? This vehicle is likely how you make your money, so will the leasing company provide you with a replacement of some sort until you are able to get yours road worthy again? This may be a very important option to consider, and could make or break your decision as you may not be able to go more than a day or two without a vehicle.

It is important that you find out if there are any restrictions on the lease that you sign. This could be in regards to mileage, repairs, who is allowed to drive the vehicle, insurance required or many other things. If you are not familiar with contract hire, make sure you read the fine print on the contract before you sign, or have someone else go over it on your behalf.

When making your final decision in regards to a dual control dual control Vauxhall Corsa contract hire, make sure that you understand what you are getting for what you are paying. Do not be afraid to negotiate for a better deal if you are not satisfied with what is being offered and be willing to walk away. Sometimes that will entice the salesperson to make you a better deal.