1996 Vauxhall Corsa GLS review from UK and Ireland

Anti Roll bar bushes worn out – excessive journeys over speed bumps.

Engine management unit failed (£400 of damage).

Driver’s door lock failed –failing again.

Expansion bottle seal failed.

On my fourth windscreen.

I largely bought the car on the back of owning a corsa for five years. The car is a special bodied corsa really, but that's not an insult. Back in 1996 there were not many small cars offering all the extras available on the Tigra it was a natural choice anyway.

I chose a bright yellow MTV model that I never manage to loose in car parks. I have never had an accident in the car, but have recently cut the paintwork to bring back the natural colour and shine. Sadly for some sort of mad reason Vauxhall chose to use black undercoat beneath the yellow paintwork which looks particularly bad on the front bumper now its stone chipped. It's a shame that something other than a black interior was all that was available and the seats could have more side support.

The car is sporty enough for me, though a 2 litre would be nice I imagine the insurance cost would be high. If driven carefully the 1.6 engine is economical and powerful when needed. If driven hard the fuel gauge suffers as well as oil consumption.

There are only a few things I'd change:

Folding door mirrors

Block off that silly hole in the rear seat.

CD holder in centre console for those fitted with cod player as standard, rather than cassette holder.

Improve technique for changing headlamp bulbs-removing part of the bumper then the headlamp is ridiculous.

Dark tints on the side windows which match the back window.

I'm now entering my seventh year of owning the Tigra so it can't be that bad, however getting the right dealer (Vantage Burnley / Whitmore's Edenbridge) is as critical as regular dealer servicing.