2011 Vauxhall Corsa Excite 1.3 CDTi ecoFLEX from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Economical

Faults:

Suspension components wore out fairly quickly, the rest was just minor electric issues, the car never left me stranded. Engine sounded a bit rough in my last year of ownership.

General Comments:

An incredibly economical car, this Corsa did over 60 mpg no matter how I drove it.

It was of course slow, and a bit cramped, the only negatives.

The car was otherwise good, never any major issues.

Looked OK in silver, Excite spec had enough toys and good looking wheels.

Only sold it because I needed a bigger family car, otherwise would have kept it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th July, 2023

2011 Vauxhall Corsa SXi 1.4 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Nippy, economical car

Faults:

Oil and belt changes as scheduled. Small leak at rocker cover gasket, no big deal, every car I have had does this.

A/C weak. Exhaust center section needed changed. Suspension front shocks and springs changed. Brake discs and pads all round. Electric mirrors slow to operate. Radio buttons on steering wheel are very hard to press but they just about still work.

Interior and exterior are looking good for an eleven year old car, looks as good as new, but I do keep it cleaned, garaged and looked after well. Most Corsa's of this age will be starting to look rough.

General Comments:

My Corsa is getting older now, but I want to keep it longer, it is still reliable and economical, I see no need to change. Feels very modern as well.

SXi model is a good spec, electric windows and alloy wheels, this car looks good. Silver metallic, very common color, looks OK but would prefer blue or black, but buying used I had no choice. Mine is the 4 door hatch, would prefer the 2 door, which is much better looking I think.

The car is comfortable and has enough space for a smaller family hatch. Very quiet and smooth, refinement is strong, most other small hatches are very noisy.

1.4 petrol is a good engine, you will get over 45 mpg with cheap tax and insurance, and it is a much faster engine than the powered 1.2 and 1.0 units.

Just a good all round little car, cannot fault it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th December, 2022

2011 Vauxhall Corsa Energy 1.2 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A decent small hatch

Faults:

Quite a lot, but mostly wear and tear due to mileage, never had any serious problems or random breakdowns, apart from a flat battery. I kept the car serviced and it was fairly dependable the 5 years I had it.

General Comments:

The Corsa is pretty much your "bread and butter car" as my dad described it. Does the job but no more. Not a bad car by any means, and economical to run, and pretty fun to drive, so it has some good qualities.

1.2 Energy is a middle of the road version, decent equipment levels and adequate performance and economy. 45 - 50 mpg, very nice for petrol.

Mine was black, 2 door, with alloy wheels looked great. All in all, if buying one for yourself, look for a looked after low mileage car, and you cannot go wrong. Repairs are as cheap as it gets, and every mechanic has a good knowledge of these cars.

Traded it and since moved on to a diesel 2015 Ford Fiesta, seems a better car, but it is obviously a more modern car than this.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd October, 2022

2011 Vauxhall Corsa Limited Edition 1.2 ecotec from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Waste of money, should have got a Kia LOL

Faults:

Not so much has gone wrong, but the problems I have are getting bad MPG, and the doors leave black marks on the side skirts when it rains, and runs through the doors.

General Comments:

Well I sold my old trusty Jazz as I was looking for a newer car, saw the new 2011 Corsa, and thought it looked nice. I managed to get a 1.2 Limited Edition in red with black roof and 17 inch wheels for £11,999. Worst mistake of my life; the Vauxhall dealers are terrible.

On to the car; it looks nice, looks well built, but inside it's a sea of plastics and cheap materials, which rattle already after only 1500 miles.

The ride is harsh, but it feels stable and planted nice through the corners. The steering is vague, and you feel disconnected from the car.

The engine. I got the 1.2 Ecotec for obvious reasons; petrol in UK is stupidly high now, and I thought I was making the right decision, but to be honest I'm averaging 30mpg. I have told Vauxhall, who said that's terrible, but are yet to offer any help. My Jazz was getting 40+ mpg.

All in all, stay clear of the Corsa. There are a lot of better cars on the market now.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 24th June, 2011

25th Jun 2011, 07:47

Why did you buy a brand new car to save money? It doesn't make any sense at all.

26th Jun 2011, 15:06

Maybe to save more money on petrol, tax, and possibly insurance. Just my 2 cents.

26th Jun 2011, 17:57

I guess a 1.4 Jazz to a 1.2 Corsa would save you money on petrol when Vauxhall quote around 60+ combined MPG and the Jazz was getting 40+ MPG.

29th Jun 2011, 12:00

All the money you lose in depreciation and trading your old car in is not good value.

26th Jul 2011, 14:12

It's a Vauxhall at the end of the day, what did you expect?

25th Sep 2011, 15:24

Four wheels and a steering wheel; anything else with Vauxhall is uncertain.

28th Nov 2012, 11:05

I bought Limited Corsa, and have had it a year now. Also get black marks down the white paint work. Now having problem with black paint work on the roof; it's starting to lift and showing white paint. Anyone else had this problem?

12th Dec 2012, 13:55

I'm also having same problem with the marks on the side of the car, which are hard to remove while washing! And some of the paint on the roof and rear arches has bubbled. The car is two years old, and I look forward to selling it at the beginning of next year for something nice. It has too many problems with bad dealers and build quality.

23rd Oct 2022, 15:38

MPG would have gotten better as the miles rose, since this was a new car review.

My 2011 Corsa with the 1.2 petrol did 45 mpg all day, even with 90K mileage on it.

4th Dec 2022, 12:32

Nothing wrong with Kia, but the Corsa is a better car than any smaller hatchback car from most other manufacturers. The Fiesta is better to drive, but the Corsa is a good all rounder. Any other manufacturer is competing with the big two from Ford and Vauxhall.