2015 Vauxhall Corsa Excite 1.2i petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Meh

Faults:

Clutch judder, jerky accelerator, brake grind, rumble from rear suspension, rattle from behind dashboard, oil leak, notchy gearbox, etc!

Intermittent starting issue - replaced battery but it still refuses to start sometimes. Local auto electrician had a look but couldn't find anything wrong.

General Comments:

Pretty average hatchback. The Corsa is a cheap economy car but I think Vauxhall could have done better than this!

Dull to drive and slow - 16 seconds to 60 mph. It does do over 40 mpg though, which for petrol is good. I'd go for the bigger 1.4 petrol engine if buying again, this 1.2 just isn't up to it. The 1.0 must be terrible!

Seats are too hard, maybe it's just this basic "Excite" specification but the interior is dull, cramped and noisy. No fancy features.

My previous old 2008 Honda Jazz was way better (which was only scrapped because it had over 150,000 miles on it), and I needed another car in a hurry, but I thought this Corsa being more modern and lower mileage wouldn't be too bad, but I was wrong. Maybe I got a bad one, they can't all be this bad, the Corsa seems very popular.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 9th July, 2026

12th Jul 2026, 16:54

You definitely got a bad one (did it really have full service history?!), I've had a few Corsa's and they have all been OK reliability wise.

The 1.0 petrol engine from this time period (2014 onward) has a turbo, and is actually faster than both the 1.2 and 1.4 engines ;) I'd avoid any of the ecoFLEX diesels, although very economical, can be problematic.

Surprised you say it has no fancy features - in one of my cars I had an Excite spec, and it had heated seats and all electrics, DAB radio, etc quite good for a smaller car.

My favorite though was a 1.4 SRi Vx Line, I miss that little rocket, I did however modify it, but I was younger and dumber at the time.

The Corsa is a decent first car for anyone if you get a nice one and the right spec and engine for your needs.

13th Jul 2026, 12:51

Re: intermittent starting;

I had a Corsa that did this, turns out I had a metallic object on the key-fob that interfered with the circuit boards inside the main key (they communicate with the immobiliser to start the car). Try removing all surrounding objects and have just the key on the ring when starting the car, should start every time.

As for everything else, sounds like you bought an un-serviced example.

2015 Vauxhall Corsa SXi 1.4 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Cheap fun run about

Faults:

Mostly wear and tear. Only real issue is recently the clutch is juddering on release but still engages fine. No rust, but be aware at around nine/ten years old the subframe on Corsas starts to rust. Can be expensive to replace. Might be an advisory next MOT. But I do look after it well with all services, and keep it clean and garaged.

General Comments:

If you want cheap to run reliable transport, the Corsa is a fine choice. My 2015 car still feels as good as new.

SXi model is common and it's a good spec with all the electrics you would expect and need. Seats are very comfortable and so is the ride. The car is remarkably quiet for a smaller car. Pleasant to drive.

1.4 petrol engine with the manual transmission is fun and nippy, and regularly does over 40 mpg; for petrol you won't get much better than that. I'd avoid the diesels, they are complicated and problematic at this age and mileage. But a looked after petrol engine should not cause you any trouble.

Cheap tax, insurance and servicing.

Vauxhall really got this Corsa right, it is the ideal car for anyone. I have almost nothing negative to say about it. Best looking generation as well in my opinion.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th November, 2024