Used Vauxhall Corsa 2019-present review

Though it carries a fine old British name and is very proud of that heritage, the fifth-generation Vauxhall Corsa is actually quite an exotic beast.

You see it's built in Spain, and beneath its not unattractive skin it's based on the Peugeot 208 and DS 3 Crossback, both also products of the mighty Stellantis Group, an amalgam of the French brand PSA, who acquired Vauxhall in 2017, and the Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Previous Vauxhall Corsas have been very worthy if slightly unexciting cars that have sold in huge numbers to people keen to enjoy motoring at a reasonable cost and without too much stress. Many are those who will have learned to drive in a Corsa, or whose first car was one. This 2019-onwards version continues that theme while being smarter, classier and more refined.

This latest model features a choice of three conventional engines, two petrols and one diesel, and a fully electric Corsa-e. Petrols are a 74bhp 1.2 75 and a 99bhp 1.2 Turbo, while the diesel is a 101bhp 1.5 102 Turbo D.

There is also a rather confusing line up of trim levels for the Corsa. Essentially, you have four core specifications to choose from: SE, SRi, Elite Nav and range-topping Ultimate Nav. On most trims, you can then add a Nav, Premium or a Nav Premium pack, each of which gives you a selection of extra features that Vauxhall has lumped together, and that you can’t specify individually.

As an example, entry-level ‘SE’ trim has most of the everyday basics covered, including cruise control, 16in alloy wheels, air conditioning and electric windows, while SE Premium will get you heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, automatic lights and wipers, and rear parking sensors. From 2022 trims were simplified to just three: Design, GS Line and Ultimate.

On the road, the turbocharged 99bhp version has enough flexibility for motorway journeys and accelerates quite briskly. 0-60mph takes 9.3sec, although the eight-speed automatic transmission option makes the Corsa almost a second slower from 0-60mph. The 101bhp 1.5-litre diesel is stronger than the 1.2 100 petrol from low revs and provides more flexible in-gear performance, but isn't quite as quick away from the traffic lights, 0-60mph taking 9.6sec.

Meanwhile, the Corsa-e is quick and quiet. Press your right foot down and you’ll find that there is enough performance to shove you into the back of your seat. In our tests, the Corsa-e managed a 0-60mph time of just 8.0 seconds.

The Corsa handles abrupt bumps, such as potholes and drain covers, with reasonable ease, but tends to be disturbed by smaller road surface imperfections. It's stable and surefooted with good grip, but there’s more body lean than you’ll experience in some of its rivals. Also, the Corsa’s steering is extremely light and feels a bit vague as a result.

Inside, you’ll find a good range of adjustment, in both reach and height, to the steering wheel and driver's seat, so you should be able to find a comfortable driving position. Analogue instrument dials come as standard, with a 3.5in screen set between them to display trip information. A 7.0in digital instrument display is provided from SRi trim and up. A 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system comes as standard with a DAB radio, Bluetooth, USB sockets and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Even tall drivers will find plenty of space up front, with head and leg room being fairly generous for the class. The Corsa’s rear seats aren’t the easiest to get in and out of if you're an adult of above-average stature, due to its fairly narrow door apertures. Once inside, though, there's a good amount of room for two tall adults.

Meanwhile, the boot is a fair size for the class, and access is good despite a fairly high loading lip.

If you're interested in buying a used Vauxhall Corsa, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site here.

Prices for this latest Corsa start at around £11,000 for a 2020 Corsa, depending on trim, which represents a good saving on the price of a new one. Spend between £11,000 and £13,000 on one of the higher spec models, and £13,000 to £15,000 on a 2021 model. Spend a little more on used 2022 cars. You'll need in excess of £24,000 for a Corsa-e.

MPG

Fuel economy figures are decent compared with class standards – the 99bhp 1.2 100 petrol engine officially returns over 50mpg, while the 1.5 102 Turbo D diesel over 70mpg.

Compared with the conventionally powered Corsa, the Corsa-e has a slightly longer wheelbase (the distance between a car’s front and rear wheels), with its rear axle pushed farther back to help accommodate the sizeable 50kWh battery that’s packaged in an H-shaped layout under the front and rear seats.

Officially, the Corsa-e can go 209 miles between recharges – a very similar figures to the closely related 211-mile e-208, which we know is capable of more than 160 miles in real-world driving conditions. To charge up from 0-100% using a wallbox at home (Vauxhall will supply one and fit it for you as part of the asking price) takes seven hours and 30 minutes – fine for an overnight charge.

Road tax

All conventionally powered Corsas will pay road tax at the flat rate fee, currently £155 a year.

Insurance and servicing

The Corsa scores here by being in low insurance groups. Groups range from 10 up to 24 for the electric Corsa-e.

You can pay a fixed-price fee for interim, main and major services, with costs depending on whether your Corsa has a petrol or diesel engine. Service costs are £160, £265 and £305 for petrol models and £170, £295 and £335 for diesel models respectively.

If you can't pay it all on the day, you can spread the cost by sorting out a monthly plan depending upon your annual mileage and age of Corsa.

The Corsa-e is covered by a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, while its battery gets an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

According to Euro NCAP, the Corsa achieves four stars out of five in its latest safety tests. That’s not brilliant; it lost points for doing a poor job at protecting front and rear seat passengers against whiplash. Thankfully, automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, and a driver drowsiness monitoring system come as standard. If you also want blind-spot monitoring, you'll need to look for an Elite Nav.

Engine

The turbocharged 1.2 100 petrol-engined car is smooth and mostly refined and has decent efficiency too.

Specification

Choosing SE trim brings a healthy amount of standard kit but we'd look for one with a Nav pack added so you get a sat-nav. Smartphone mirroring is standard, though, on all models, so you should be able to hook up navigation via that method if you can't find a Nav model.

Our favourite Vauxhall Corsa: 1.2 100 Turbo SE Nav 5dr

The Ford Fiesta is perhaps the default choice in this class because it is very good and relatively cheap. Its infotainment is woeful, though, and the number of interior buttons confusing, but the way it drives and its value more than makes up for these shortcomings.

The Skoda Fabia has a neat interior and an easy-to-use infotainment system. It can also be had with some efficient engine choices and a big boot.

The Volkswagen Polo will be more expensive than the Corsa, offering much the same things as the Fabia, but with more polish. It's great to drive, though, and classy.

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If you're interested in buying a used Vauxhall Corsa, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site here.