Just a matter of what your used to - or not. I get by with 58 bhp and a load of kit in the back in my little car and I have no trouble, but then ive adjusted to the abilities of the car having owned it a while.
I guess sometimes it requires more forethought such as pulling onto dual carriageways etc, but you get used to it.
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My Corsa B has the same basic engine block but less power (65bhp) and you do need to rev it hard make progress, it is quite good fun though. Sadly it seems the head gasket has failed and that is the price you pay.
I would not buy a new 1.2 16v Corsa, the engine just has to work far too hard, the 1.4 16v is where it starts. The 1.0 is even worse.
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I would not buy a new 1.2 16v Corsa the engine just has to work far too hard the 1.4 16v is where it starts. The 1.0 is even worse.
That's funny, I drove a 3-pot 1000cc Corsa a while ago - an "X"-reg one. 50BHP or thereabouts I seem to remember. Not fast, but quite adequate for transport. A little reminiscent of the original Mini.
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I did read somewhere that the loader drivers at the dock's had to take a run up in order to get the 1.0l corsa's onto the transport lorry's as they are so gutless.
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I drove a 3-pot 1000cc Corsa a while ago
Affectionately known by some as a cylinder short of an engine.
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It's a 2009 Corsa D as the heading. My Stepson had an old N reg 1.2 Corsa B and that was a very lively and pleasant car to drive; outperformed his mother's Getz 1.4l IMHO.
Same trouble tonight with me getting the impression I was going to be tailended on several occasions.Tried 5000rpm once- that is a harsh and nasty sound. May get used to it but having to run in second at 30 mph just to keep the revs up for a swift upchange to 3rd is ridiculous.
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Drove a 1.0 Corsa,i think i can run faster,and i'm not a fast runner,sad excuse for a car.
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I used to have a wee 2004 1.3 CDTI corsa -- so even less BHP than these petrol ones, and it wasn't fast, but hardly what you could call glacial either.
That being said, cruising speed was only 60-65mph, above that it was out it's comfort zone (although quite far within its capabilities).
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As others have said it can also be perception. Driving different cars with different engines makes for a different feel so I find.
Also as we have a slowish car (Panda 1.2) I find that you are a target for the must get past brigade, even if you drive courteously. Especially as ours in in a daft colour.
Maybe that is for a different thread though.
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Cast your mind back to when you first drove a modern-ish turbo diesel. How many of us ran it into the limiter at 4500-4800 RPM repeatedly during the first few miles, after years of driving petrol engines which spin freely to 6000+ RPM? Now after years of driving diesels which deliver so much at low to medium revs, petrol engines often feel gutless to me because I try to drive them the same way.
I agree it's about perception, but it's also about driving style and re-adapting. Small petrol engined cars have always needed to be thrashed to get the best out of them, and most of them seem to quite enjoy it too. :-)
The only exception I can think of is the old 1.3 Endura in the Ka and Fiesta which was much more "diesel-like" in its delivery, and I believe was specifically tuned for midrange torque. The modern 16v stuff likes to rev.
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We had a Corsa 1.5D as a pool car at work in the late 90s.
It was slow, noisy, heavy - no pas, but used hardly any fuel.
Hopeless car dynamically, but brilliant at delivering reliable, economical motoring.
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Handing back a 1.2 Corsa "D" tomorrow afternoon after a week and a half of struggling to get anywhere. Things I do not like:-
Indicator stalks, non latching type, very tempramental.
Washer control, same as above, and intermittant is useless.
1.2 Ecotect engine, gutless and drinks like a fish when you try to get something out of it.
Centre dash reflections, just what were Vauxhall thinking of here?
Gearing is naff, having to drop down to second gear just to take a decent hill is not on.
Easily overtaken by "B" 1.2 on open road, "D" varient struggles.
Speed rapidly drops off when taking a hill, have to plan ahead and work the engine to get up the hill in any decent speed.
Annoying flat spot in engine revs while pulling in second gear.
Can time acceleration with a calendar, manufacturers claims not same as reality.
Hard drivers seat, difficult to like and bad on the back.
Petrol cap cover appears to be linked to central locking.
Bonnet release is on passenger footwell side of car, which proves this is a poor euro model that has just had the minimum done to it to make it UK fit.
After a week of clearing its throat out, not much better in drive quality, just totally gutless and a really naff car. Missus had a drive, came back complaining she was being overtaken by snails.
Nasty little car, best steer clear.
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Funny you say that about the Corsa given how popular it is. Then again, I was underwhelmed by the Fiesta 1.2 aswell, despite glowing media praise.
I think it is not so much the basic car half the time, but a combination of these latest superminis being simply too heavy for the little engines under the bonnet which ruins the driving experience.
The diesels are most likely a whole different experience.
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Sounds like you haven't adapted to the lower powered car, GWS. You cant expect to pull out of a side road and accelerate away without slowing the traffic as you can with a turbo diesel. I had a similar adjustment to make when I returned home after driving a V8 in the states for a few weeks, (and remember which side to drive on!).
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Handing back a 1.2 Corsa "D" tomorrow Easily overtaken by "B" 1.2 on open road "D" varient struggles.
That's interesting - the "B" has 74BHP, and the "D" has 85PS (about 84 BHP), according to HJ's figures (Autotrader's are less generous at 65BHP("B"):80BHP("D").
Many people probably wouldn't really notice such a difference, though.
Perhaps the weight has something to do with it (1370Kg"B", 1575Kg"D"), although the comparative power-to-weight ratios would suggest not.
Is there an extra-strong spring on the accellerator pedal of the Corsa "D"?.
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>>>That's interesting - the "B" has 74BHP, and the "D" has 85PS (about 84 BHP), according to HJ's figures (Autotrader's are less generous at 65BHP("B"):80BHP("D").
I'm wondering if that the main reason is that the newer car is fitted with a 3 cylinder Ecotec engine and that to get the emissions down there has been a sacrifice somewhere, like grunt.
Must admit, getting out of a side road in one piece was a challenge, especially with the 2nd gear flat spot.
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