My Corsa - Initial impressions

harishsegar · 13th December 2005, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbo_lover

nice review bala,

the fifth gear will ease up and slot in like the lower gears ..
about the k&n ..dont go for the performance one ,get a factory replacement filter for FE purposes ..

i have been very satisfied with the Corsa 1.4 gsi average..it has regularly returned me 10-12 in city with a/c..worst i have ever got 8kmpl..keep the revs low make all the shifts at or approaching 2000rpm ...

on highways it returned 14-15 kmpl...
i also dont put the 4th gear to much use ..i hardly use it , 1,2,3 thn 5th for me..5th pulls the car easily from 45km/h..

cheers

There you go.. thats the way to drive a Corsa.

Veelubai · 13th December 2005, 22:12

Corsas ride indeed feels like a magic carpet
From my experiences I feel the car is adequately powerful

turbo_lover · 14th December 2005, 08:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veelubai

From my experiences I feel the car is adequately powerful

yeap ! i am not crazy anymore but still young i feel the need for speed every once in a while ....

dont let the revs fall below 3200 it will never disappoint you ,it really has a decent amount of power at that range... the car can give you a wheelspin in 3rd too

... and its probably one of the few cars which can hit its top speed and still feel sure footed ...

i have put around 26 000kms on it ,it still feels brand new ..only maintainence cost would be the routine service and, a/c service or gas top up and wiper blades once a year..it really isnt high on maintainence..

cheers

balashome · 14th December 2005, 19:03

Excuse the repetition, but i was wondering if somebody had seen this question of mine:

"Also, i need some more pointers on installing K&N filters. I am an absolute novice at car modding. It would be fabulous if somebody could explain the pros and cons of installing a K&N filter for the Corsa in particular. Searching the threads, the general impression i got is that installing a K&N filter will lift the performance so that you feel a 5 to 6 BHP increase and that your exhaust quality is also improved. Some posts also indicated an improvement to FE. Would somebody please throw some light on these aspects related to the K&N filters - again with specific focus on the Corsa, if possible?

If i am supposed to go to a specific K&N dealer, would the modification interfere in any way with my warranty on the car with MPL (the GM dealership)?"

Any information on this topic will be greatly appreciated.

sjcherian · 14th December 2005, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by balashome

I was able to do only a 100 kmph on the ECR Road on my way back into Chennai. Funnily i was able to zip past Ikons and Accents easily (the Ikons were 1.6 models).

Congrats on the new car. I almost got the Corsa 1.4 but fell for the Ikon. Which part of ECR were you on and when ? I drive down ECR for a bit daily and then get on to OMR though I doubt you could have overtaken me :-). No no I dont drive all that crazily fast just that I would remember cars flying by me if any.

F50 · 14th December 2005, 20:03

Im currently driving Corsa 1.6 for few days and surely the car is good.
I drove something like 150 kms in 2 days but never felt tired even for a second. The only thing is its a LPG Corsa, when ever im stuck in traffic I hit the gas button and when clear switch to petrol and time to hit the pedal to metal and it never disappointed me.

Mpower · 14th December 2005, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by balashome

"Also, i need some more pointers on installing K&N filters. I am an absolute novice at car modding. It would be fabulous if somebody could explain the pros and cons of installing a K&N filter for the Corsa in particular. .

K&N filter frees up the intake and gives you a nice intake growl. As far as power increase.....it depends on how restrictive the stock filter was in teh first place. In most cases it marginal and not worth it unless you are a boy racer type. For a gentleman's car like the Corsa, I would just leave it stock.

gkrishn · 14th December 2005, 20:22

Hee... bala, after your review, corsa is getting some decent feedbacks in this forum.

Regarding the car...

Get the extended warranty if you have not done that yet.

As per GM's reco, use 87 Octane + System G.

Do take her thru ECR upto pondicherry on a given sunday morning. You will start apprecitaing her more. The car is best behaved on high way...

As mentioned the footwell is really cramped. Even with a slightly bigger shoes, the problem nasty. Infact on highways i restort to bare foot drving to get rid of this problem. Wearing bigger shoes, i end up under revving (with my shoe scrapping that bulge of the front fender). Also on long drives i missing a foot rest on the clutch side. Is there any after accessory for this??

For ergonomics, you might find the driver seat to be really supportive and comfy on long drives. Same cant be said about the rear bench.

I had similar problem with very tight gear shifts early on. It will ease out with time. So no problem there really.

And I am not sure about the K&N filter. May be try the OE replacement as TL suggested and let us know your feedback.

After 1 and half years, I am thinking of a good leather make over for the car. Let us see when i can get it done.

aseem · 14th December 2005, 21:40

Its great to have the highlights of Corsa being brought out in this thread. But why would anyone wanna buy Corsa now ? since we know its going to replaced in the very near future???

balashome · 14th December 2005, 21:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjcherian

Which part of ECR were you on and when ?

I drove down the ECR on Sunday - at around 5 pm - right past Mayajaal. I actually was headed down to Mayajaal, but just wanted to experience some unhindered driving, so wandered down the road a tad more before turning back into Mayajaal. It was about 8 pm when i drove back into the city.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

K&N filter frees up the intake and gives you a nice intake growl. As far as power increase.....it depends on how restrictive the stock filter was in teh first place. In most cases it marginal and not worth it unless you are a boy racer type. For a gentleman's car like the Corsa, I would just leave it stock.

hmm.. that is interesting. None of the threads in this forum talk about the K&N filters in quite the same sense. This makes me rethink about the filters.

And i think somebody asked about the estate car that i was looking for originally. Well, i liked what i saw in the Corsa for this price (5 lakhs on road with keyless entry and mp3 player) and bought it. But like i mentioned in another thread, i was not impressed with the internal quality in the Indigo Marina (switches, controls, knobs.. the works).

abhibh · 14th December 2005, 23:03

Hi Bala,

Nice review there. I totaly disagree with "Islero" about the pickup of corsa.. Its 88 PS @ 6000 rpm with 1.4L engine.. The pickup of the car is gr8 or should i say awesome.. Compare it with 1.3 Flair, Esteem, even 1.4 Indigo Petrol.. This baby looks femalish but dont go on looks.. There is a beast inside it..

Regarding the average it gives around 12 - 14 in city all the time and 17 on highway (with AC).. Also AC does not have much of the effect on average. I have been driving this car for like 2 months now and i must say i was wrong about it before i had it...

Its my friend car and he has given it to me till i get my fiesta...

balashome · 15th December 2005, 03:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by aseem

Its great to have the highlights of Corsa being brought out in this thread. But why would anyone wanna buy Corsa now ? since we know its going to replaced in the very near future???

Very pertinent point, but i believe i had explained the reasons before. I found this car - even if aging - suiting my needs and my pocket. This thread isnt intended to market the car of course...

RX135 · 15th December 2005, 18:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhibh

Its my friend car and he has given it to me till i get my fiesta...

Very generous friend, I guess!

abhibh · 15th December 2005, 21:34

LOL,

We are friends before we were born.. We have famiy relationships since my Grandfather..

26th December 2005, 01:32

Hi,

I am also a Corsa owner. I had same feeling when i got my new corsa. I would like to give ou few tips. First try not to bump in someone. This car is too solid and it will damage anything that comes in its way and would also get damaged but pessengers will be safe.

Luckily that you have 2 dealers to get service from which is a very big plus point for you. As our Chandigarh dealer is the only one so he has the thoughts of the "I am the only Open Service provider in town do whatever you like" so maybe due to that i am a bit annoyed.

OK back to tips. Try to drive in 40-60 for good milegae. You will not be getting more than 14 kmpl i assume. Coz i get 12 when i drive rash and 14 wheni drive smooth. Rest yes , the build qualit of the car is the best in its class.

Rest as i said drive this baby smoothly and it will keep on giing yu confort for years just like new. Don't try to rash..as this will only lead to more vibrations in the car. I am in 3rd year of corsa its still smooth and quite but too much things now vibrate in car due to 3 major accidents i had and thanks to my stupid dealer also.

There's no doubt that this car can beat Ford, Esteem and Accent anytime, anywhere, anyhow. It keeps on becoming stable as you increase speed on highways. If you're tyres are in good shape and you have to take your corsa down from highway to the kacchi sadak (dunno what to call the space with mitti on road sides) then don't worry and just do it...esteem vaghera to bacchi hai ;-) There are no stability issues about this car its as simple as that.

The heavyness of the car is a advantage and disadvantage too. Advanatge is the car gets into momentum very quickl and then you can cruise like you'e flying. Disadvantage the tyres get ganje very quickly but mine are still doing (36000 kms) haha. I will get tubeless this time.

This car is best in its segment. GM has lowered the price also and its quite affordable now. Esteem is nothing. Ford is better than esteem but not better than Corsa in anything. And about Accent its quite oka in looks etc. But then in build quality again it cannot compete with Corsa at all.

Also to all other posters in this thread, this car is has very low service cost only Rs. 2500 per year or 10k kms that isn't too much i think. Rs. 1500 is charged by dealer to perform a full service as said in manual and then you can shell out Rs. 1000 extra for stuff like AC cleaning, Wheel Alignment/Balancing and stuff like that which is not required everytime but i am counting them in anyways. So i don't think that Rs. 2500 is bad in a year at all.

Thanks.

13th December 2005, 22:12	#17
Veelubai BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: B'lore/Trichur Posts: 319 Thanked: 87 Times	Corsas ride indeed feels like a magic carpet From my experiences I feel the car is adequately powerful Last edited by Veelubai : 13th December 2005 at 22:15.
	() Thanks

14th December 2005, 19:03	#19
balashome BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chennai Posts: 46 Thanked: 2 Times	K & N Filter for a Corsa 1.4 Excuse the repetition, but i was wondering if somebody had seen this question of mine: "Also, i need some more pointers on installing K&N filters. I am an absolute novice at car modding. It would be fabulous if somebody could explain the pros and cons of installing a K&N filter for the Corsa in particular. Searching the threads, the general impression i got is that installing a K&N filter will lift the performance so that you feel a 5 to 6 BHP increase and that your exhaust quality is also improved. Some posts also indicated an improvement to FE. Would somebody please throw some light on these aspects related to the K&N filters - again with specific focus on the Corsa, if possible? If i am supposed to go to a specific K&N dealer, would the modification interfere in any way with my warranty on the car with MPL (the GM dealership)?" Any information on this topic will be greatly appreciated.
	() Thanks

14th December 2005, 20:03	#21
F50 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai/USA Posts: 1,704 Thanked: 103 Times	Im currently driving Corsa 1.6 for few days and surely the car is good. I drove something like 150 kms in 2 days but never felt tired even for a second. The only thing is its a LPG Corsa, when ever im stuck in traffic I hit the gas button and when clear switch to petrol and time to hit the pedal to metal and it never disappointed me.
	() Thanks

14th December 2005, 20:22	#23
gkrishn BHPian Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 650 Thanked: 149 Times View My Garage	Hee... bala, after your review, corsa is getting some decent feedbacks in this forum. Regarding the car... Get the extended warranty if you have not done that yet. As per GM's reco, use 87 Octane + System G. Do take her thru ECR upto pondicherry on a given sunday morning. You will start apprecitaing her more. The car is best behaved on high way... As mentioned the footwell is really cramped. Even with a slightly bigger shoes, the problem nasty. Infact on highways i restort to bare foot drving to get rid of this problem. Wearing bigger shoes, i end up under revving (with my shoe scrapping that bulge of the front fender). Also on long drives i missing a foot rest on the clutch side. Is there any after accessory for this?? For ergonomics, you might find the driver seat to be really supportive and comfy on long drives. Same cant be said about the rear bench. I had similar problem with very tight gear shifts early on. It will ease out with time. So no problem there really. And I am not sure about the K&N filter. May be try the OE replacement as TL suggested and let us know your feedback. After 1 and half years, I am thinking of a good leather make over for the car. Let us see when i can get it done.
	() Thanks

14th December 2005, 21:40	#24
aseem Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,730 Thanked: 443 Times	Its great to have the highlights of Corsa being brought out in this thread. But why would anyone wanna buy Corsa now ? since we know its going to replaced in the very near future???
	() Thanks

14th December 2005, 23:03	#26
abhibh Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Back in the HOOD near you! Posts: 2,768 Thanked: 39 Times	Hi Bala, Nice review there. I totaly disagree with "Islero" about the pickup of corsa.. Its 88 PS @ 6000 rpm with 1.4L engine.. The pickup of the car is gr8 or should i say awesome.. Compare it with 1.3 Flair, Esteem, even 1.4 Indigo Petrol.. This baby looks femalish but dont go on looks.. There is a beast inside it.. Regarding the average it gives around 12 - 14 in city all the time and 17 on highway (with AC).. Also AC does not have much of the effect on average. I have been driving this car for like 2 months now and i must say i was wrong about it before i had it... Its my friend car and he has given it to me till i get my fiesta... Last edited by abhibh : 14th December 2005 at 23:08.
	() Thanks

15th December 2005, 21:34	#29
abhibh Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Back in the HOOD near you! Posts: 2,768 Thanked: 39 Times	LOL, We are friends before we were born.. We have famiy relationships since my Grandfather..
	() Thanks

26th December 2005, 01:32	#30
Tapan Posts: n/a	Hi, I am also a Corsa owner. I had same feeling when i got my new corsa. I would like to give ou few tips. First try not to bump in someone. This car is too solid and it will damage anything that comes in its way and would also get damaged but pessengers will be safe. Luckily that you have 2 dealers to get service from which is a very big plus point for you. As our Chandigarh dealer is the only one so he has the thoughts of the "I am the only Open Service provider in town do whatever you like" so maybe due to that i am a bit annoyed. OK back to tips. Try to drive in 40-60 for good milegae. You will not be getting more than 14 kmpl i assume. Coz i get 12 when i drive rash and 14 wheni drive smooth. Rest yes , the build qualit of the car is the best in its class. Rest as i said drive this baby smoothly and it will keep on giing yu confort for years just like new. Don't try to rash..as this will only lead to more vibrations in the car. I am in 3rd year of corsa its still smooth and quite but too much things now vibrate in car due to 3 major accidents i had and thanks to my stupid dealer also. There's no doubt that this car can beat Ford, Esteem and Accent anytime, anywhere, anyhow. It keeps on becoming stable as you increase speed on highways. If you're tyres are in good shape and you have to take your corsa down from highway to the kacchi sadak (dunno what to call the space with mitti on road sides) then don't worry and just do it...esteem vaghera to bacchi hai ;-) There are no stability issues about this car its as simple as that. The heavyness of the car is a advantage and disadvantage too. Advanatge is the car gets into momentum very quickl and then you can cruise like you'e flying. Disadvantage the tyres get ganje very quickly but mine are still doing (36000 kms) haha. I will get tubeless this time. This car is best in its segment. GM has lowered the price also and its quite affordable now. Esteem is nothing. Ford is better than esteem but not better than Corsa in anything. And about Accent its quite oka in looks etc. But then in build quality again it cannot compete with Corsa at all. Also to all other posters in this thread, this car is has very low service cost only Rs. 2500 per year or 10k kms that isn't too much i think. Rs. 1500 is charged by dealer to perform a full service as said in manual and then you can shell out Rs. 1000 extra for stuff like AC cleaning, Wheel Alignment/Balancing and stuff like that which is not required everytime but i am counting them in anyways. So i don't think that Rs. 2500 is bad in a year at all. Thanks.
	() Thanks