performance car for a teenager #2
Discussion
Hello there,
a couple of weeks ago i started a topic on what 'fast' cars could a teenager afford, got loads of responses and help so facts alot for that!
I reached my decision and im going for a vauxhall corsa 1.8 sri... or sxi+.
My question is whats the difference? sri 1.8 or sxi+ 1.8?
Thanks in advance.
a couple of weeks ago i started a topic on what 'fast' cars could a teenager afford, got loads of responses and help so facts alot for that!
I reached my decision and im going for a vauxhall corsa 1.8 sri... or sxi+.
My question is whats the difference? sri 1.8 or sxi+ 1.8?
Thanks in advance.
Well, it used to be faster. In 2007, the performance gap that had been so carefully maintained all but disappeared when the £11000 SRI received a 1.8-liter multlipoint engine with 386 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque—nine percent less power than that produced by the 1.8-liter SXI with 325 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque residing aft of the front axle in the SRI. Uh-oh. During Track testing, the SXI's 300-pound weight advantage kept it right on the heels of the SRI from a stoplight, with a 0-to-60 sprint of 8 seconds flat.
deltashad said:
Well, it used to be faster. In 2007, the performance gap that had been so carefully maintained all but disappeared when the £11000 SRI received a 1.8-liter multlipoint engine with 386 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque—nine percent less power than that produced by the 1.8-liter SXI with 325 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque residing aft of the front axle in the SRI. Uh-oh. During Track testing, the SXI's 300-pound weight advantage kept it right on the heels of the SRI from a stoplight, with a 0-to-60 sprint of 8 seconds flat.
Have I missed soemthing here.... 1.8 litre engine with 386 horsepower for the sri? 
Kwistof said:
deltashad said:
Well, it used to be faster. In 2007, the performance gap that had been so carefully maintained all but disappeared when the £11000 SRI received a 1.8-liter multlipoint engine with 386 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque—nine percent less power than that produced by the 1.8-liter SXI with 325 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque residing aft of the front axle in the SRI. Uh-oh. During Track testing, the SXI's 300-pound weight advantage kept it right on the heels of the SRI from a stoplight, with a 0-to-60 sprint of 8 seconds flat.
Have I missed soemthing here.... 1.8 litre engine with 386 hoursepower for the sri? I think some people need to realise that not everyone drives a super car on Pistonheads and also the fact if you bothered to read the previous thread, he is a teenager like my self and he wanted something that wouldn't be too bad on insurance but fun to drive.
I've got the 1.8 sri (2004) reg and it's great fun for a 19 year old. It's a great little car for what it is and is certainly no slouch. I'm not looking at it through a rose tinted pair of glasses either, my dad has a few fairly quick cars (sub 5 seconds to 60) but for me the Corsa is just was I wanted, and wasn't crippling on insurance!
The difference between the SXI+ and the SRI is that the SRI was made up until late 2005, then Hagus, the mirror manufacturers stopped producing so Vauxhall were left with a whole load of 1.8 engines. The SXI+ came in 2006 and was essentially an SXI trim apart from factory tinted rear windows and half leather seats.
There is no difference between the engines apart from the SXI+ is a tax bracket lower. The tax on my sri is £210 for the year which is ridiculous considering my dad pays £260 on his F430!
These are the SXI+ seats which I had in my 1.2:
I've got the 1.8 sri (2004) reg and it's great fun for a 19 year old. It's a great little car for what it is and is certainly no slouch. I'm not looking at it through a rose tinted pair of glasses either, my dad has a few fairly quick cars (sub 5 seconds to 60) but for me the Corsa is just was I wanted, and wasn't crippling on insurance!
The difference between the SXI+ and the SRI is that the SRI was made up until late 2005, then Hagus, the mirror manufacturers stopped producing so Vauxhall were left with a whole load of 1.8 engines. The SXI+ came in 2006 and was essentially an SXI trim apart from factory tinted rear windows and half leather seats.
There is no difference between the engines apart from the SXI+ is a tax bracket lower. The tax on my sri is £210 for the year which is ridiculous considering my dad pays £260 on his F430!
These are the SXI+ seats which I had in my 1.2:
I (welll, the wife) had a 2007 Corsa when it was new. A couple of things I noted (which may have been improved in the current facelifted model):
1. "Sports" seats gave me lower backache after an hour or so. Never had that in any other car.
2. Brakes were horrendously noisy at low speed.
3. Gearshift was stiff and notchy.
4. Oversprung and underdamped. Ride was not brilliant.
5. There was a deadspot in the straight ahead steering. You had to constantly nudge the wheel left and right to stay straight on the motorway. Very tiring.
6. The boot is tiny.
7. If you had aircon then the glovebox was tiny (as in non-existant).
8. Huge blindspot on the a pillars (but then, what car doesn't these days).
It was reliable though, only failed to start once. When I was going to a wedding. I almost went Basil Fawlty on it.
If it is what you want then go for it, but just take heed of my experience above. Would actually be good to hear some feedback on the 2012 models. Do they still have the same flaws?
1. "Sports" seats gave me lower backache after an hour or so. Never had that in any other car.
2. Brakes were horrendously noisy at low speed.
3. Gearshift was stiff and notchy.
4. Oversprung and underdamped. Ride was not brilliant.
5. There was a deadspot in the straight ahead steering. You had to constantly nudge the wheel left and right to stay straight on the motorway. Very tiring.
6. The boot is tiny.
7. If you had aircon then the glovebox was tiny (as in non-existant).
8. Huge blindspot on the a pillars (but then, what car doesn't these days).
It was reliable though, only failed to start once. When I was going to a wedding. I almost went Basil Fawlty on it.
If it is what you want then go for it, but just take heed of my experience above. Would actually be good to hear some feedback on the 2012 models. Do they still have the same flaws?
Howard- said:
grumbledoak said:
How much do you hate your child?
Enough to want him to have a Corsa, clearly. 
Honestly, the only redeeming feature I can think of with these cars is that they're a relatively big/powerful engine in a small car without being a deliberate sport model, therefore not so ruinous to insure as they could be.
But they're not an involving drive, they're not pretty/don't have a good image, and the quality is generally quite poor. They're not as cheap as they should be. For some reason they're also not at all comfortable to ride in, you'd think that would have been top priority.
I honestly would (did) go more middle-ground for the first couple of years, because I saw no point in going mental for my first two years' driving and costing myself thousands for something that wasn't actually that great, when instead I could drive something reasonably good for a while and then get a proper car. Not what a teenager would think of as a proper car "because it's a 1.8!!", but an actual proper car.
I'm not saying you should get something slow, just find a middle ground, which I have to say for insurance reasons is unlikely to be a hatch. Just my 2p from my recent experience.
grumbledoak said:
How much do you hate your child? He is only going to kill himself. 'Most popular twit in the cemetary' isn't an accolade I'd want for mine.
I am the child! I'm not saying I'm the best driver out there as I know i have many many many years of experience to catch up on- im not ignorant. But most of the problem is gaining experience of how other d*** heads come out infront of you, or dont notice a red light as quickly as you do, promtly getting a shunt up the arse! I personnally watched and old man waiting at a junction to a busy ring road yesterday, as an impatient driver went swooping round the side of him to use his momentum and speed to make it in a smaller gap. This driver took the old mans bumper off with the back of his audi, and just saying, but he was about 50 i'd say. (at least in his 40's). Typical "teenage" behaviour wouldnt you agree, however I bet he doesnt pay 3000 for his insurance, even after he has claims against him!
Im a sensible driver, i just like to have the potential on tap, i dont like having to rev the life out of a car to keep up with the flow of traffic. I have been driving a few years now and im pretty sure I can handle a corsa 1.8.
Its people like you that are wrong with this world! Gotta put somebody down! whether your racist, sexist, or ageist, it is a truely unequal society no matter how hard you try!
SSBB said:
I (welll, the wife) had a 2007 Corsa when it was new. A couple of things I noted (which may have been improved in the current facelifted model):
1. "Sports" seats gave me lower backache after an hour or so. Never had that in any other car.
2. Brakes were horrendously noisy at low speed.
3. Gearshift was stiff and notchy.
4. Oversprung and underdamped. Ride was not brilliant.
5. There was a deadspot in the straight ahead steering. You had to constantly nudge the wheel left and right to stay straight on the motorway. Very tiring.
6. The boot is tiny.
7. If you had aircon then the glovebox was tiny (as in non-existant).
8. Huge blindspot on the a pillars (but then, what car doesn't these days).
It was reliable though, only failed to start once. When I was going to a wedding. I almost went Basil Fawlty on it.
If it is what you want then go for it, but just take heed of my experience above. Would actually be good to hear some feedback on the 2012 models. Do they still have the same flaws?
If he is looking for a 1.8 it will be 2000 to 2006, I've had two Corsas now and I think the only thing that is similar between the model your wife had and the ones I've had is the blindspot, it's huge! But I've been in friends cars and they all seem to suffer from the same huge pillars.1. "Sports" seats gave me lower backache after an hour or so. Never had that in any other car.
2. Brakes were horrendously noisy at low speed.
3. Gearshift was stiff and notchy.
4. Oversprung and underdamped. Ride was not brilliant.
5. There was a deadspot in the straight ahead steering. You had to constantly nudge the wheel left and right to stay straight on the motorway. Very tiring.
6. The boot is tiny.
7. If you had aircon then the glovebox was tiny (as in non-existant).
8. Huge blindspot on the a pillars (but then, what car doesn't these days).
It was reliable though, only failed to start once. When I was going to a wedding. I almost went Basil Fawlty on it.
If it is what you want then go for it, but just take heed of my experience above. Would actually be good to hear some feedback on the 2012 models. Do they still have the same flaws?
Benjy911 said:
I think some people need to realise that not everyone drives a super car on Pistonheads and also the fact if you bothered to read the previous thread, he is a teenager like my self and he wanted something that wouldn't be too bad on insurance but fun to drive.
I've got the 1.8 sri (2004) reg and it's great fun for a 19 year old. It's a great little car for what it is and is certainly no slouch. I'm not looking at it through a rose tinted pair of glasses either, my dad has a few fairly quick cars (sub 5 seconds to 60) but for me the Corsa is just was I wanted, and wasn't crippling on insurance!
The difference between the SXI+ and the SRI is that the SRI was made up until late 2005, then Hagus, the mirror manufacturers stopped producing so Vauxhall were left with a whole load of 1.8 engines. The SXI+ came in 2006 and was essentially an SXI trim apart from factory tinted rear windows and half leather seats.
There is no difference between the engines apart from the SXI+ is a tax bracket lower. The tax on my sri is £210 for the year which is ridiculous considering my dad pays £260 on his F430!
These are the SXI+ seats which I had in my 1.2:
Thankyou, its nice to have some backup against the ageist driving community! they all started where we are, they were just lucky enough to be around before insurance companies scammed anyone younger than 25. I've got the 1.8 sri (2004) reg and it's great fun for a 19 year old. It's a great little car for what it is and is certainly no slouch. I'm not looking at it through a rose tinted pair of glasses either, my dad has a few fairly quick cars (sub 5 seconds to 60) but for me the Corsa is just was I wanted, and wasn't crippling on insurance!
The difference between the SXI+ and the SRI is that the SRI was made up until late 2005, then Hagus, the mirror manufacturers stopped producing so Vauxhall were left with a whole load of 1.8 engines. The SXI+ came in 2006 and was essentially an SXI trim apart from factory tinted rear windows and half leather seats.
There is no difference between the engines apart from the SXI+ is a tax bracket lower. The tax on my sri is £210 for the year which is ridiculous considering my dad pays £260 on his F430!
These are the SXI+ seats which I had in my 1.2:
Benjy911 said:
If he is looking for a 1.8 it will be 2000 to 2006, I've had two Corsas now and I think the only thing that is similar between the model your wife had and the ones I've had is the blindspot, it's huge! But I've been in friends cars and they all seem to suffer from the same huge pillars.
They must be doing something right as they sell loads. My mate's wife has one and likes it, but I never enjoyed ours, and felt it was overpriced for the quality. Might be up the OPs street though. Listen, I don't have any problem at all with you wanting a decent car at your age! I'm 20, I've driven a V6 Audi for two years, and now I'm going to buy an E46 328i instead! I did all this with the perfect stereotype of a twelve-grand fault claim against me. I am the one always championing the younger PistonHead against the insurance problems because, well, I am one 
But I was just making the point that sometimes, getting the absolute most you can afford right now isn't as good as settling for less for now, then being far better off in a year or two.
But I was just making the point that sometimes, getting the absolute most you can afford right now isn't as good as settling for less for now, then being far better off in a year or two.
SSBB said:
They must be doing something right as they sell loads. My mate's wife has one and likes it, but I never enjoyed ours, and felt it was overpriced for the quality. Might be up the OPs street though.
I have heard alot of bad things with the 07 onwards corsa's, brilliant mechanically but tragic electronically. But i dont know though i dont know anyone who had one.like benjy said though, these issues where not in the corsa c's, that i know of anyway. I think it is due to great success of the corsa c's that the corsa d's are doing so well.
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