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Back in 2004, while on the lookout for a car for my wife, we decided that a mid-sized car is what we would prefer. I already had my Matiz which I was not getting rid in a hurry, and a new car in the family had to be a bigger car capable of comfortable and safe long drives, having decent boot space and generally a good car to drive in the city and outside
The cars we compared were:
Ford Ikon
Hyndai Accent
New Honda City
Tata Indigo
Fiat Palio & Weekend
Opel Corsa
Price was one of the foremost factors in our decision making, which meant we had to leave out the Honda City from our choices. We did not like the drive in an Ikon, the Indigo was put put together well. We loved the Fiat Palio Weekend estate. It had lots of space, had a very efficient 1.9L deisel engine and good off-roading capabilities as well, what with its big ground clearance and large 16" tyres. But Fiat was almost dying, not only in India but in Italy as well. This was before Grande Punto happened to them. So we decided against buying another car which would be phased out soon (the Matiz was already phased out by then).
It was then that we went to Sundaram Motors in Bangalore and test drove the Corsa. It was way different from what I was used to in the Matiz. This car was much heavier at about 1270kg and considerably bigger.But what impressed me the most was the ride quality. The legendary German quality was to visible in ample measure everywhere in the car. Everything from the door to the steering wheel to the gear stick had excellent feel and sturdiness. The suspension would probably take the cake. It did very well in the bad patches of roads that are found in abundance in Bangalore.
Our decision was pretty much made after the Corsa test ride. I did not even think of Hyundai Accent Petrol as I was not very impressed by either its looks or what I had read about its performance.
Over the last 4 years, we have driven it many times to cities like Mangalore, Pondicherry, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Goa, etc. The feeling of safety is immense when you know that you are sitting inside a steel cage which is designed to withstand formidable amounts of energy transferred to its frame should an accident happen. I find the Corsa quite interesting to drive. The steering wheel is simply superb. It gives me the right amount of feedback and at high speeds (150kmph is the fastest I have gone) it is very reassuring to hold on to. So are the brakes. Once on a Sunday night, while we were driving back from Mangalore, I was overtaking a trailer truck and suddenly there was this car right in front, coming in the opposite direction. By relex, I jammed on the brakes and I was bracing myself for the tyres to skid and lose control. But the car came to a perfect straight line halt within seconds, with tyres shrieking and the smell of burnt rubber lingering on as testimony to how well the brakes worked at that moment of emergency.
My confidence in the Corsa rose many notches after that eventful, but fortunate evening. From then on, I could rest assured when my wife drives it daily to office. She is quite a car enthusiast and a lover of speed and thrills. For drivers like her, Corsa is the next best car to be in, this side of a Volvo S80.
On the negatives, mileage is quite low, i get close to 9kpl on the stop-and-go traffic in Bangalore city. However, on a recent drive to Hogenekkal Falls, 180km south of Bangalore, I got a mileage of close to 16kpl.
After Opel was phased out by GM, the resale value has sufferred. Maintenance is also quite expensive. I have had to take it to the service centre on many occassions. Once the distributor in the ignition system conked off. Then there was a leak in the cooling system and the engine would get overheated. Recently, the gear bush got worn off and the 5th and reverse gears would not engage.
I found out a store in JC road, Bangalore called General Motors which sells spare parts of Corsa. Now, instead of letting the service station buy spares, I buy the spares and get it changed when I need it. That saves quite a bit of cost.
Given the choices of mid-sized car I had in 2004, in hind-sight I would definitely say that I made the right choice by going in for the Corsa. Today the customer is spoilt for choice in this segment, but I would still stick with my Corsa for at least a couple of years more before I start scouting around for a new car.
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