58 reg Corsa Design 1.3 diesel mini-review

Comedy 80s-style turbo lag followed by very brief but significant shove. Random six-speed gear box with very overdriven 6th. Weird damped off-throttle behaviour makes normal lift-off oversteer impossible (take foot off pedal, car carries on at the same speed for a while before gradually slowing down). Over 200 miles cost 20 quid in diesel, even though driven in the time-honoured hire car fashion. Grips well, steering nice and direct, supportive seats. No sensation of speed means you find yourself doing 85+ on B-roads. Well screwed together, except the very dodgy glove box cover.

Overall, very surprised it's a Corsa, a massive leap forwards. Then again it could be utter s**te and still be a massive leap forwards from Corsas of old.

Reply to
fishman
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In similar fashion to Grp B rally cars, endless and irritating shifting to keep it between 3 and 5000rpm and they zip along nicely. Drive it derv-like and there will be queue behind you whilst you wait 2 -3 days for boost to arrive.

6th is pointless under loose-you-licence speeds.

tim.

Reply to
Tim..

Pointless? What's the ratio?

A comedy marketing trick I'm sure, but useless, not for cruising... surely?

Reply to
DervMan

not-much:1

(something like 37mph/ 1000rpm)

Reply to
Tim..

I've seen lower. But probably not on things powered by a 1.3 litre diesel sewing machine. My A6 TDI (Mk1, 5-pot) did 100 at 3000rpm on some, er, private test track somewhere. [1]

And there's probably plenty of V8 somethingorothers that with higher gearing.

Reply to
AstraVanMann

Aw it isn't *too* bad. I mean, 50 mph / 1,000 rpm would be a struggle, but if one is prepared to hold up traffic* then you would be able to use it at HGV pace, providing you don't encounter an up gradient of course...

*At 1,500 rpm it won't exactly pull hard and this will feel even worse given the Italian nature of the power delivery... but it'll lug along and probably see great fuel consumption.
Reply to
DervMan

Lexus IS-F = something like 100mph in 8th gear was 1800rpm I seem to remember reading...

Tim.

Reply to
Tim..

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