This car is a second hand car buyers option!. Review on Opel Corsa Sail 1.4

Hi friends this review mainly focusses on Corsa Sail 1.4.I had this car for one year and was quite disappointed due to company not the car actually! The Sail, launched in May 2003, is the hatchback body style in the Corsa family.The 1.4 is good value, and the 1.6 is only hot hatch in India, now that the Palio 1.6 is dead. The Opel brand has a solid fan following, and the Corsa Sail lives upto most of the marque's virtues.

before considering Corsa in 2003, I also tested Palio,Indica and wagon R.Palio was rejected due to FIAT,Indica for noise it made and Wagon R just because of 15 days waiting.Then I made up my mind and got myself a Corsa Sail.Initially it turned heads as it was unique from behind.Seriously the Sail looks preety from back.Cute but undistinguished looks combined with rock-solid build.The rounded styling of the Sail is starting to date now, but the bug-eyed lights and a stretched cut-out in the chin give it a bit of character. It's very well proportioned car.

However, the build quality is indisputable, and the paint quality and the slim panel gaps are unmatched in the segment.Still, it has a tough suspension and anti-roll bars at both ends, with decent safety measures and an expensive feel to it.

Interior is well built but space is only average.The Corsa Sail has decent interior space, with comfortable front seats and a robust feel, but rear seats are cramped. The plastics and ergonom-ics are below-par, and the cramped driver's footwell can be most uncomfortable. Luggage space is decent, and the split seats give it some versatility, but the interior doesn't really have the sparkle of a prestige car. Plastic quality is good,some bits, like the steering wheel, feel superb, but other bits, like the power window switches, feel seriously downmarket.There are new dials, which look quite classy, and thereare regular special editions, each of which offers an interesting new looi. to the cabin. The Elite, for example, adds a beige-coloured interior and plenty of wood garnish, which lifts the sombre cabin considerably.Equipment is not bad, but at this level, ABS and airbags should have been options at least.

The Corsa has two engine options, a 1.4 and a 1.6, both petrols. The 88bb: 1.4 is quite swift, but never feels with sluggish responses, a harsh engine note at the red line and a notchy gearshift; short gearing means it should be good in the city but it actually feels best while cruising at three-digit speeds. Fuel economy, at 9.0 and 13.8kpl, is average. The gearshift is precise but nowher; as good as that in Japanese cars.

Things get better in the 1.6, it is quite fast and refined, although again, it doesn't have the urgency needed to make it a true hot hatch.th 92bhp and 12.2kgm, it is quick.

The steering could have been better though, as it is rather lifeless, and quite heavy at urban speeds. This is not the most nimble car in the city.the visibility is good, but the heavy steering, fairly large size and wide turning circle make it cumbersome. However, the heavy steering and weight mean that the Sail is exceptionally stable at high speeds.

The brakes are good but somewhat grabby, the pedals rather wooden, none of which make this a very involving car to drive.it is good value, but running and maintenance are costly.

GM's dealer and service network is not huge but it is getting larger, and service quality is fairly high. The problem is with spares and servicing costs, which are generally pretty steep, but given the Sail's prestige status and the promise of great durability, that should not be too much of an issue with prospective owners.

Resale value is not great—who wants a second-hand prestige hatch?

Note: That was 2003..its 2006 now, go get a Swift for yourself and pamper your family!