I have an Opel Corsa for over two years now and except for the low milage (8-9 in the city with ac, 11-12 on the highway with ac), I am extremely satisfied with the car. Though there are hardly any bells and whistles like a Japanese or Korean car, the car performs exceptionally well on the basic parameters such as road grip, handling, safety (the thick sheet metal body is unperturbed by small bumps) etc.
It’s very comfortable to drive in the city and on the highway it easily beats other cars in the same price category. On the Mumbai - Pune expressway, I found the car to be more stable at 140 kmph. than a Honda or Cielo.
The soundproofing is simply excellent and it makes a big difference over long journeys or if you are a music buff like me.
Probably to appreciate this car, one must understand the basic difference in philosophy between American, European and Japanese/Korean cars.
European cars have a basic look, less of fancy fittings but are built to last long, perform well and for safety. This is evident from the fact that even the servicing frequency for this car as prescribed by the manufacturer is once every year or 7500 k.m., whichever is earlier.
Over the last two years, I have not spent a single rupee on maintenance or repairs apart from the usual servicing, oil change and filters change etc. If I compare it to the Santro I drove over the same distance/period, this is a much more sturdy car.