Today, the Opel Corsa is a sister model of the Peugeot 208, but 30 years ago, Opel and Peugeot were of course still diametrically opposed. Opel back then also with the Corsa, Peugeot with the 205. At the time, we figured out which of the two was the best choice if you were in the market for a spry diesel.
Thirty years ago, the Opel Corsa A and Peugeot 205 were already quite old. The Corsa appeared in 1982, the 205 a year later. In 1991 they seemed to be in their late days, although it later turned out that the stretch for the 205 was far from gone. Although they were no longer the youngest, they were still very relevant and with the advent of ‘sporty’ diesels for both cars, there was good reason to put the two against each other again. The Corsa 1.5 TD and 205 D Turbo were aimed at people who made a lot of kilometers, who prefer to get from A to B quickly, but at the same time did not want to dig into their pockets too deeply. Very interesting cars for commuters or representatives, if it didn’t have to be that big and luxurious.
The first thing we noticed with the Corsa and 205 side-by-side was that the look of the 205 still came out fresh, despite the more subtle facelift than that of the Corsa. There was only one year difference between the two, something that the editor on duty hardly seemed to believe based on the appearance. The equipment also helped the 205 a hand. The D Turbo got some stuff from the XS, the sportiest version for whom the GTI went a step too far. You could see that reflected in the front bumper with the spotlights in it, as well as the sporty bucket seats and the sports steering wheel. Opel took a more modest approach with the Corsa. However, sportier three-spoke wheels were optionally available for an additional charge of 1,080 guilders.
The sporty seats in the 205
More economical
In the end, driving the two was of course a bit more important, because that was what these compact diesels would be busy with a lot. The Corsa had a smaller engine than the 205 and – not surprisingly – it was therefore less smooth. Still, thanks to the turbo, the 1.5 was still quite nice and the difference of 300cc compared to the block in the 205 was especially noticeable in consumption. Not that the Peugeot was thirsty, but the Corsa really had that as a striking plus. 5.2 l / 100 km went through it on average, compared to 6.1 l / 100 km with the 205. The block was also less noisy than that of the 205. In addition, the Corsa was almost 6,000 guilders cheaper than the 205 and that was quite a difference. The wallet would therefore have opted for the Opel in the blink of an eye.
Finer
Yet the additional cost of the 205 was justifiable. Not only did the appearance of the Frenchman appeal more to the imagination, but also the driving and the practical deployability were simply better. The boot in the 205 was better than in the Corsa, it was deeper and had a lower lift threshold. Driving the 205 was a more pleasant experience than the Corsa because of the clearly tighter handling and the less distant steering behavior. The extra power (78 hp versus 67 hp) was also noticeable and made up for the somewhat less favorable consumption.
Choice
Still, the 205 could not really be attributed a resounding victory. It depended very much on what you were looking for, which of the two was a better fit for you. The Corsa was more economical, not insurmountably less powerful and also considerably cheaper. An excellent choice for those who mainly have to deal with the costs involved. Those who especially wanted a little more sjeu, charisma and driving pleasure with their little mileage eater, chose the 205 best. Later it would turn out that the 205 D Turbo, largely due to the virtually indestructible XUD engine, also lasted a bit longer than the Corsa.