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It's time to replace my car! I'm looking for a small hatchback for city driving. I only ask for three things: 1)The smaller the better 2) Must be very reliable (I expect no major issue below 100,000 miles just like my current Scion) and 3) Price. I don't care about fun driving, power, bells and whistle, fancy smacy, etc. It is strictly a work commute car and I just need something that takes me from point A to point B and can handle rough driving.
I did some research, initially I settled on a Yaris Hatchback; it's almost identical to my Scion. But then the Spark caught my eye - it's cheaper, smaller, and looks cooler (looks is not important but doesn't hurt :[).
Anyway, the only thing I'm not sure about the Spark is the reliability. I know that Chevys trucks are pretty good but the Spark, being what it is, doesn't seem like Chevy's forte. Anyone with experience with a Chevy Spark who can shed some light? Reliability is very important to me because I will not have time to keep taking this thing to the shop or perform any maintenance beyond the minimum. The Scion was a great car from this perspective - it can take a lot of rough treatment; I'm looking for a car like that.
As of your other question. Is Spark reliable? Who knows... Is it a GM product? Indeed it is.
Is GM overall reliable vehicle manufacturer? No.
Does GM have long term history of making reliable hybrid or electric vehicles? No.
Who does? Toyota. What is the most reliable hybrid in the world? Prius.
Anything else to single out for you?
The Spark is based on the current generation of the Daewoo Matiz that has been produced since 1998. This is the third generation of the car and it is sold globally. There is no current reliability data for the Spark as it has just been released in North America. This exact platform/model has been out since 2010 globally and is a popular car overseas and generally considered reliable.
The Spark has a 3 year, 36k mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, but it also has a 5 year, 100k mile powertrain warranty. That means that you can be pretty secure when it comes to anything that would cost a lot of money.
The Spark and it's bigger brother Sonic have actually been huge successes for GM and dealers have had a hard time keeping Spark's in stock. They represent a huge value margin (in terms of standard equipment and price) over the competing cars and are much more livable than many of the competitors. As odd as it sounds, the Spark can actually seat 4 adults comfortably and has more rear seat legroom than many compact cars like the Focus and Civic.
Most reviews of the Spark that look at within the context of its class give it glowing praise. People who have them seem to absolutely love them and on most sites it's a highly rated car by the people who own them. This article from TTAC takes a pretty balanced view of the Spark and it's place in the market:
Which is better overall would be a toss up. On the surface, given your needs, the iQ seems like the better choice. It gets better city MPG, is mainly a two seater, but can take a couple of passengers if needed in a pinch. It has arguably better overall packaging and has a better pedigree given its origins. On the other hand, the Spark has four doors and can actually fit four adults. It gets worse city mileage, but better highway mileage. Most people don't feel like they are driving a micro car when they are in a Spark (though it doesn't seem you care). HOWEVER, the Spark costs $12,995 versus the iQ's $15,995. The Spark also contains a lot more standard equipment and cheaper option packages.
The one big question mark would be if you need an automatic. The iQ only comes as a CVT. The cheap Spark is a manual transmission. If you opt for the automatic it bumps the price to $14,305 but also means you lose 4 MPG. An automatic Spark gets 28 city (manual is 32) versus the 38 city that the iQ gets. That's almost 30% better fuel economy in city driving which is what you will mainly be doing. With the difference being ~$1,600 between the Spark automatic and the iQ depending on ownership period you may actually find the iQ being the better buy overall. That also isn't accounting for anything the Scion dealer may do to knock some money off the iQ whereas Chevy dealers aren't negotiating on the Sparks at all, especially the base models.
Does GM have long term history of making reliable hybrid or electric vehicles? No.
Who does? Toyota. What is the most reliable hybrid in the world? Prius.
Anything else to single out for you?
What does that have to do with anything? Yes, there is a Spark EV, but the vast majority of Sparks are regular gas engined cars. Here's a question for you...
$12,995 and 32 MPG city vs. $19,100 and 53 MPG city. How many miles would you need to drive at $4 a gallon to make up that price difference? Answer, around 125,000. That's why the OP is looking at small city cars, not hybrids like the Prius family.
Unless I'm mistaken, the Spark is basically a modified version of the Aveo, is it not?
The only thing I've heard anybody say about the Aveo - in person - is that he is very disappointed in the mileage.
The current generation Aveo is now sold in North America as the Sonic (GM didn't want to call it an Aveo in the US). The new Aveo/Sonic is a vast improvement over the old Aveo. The Spark and Sonic are based on the same platform though which is Gamma II and was largely developed by GM Korea in concert with Opel. The old Aveo rode on Daewoo's T200 platform which is now, thankfully, extinct.
So, a little convoluted but technically the Spark is a version of the Aveo, which is still sold in the US as the Sonic, but none of them have anything in common with the old Aveo.
The spark is the BEST car in the segment, from a practicality stand point, in the segment. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.
Having driven an Aveo and a Spark ... they are lightyears apart. The spark is a complete blast to drive and toss around in the corners. It's not fast, but it's fun. The Aveo was neither fast nor fun.
It has 4 VERY USABLE seats and more cargo area than the others.
The ...
IQ does not have a usable back seat if anyone is sitting in the front seat (the back of the front seats hits the rear seats).
500 is too expensive and is impossible to get in and out of the back seats
Smart .... is too expensive and too impractical.
The Spark is more Aveo than Sonic. It is a smaller car on a different platform, but like the Aveo, the Daewoo really shines through.
The engine in the Spark is a smaller version of the engine that was in the Aveo, juts with VVT and a timing chain. The 4 speed auto is the same that's in the Aveo, the same transmission as used in the Toyota Yaris!
Sure thing, mate.
Here's car that fits all of your requirements:
As of your other question. Is Spark reliable? Who knows... Is it a GM product? Indeed it is.
Is GM overall reliable vehicle manufacturer? No.
Does GM have long term history of making reliable hybrid or electric vehicles? No.
Who does? Toyota. What is the most reliable hybrid in the world? Prius.
Anything else to single out for you?
Have you ever owned a Toyota Hybrid?
I have not and hopefully hope I never will but I do know a few owners and they are extremely disappointed with the reliability as well as the service which is frequent.
Back to BebOp's original question . . . the mere fact that Sparks are so popular all over the world must indicate something.
Chevrolet Spark is sold in other countries for many years now. I saw it in India about 4-5 years ago. Never thought that one day I will see Spark in US.
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