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how many people actually like their spark ?


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I have nothing bad to say about mine, either. The fuel efficiency and ~$20 to fill up, are worth it, alone. I do wish I had the automatic headlights, that the 2014+ models have. I'd do it again.

Only owned our 14 Spark for one month and 1,000 miles later we are still as happy with it as when we bought it. I tell folks, "it's the funnest go cart I've ever driven".

I like my 2013. Put 23,000 miles on it so far. My wife Drives/ Zooms!!!, the heck out of it. Only problem was AC, fixed by Dealer. Would buy it again. Paid 10k brand new. Fun car.

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:drop: 95k miles in 11 months???

Haha...I'm fairly sure she meant 9.5Kmi (9,500mi). Would be nice though to have some higher mileage owners post as to how well (or poorly) the car has fared and any issues that came up. I'm particularly interested in the wheel bearing issue that a few posters have had. There seems to be no common factor in the bearing failure. Some have issues with all 4 bearings while some have only one and the model and mileage vary widely. Best info I have so far on that that the issue is bad 3rd party bearing &/or seal supply. At least with the engine issues (burning oil, etc) it was quickly narrowed down to the PCV failing before 30Kmi.

Edited by Retired old Gearhead
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Haha...I'm fairly sure she meant 9.5Kmi (9,500mi). Would be nice though to have some higher mileage owners post as to how well (or poorly) the car has fared and any issues that came up. I'm particularly interested in the wheel bearing issue that a few posters have had. There seems to be no common factor in the bearing failure. Some have issues with all 4 bearings while some have only one and the model and mileage vary widely. Best info I have so far on that that the issue is bad 3rd party bearing &/or seal supply. At least with the engine issues (burning oil, etc) it was quickly narrowed down to the PCV failing before 30Kmi.

I am hitting 200.000 km i January. If people are interested i can make a thread about owning a high milage Spark. And as for it being an european 2012 Spark, the problems have been minor.

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I am right at 40k miles and just past its 1 year anniversery

Oops, I was off by one zero!! I used to live far away from my work and put in over 20k miles a year but still couldn't put on 95k in less than a year :)

I was quite impressed, with 95k a year! lol 40k in a year, is pretty amazing, too!

I'm coming up on 2 years in February, and I might clear 17k by then.

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Here's the deal: For a 2011 Spark that had only 28,000 km on it, plus it had some mods added (body kit, dual exhaust, hre wheels), paid 9.5k all in (after everything), it's a wonderful car. I added a lot of my own mods to it since, and I really do like the car a lot.

But if I were paying 15k or more, I'd definitely want something else. The car is best for local driving, and people who are very modest drivers. Where it starts to lose points is on the "exciting" end. Lack of hp is the biggest drawback. Sluggish off the line, laboring uphills, and accelerating to pass traffic or catch a 2-3 second window that you'd normally be able to do catch with a 130 hp car, things like this is where it starts to lose points for me. I'm not a extreme street racing type of driver. But I do like to drive with spirit and sometimes I'll drive angry and that's where I don't get as much from this car as I would say from my stock Ford Focus which isn't even a powerful car itself, too.

But as summarized, for the cheap price one can grab for this car, it's great. But if you're expecting some adventurous or "hot-hatch"-like vehicle, then you won't like it. It will be underwhelming.

But hey, as long as the car quality is there and not falling apart, I'd say that most cars today are so well-built, with good technology that there's almost no such thing as a "bad car" anymore. It's all a matter of how you take care of it, drive it, and what your expectations are from it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

my 2013 spark has 7000 miles on it. a couple recalls (pvc and hood latch). otherwise trouble free. 36.7 mpg average. it's white so i started calling it snowball. i really enjoy driving and parking snowball, fun to shift and it handles fine. i removed the upper half of the back seats and laid down a mat. so now it's a small panel truck. lots of room for cargo. my silverado seldom gets out of the drieway anymore.

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  • 1 month later...

I am enjoying my Spark... and although we had a bit of a "rocky relationship" for a while, now that I use mid-grade gas, it runs smooth and is very responsive. Yep, it's small... but I prefer small, fun, cute cars. That's just me. Mileage is nice at an even 39 MPG in mixed city and suburban driving with CVT auto. Dressed mine up with a RED stocking over armrest (yes, the car is Salsa color!), steering wheel cover in black with red accents, black quilted vinyl seat covers in front, and my hippy dippy Kokopelli graphics on both sides and a "peeking monster" graphic peeking out beneath the rear hatch. And yes, we get lots of grins and "I love your car!" Happy with the little bugger. Only down side right now is I feel the fan is way too under-powered in the a/c, so unless it's set to 3 or 4, it struggles to cool the interior, even after recall work (which didn't help this issue). But I live in south Florida, so it is a hot, humid climate... good a/c is a must. Usually I ride alone, so just aim the vents all at me and crank it up. Oh... I can also fold down back seats fairly flat (would be great if they were removable... her that Chevrolet... REMOVABLE REAR SEATS), but my 75 lb. Goldendoodle still fits in the back without a problem.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good to see that others "like" it more than me. I like the fact that it's roomy inexpensive transportation, and a cute car. My buddies call it my "clown car." But I really dislike the CVT transmission and the road noise borders on unbearable. I love the size - it's why I bought it in the 1st place - it fits in the small spot in my garage. Oh, the other thing I find "unlikeable" is the BringGo GPS app. Having maps and turn-by-turn on the display is great, but the app is really spotty. I wish I was able to connect Waze to the display instead of BringGo.

So I don't hate the car, but I frequently wonder if the Mazda 2 might have been a better choice.

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After 47Kmi on our 2013 Spark 1LT (auto) having driven it as hard as possible with my foot to the floor around town and long trips at 75-90mph+ with frequent downshift passing at red line rpms, it still performs well with no issues and uses no visible oil between 5Kmi oil changes. Since we paid very little for the car, I don't mind pushing it very hard and around town I am mostly over 5,000 rpm and with the automatic 4speed tranny constantly downshifting to pass cars it often goes to 6,000+rpm. With that kind of driving my gas mileage is very poor compared to others ( between 23-30-mpg)...so, with that kind of driving, I think the car has held up perfectly and a recent compression check showed even PSI on all 4. I have been using 5-20 synthetic, but due to the many short trips, the oil is pretty dark after 3Kmi., so I will switch to conventional oil and change it a bit more frequently when the oil becomes dirty.

I am actually surprised at how much abuse in my very hard & fast driving it can take. Also have hit many bumps and small potholes with a real hard jolt, yet it still tracks straight and wheel/tire balance is very smooth even at the occasional 100mph+ sprint to pass. Very slight vibration at exactly 72mph that goes away at 74mph...so..ya, surprisingly pleased..only the stock wipers are crap as the smear.

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That is great! I too can be a bit rough on the little bugger.... trying to merge into relentless traffic and flooring it... stop and go kangaroo driving, etc. But, I am now averaging 39 MPG (granted, I live in Florida so everything is level and this is using the a/c periodically as it is technically "winter" LOL!). Due for an oil change and change the cabin air filter (which I'll do myself). Still starts up every time, reliable, holds more stuff than you would imagine (fit a shelf unit into it yesterday as we came upon it at a yard sale... stuck out a little bit, but most fit inside the car... amazing!). Wish they would take the chassis... put it on a boxy, bit longer body, add 4WD, some cool upgrades like larger wheels, and a bit bigger engine.... I'd buy one in a heartbeat! Like a Chevy (Geo) Tracker replacement. Oh yeah... make a convertible version. I see Jeep is coming out with the Renegade, but MPG's look to be in the mid-20's range. And I had a Wrangler with the removable hard top (Freedom top) and it leaked horribly in rain. Stick with a nice canvas, DIY replacement type roof, and much better MPG than a Wrangler or Renegade... maybe a clean diesel or semi-hybrid or ??? Get 30 MPG + and an off-road fun little car... I think GM sales would go crazy. But hey... that's only my opinion. But I know around here, the old Tracker/Sidekicks are maintaining their value very well, if you can find one that is in decent shape.

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I like mine had it for 5 months gets great gas mileage easy to park , love the space in my garage it's so small , I also was suprised at how wel it goes through the snow I had to drive up a drive that hadn't been blowed was about a foot deep figured I'd get stuck but it went right through it granted it was a very dry powdery snow . No issues with mine so far it's a fun car to drive I do get a lot of people looking at it at stop lights

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I love mine. I have had it a little over two weeks but have wanted one since they came out. I like the CVT and the power is pretty good. Coming from a 09 PT Cruiser it is a much better overall car. I do have a few issues with it. I have a vibration that has come up which I am pretty sure its the crappy tires that come on it. I am going to have them balanced but I am pretty sure they just need replaced.

Plus I ran the AC last Saturday for the first time and I am have the cycling issue that so many have complained about. My VIN falls under the AC recall so I plan on taking it in as it gets closer to spring to have that taken care of. Overall I am very happy with it and have no regrets buying it.

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I'm a fairly new owner but love mine- buying it after extensive comparison of competition. The only negative I had when buying it was no spare, but in checking realized it was a tiny thing and was able to buy a new full-size tire, rim and Jack for about $120. Mileage is almost 40mph and it handles the hills and highways well, so no complaints!

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UPDATE: Well, this is truly a "love-hate" relationship. After 22,000 miles of driving, I am considering trading it in. Why? Well, it does meet my expectations regarding mileage and comfort. I love the attached armrest for the driver; great positioning for my arm after I had shoulder surgery. It starts right up and gets me where I'm going... the basic requirement for any vehicle. And it still looks very cute and unique. BUT, the nagging issues are driving me batty. The periodic hesitation from a stop or after slowing down, RPM's shooting up when the car doesn't move any faster (really odd... in a regular tranny, I'd say it was slipping), the a/c is weak... too weak for Florida, and the once-cute bunny hopping in parking lots at slow or drifting speeds has worn thin. Now there is a problem with "cupped tires" and "may need an alignment, not covered under warranty." Tires show uneven wear and front end noise. Two Chevy dealers and both said same thing. As for the other issues, was told that the "car is operating as is customary for that vehicle."

I've read other posters here who have experienced similar hesitation problems and a/c issues (had the recall; it did not help much). So at least I don't feel so "crazy." But on the way home, stopped at a local Ford dealer and drove a new C-Max. OMG... it is absolutely awesome and with mileage at or above the Spark, I'm considering trading towards end of year. I know... like comparing apples to oranges... but really, it's roomier, rides wonderful like a large sedan, handles very well, totally quiet and comfortable... very impressed. Yes, it costs a lot more than the Spark, but I also saw a new Spark at the Chevy dealer with a sticker of nearly $18,000. You can get a base C-Max for not much more, especially if you are looking at spreading it out over 6 or 7 years financing.

So the love affair with the Spark has truly fizzled and driving the C-Max has ignited a new passion for something a little more upscale and performance oriented yet with great MPG. But for now... I will hold onto my Spark and see how it goes now that spring (and hotter temps) is approaching.

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