Big-Bob

Best of luck with your Spark. I doubt you will find what you are looking for. The Spark body structure appears to be very weak. I can't even find a tow rating for it. It's a cool looking little car, that looks like it got hit by the cost cutting hammer a few too many times. This single car has done virtually the impossible. It has turned me from a 45 year diehard Chevy fanatic into an import guy.

I'm 6'1, 240 pounds and fit fine. In the 3 rental Sparks I've driven. Unfortunately I would not even consider buying one. GM has shot theirself in the foot again. The Spark is not a Chevy at all, it is a Korean made Daewoo. Of all the third world car companies American brands have used to build cars for them to keep the price down, Daewoo is the worst of the bunch, and not buy any small amount. For anyone looking for as nice late model transportation car, take a look at used Kia Soul. For the price of a base model Spark, you can buy a 2 year old 20,000+ mile Soul, if you buy from a privater se

Losing the C-pillar mounted door handles would make the car completely worthless to me. Though I thing what should have been done would have been a real 2 door option, and longer doors. Had that been available, I would have probably taken the chance and bought one. 4 door cars are a real turn off off to me. I wound up with a 2006 Mazda Miata automatic with cruise. With the top up, there is virtually no rear visibility. That's the price you pay for a decent looking car. I have had a 1970 Challenger (318 automatic) a 1972 Nova (2 door) a 1975 Corvette t-top, a 1978 Camaro Z28, and a 1987 Pontiac

GM is not to be trusted under any circumstances. I have '63 and a '72 Chevys and love them. Built back before GM built junk, then tried to weasel out of it. Someone here bought a Ford Fiesta, and I believe they like it. While I eventually bought a 2006 Mazda Miata, because I found one that I absolutely fell in love with (automatic and cruise control) I looked at the Fiesta and fell somewhat underwhelmed by it. Had I not bought the Miata, I would likely have bought a used Kia Soul. While some Kia models do feel cheap and flimsy (the Rio and Forte) The Soul felt like a tank. My online research,

It seems there are a bunch of really crappy cars out there. The Chevy Spark, Sonic, and Cruze have lots of problems. So do the Ford Fiesta and Focus. And the Fiat 500. And the Nissan Versa, Sentra, and especially the Altima, and it is not a cheap car. The Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, and Kia Forte are not doing so well either. The Scion IQ and the Smart car leave a lot to be desired. But all hope is not lost. After doing countless hours of research, I have found a car that holds up well, whether you buy it new or used. I have found several examples with over 200,000 miles on them, and they've only

Kind shows you what GM cares about doesn't it. Hyundai/Kia still have 10 year 100,000 mile warranties.

Best of luck with the Cruze. I won't buy any car with a turbo or supercharger. Years of research have shown that these engines just do not hold up as well as normally aspirated engines. My sister bought a 2013 Sonic 1.4L Turbo. I tried to talk her out of it, but they had it in stock, and offered her half off on the turbo option. They would have had to order the color she wanted with the 1.8L non turbo. She wanted it then and took it. I have never seen any turbo car make it to 200,000 miles without problems involving the turbo. I can add a turbo to my Miata, but it runs fine the way it is, and

To me by far the most important styling detail on the Spark was the hidden rear door handle. I would never have considered it otherwise. I am sick to death of 4 door cars. The hidden rear door handle helped a lot with that problem. I really can't see GM bringing back the Spark name for a new model. They've totally destroyed it's reputation with the current model. They dropped the Aveo, and it was a far more reliable car for transportation than a Spark. But word got out that it was a lemon, and once that happens, it's the end of the line.

The placement of the rear door handles on the Spark, and it's overall look were the main things I liked about it. I have a strong dislike for 4 door cars, and I thought the Spark covered up the fact that it was a 4 door rather well. I really liked the overall look. I wish it had been available in bright yellow. It reminded me so much of my former 1976 Honda Civic CVCC. Back then they had sense enough to make actual 2 door cars. The Pinto, Vega, Gremlin, and VW Beetle were all 2 door cars. I also liked it's gas mileage, and it's performance was adequate. It was even comfortable enough for someo

For typical use, completely stock usually far outdoes aftermarket. Star far away from suspension, brake, steering, or tire mod, with the exception of tires only. the crappy tires on the Spark aren't worth much. Stay completely away from lowering the suspension, or going with Ghetto rims. The Spark is a barely tolerable car. It is not a Miata. If you want a Miata, buy a used one and love it for what it is, and accept it for what is not. You are not going to turn a Spark into a Miata, but are very likely likely to kill yourself in the process. The Spark had a very serious very early on proble

A brand new computer controlled car simply should not be having issues. Yes it can happen, but it should be one in a million, and the dealer should take care of it immediately if it is under warranty. You buy a brand new car, pay sales tax, dealer fees, and take a huge initial depreciation hit all for one thing. Reliability. You should be able to get in your new Spark and head from LA to NYC without a care in the world. You should expect it to last at least close to 200,000 miles (my '01 Chevy did) You can't use the fact that it is an inexpensive car to justify it's issues. Even at the MSRP of

It would be great if they have the engine issues resolved, but I am still wondering whether this is a 200,000 mile car, as any 2-3 year old car should be. GM power windows have never been any good, which is why I wish the Spark had crank up windows. I have repaired a LOT of GM power windows, on some pretty expensive cars. They are unbelievably cheaply designed and built. They use a stranded cable, very much like clothesline wire, and 2 pulleys that are no better than what you would find on a sliding screen door. These pulleys have no bearings or bushings of any kind, and are held in place by

To bad about the door handles. One of the things I really like about the current Spark is the hidden rear door handles that gives it a 2 door look at first glance. I think a real 2 door Spark and/or Sonic would be a great idea. I've about had my fill of 4 doors.

I don't think that the Aztek was ugly, just a bit weird. Decent ones are now being sought after. If you want real UGLY, look no farther than the Nissan Juke or Cube.