Dgolden 7 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Greetings everyone! My Caddy Eldorado decided that it was time after 160,000 reliable miles this week. Too many discontinued parts and my frustration over going to the dealer every other three weeks and my savings account was not about to have another 1200 repair and a lower engine rebuild (leaking about 5 quarts every 3000 miles) estimated at $2400 and that was it for me...as heartbreaking as it was. It was the best car I ever owned outside of a ford festiva that died at over 300k. I decided that I was going new this time.... Enter my research for the last 6 mo and several test drives of cars and just not enjoying them, I started testing smaller cars. I tried the spark and it reminded me of the great fun I had driving a baby stick. After reading so many reviews on other sites of the 40 ish mpg on long trips (~500 miles a week) it suddenly dawned on me that it's 3 times what I've been getting....that's a payment right there we found a silver LS that just called to me. I pick it up in the morning. I'm pretty stoked although as I'm reading some reviews I'm going to have to replace the speakers, I think I'm going to really miss the keyless entry that hasn't worked for about two months on my old car so maybe not... Anyway, greetings from Tampa! Link to post Share on other sites
austex04 48 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Welcome! If it's a '14 model, it'll have automatic headlamps. If it's a '13, check the a/c to make sure it doesn't do the cold/warm thing that plagued others. My real world mpg is 36mpgs in mixed driving during non-rush hour traffic, with the manual, and I don't drive slow. Those who get 40+mpg don't drive above 60mph or spend much time idling in traffic, fyi. There's after market cruise control kits if you want cruise control on the LS model, I never had any problems with the Rostra cruise kit on my old car, and they make one for the Spark. Link to post Share on other sites
WaltK 305 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Welcome to the forum, and congratulations of the new Spark, you will enjoy it. Link to post Share on other sites
bluer101 241 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Welcome to the club. Link to post Share on other sites
Dgolden 7 Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Thanks! I got a 2013 I'll know pretty quick if its one with an issue living here in fl. Will adding that cruise void the warranty? Link to post Share on other sites
yuwan63755 8 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Congratulations on your new Spark. You will enjoy it . Link to post Share on other sites
Jeffrey Makela 6 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Greetings everyone! My Caddy Eldorado decided that it was time after 160,000 reliable miles this week. Too many discontinued parts and my frustration over going to the dealer every other three weeks and my savings account was not about to have another 1200 repair and a lower engine rebuild (leaking about 5 quarts every 3000 miles) estimated at $2400 and that was it for me...as heartbreaking as it was. It was the best car I ever owned outside of a ford festiva that died at over 300k. I decided that I was going new this time.... Enter my research for the last 6 mo and several test drives of cars and just not enjoying them, I started testing smaller cars. I tried the spark and it reminded me of the great fun I had driving a baby stick. After reading so many reviews on other sites of the 40 ish mpg on long trips (~500 miles a week) it suddenly dawned on me that it's 3 times what I've been getting....that's a payment right there we found a silver LS that just called to me. I pick it up in the morning. I'm pretty stoked although as I'm reading some reviews I'm going to have to replace the speakers, I think I'm going to really miss the keyless entry that hasn't worked for about two months on my old car so maybe not... Anyway, greetings from Tampa! 500 miles a week? I had my car for about 6 weeks and I just got 500 miles on it. I live and work in eureka mo. sometimes I go 6 months with out leaving eureka. Being 2 miles from work and shopping is nice. People at work say bad things about the spark size. but I like it. Link to post Share on other sites
westernpa25 16 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Welcome and Congrats! Link to post Share on other sites
Dgolden 7 Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Got it, I would take some pics but can't gotta work in about an hour. The AC blows crazy cold so I'll keep an eye on it over the next few months The speakers actually don't sound too awful bad, maybe it's something that I can let slide for a little while. I will say in the few miles I've had it the 5 speed was def the way to go, it feels like an entirely different car from the automatic that I took out. Link to post Share on other sites
Dgolden 7 Posted August 31, 2013 Author Share Posted August 31, 2013 The official first picture. I know it's a night shot but what are ya gonna do Even in silver I seemed to be grabbing a bit of attention on the road today driving it to work. The more I look at it the more it seems to grow on me. The surprise of the light blue gauges, instrument panel, and cup holder area was quite pleasant to the drab yellowish white of my old Eldorado. I especially like the wide range they give you on the dimmer (since I'm always going from unlit road to town to unlit road). It was a lot of fun to drive to work today, such an easy going clutch and transmission (felt like shifting my old Cavie). So far I averaged well over 35 MPG today which was more than double what I was getting on my last car. Also loving the fact that I am no longer limited to having just 12 radio stations programmed, I've now got them setup based on the style of music I want at the moment. I can't wait to tackle Tampa traffic Tuesday Link to post Share on other sites
austex04 48 Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 (edited) Nice color, stays cooler in the sun. Autonation dealers are quite competitive in their pricing. You'll smile more when you fill up the 9 gallon tank from empty. These cars don't require a break in period before they reach their best mpgs. It's how and where you drive them. The epa mpg rating is quite generous. I wonder why the '14 models, both cvt and manual, are rated 39mpg hwy? Maybe they were undershot on the '13? Edited August 31, 2013 by austex04 Link to post Share on other sites
Jeffrey Makela 6 Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 The official first picture. I know it's a night shot but what are ya gonna do Even in silver I seemed to be grabbing a bit of attention on the road today driving it to work. The more I look at it the more it seems to grow on me. The surprise of the light blue gauges, instrument panel, and cup holder area was quite pleasant to the drab yellowish white of my old Eldorado. I especially like the wide range they give you on the dimmer (since I'm always going from unlit road to town to unlit road). It was a lot of fun to drive to work today, such an easy going clutch and transmission (felt like shifting my old Cavie). So far I averaged well over 35 MPG today which was more than double what I was getting on my last car. Also loving the fact that I am no longer limited to having just 12 radio stations programmed, I've now got them setup based on the style of music I want at the moment. I can't wait to tackle Tampa traffic Tuesday you do get xm radio free for 3 months. I only need one fm channel in my sparkgie kshe 94.7:) or I listen to music from my cellphone with Bluetooth. Link to post Share on other sites
Spark_Rules-0713 9 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Welcome to the forum I love my SPARK Link to post Share on other sites
Dgolden 7 Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share Posted September 1, 2013 Nice color, stays cooler in the sun. Autonation dealers are quite competitive in their pricing. You'll smile more when you fill up the 9 gallon tank from empty. These cars don't require a break in period before they reach their best mpgs. It's how and where you drive them. The epa mpg rating is quite generous. I wonder why the '14 models, both cvt and manual, are rated 39mpg hwy? Maybe they were undershot on the '13? Check the picture below for a good daylight photo. I really like it a lot with the tint. Autonation was amazing to work with, I can honestly say I don't have that 'they jipped me' feeling (that I've ended up with before with almost every other car). My saleswoman has been amazing. She even grabbed my parking permit (which I had forgotten in the loaner they gave me while waiting for mine to be delivered...college parking permits = crazy expensive), she had it waiting for me tonight after the dealership closed. She worked tirelessly for me to get me into a payment that fit my budget without all of those trips to the 'sales managers' office. There was absolutely ZERO pressure as well. I happily asked her for a few cards to give to friends when they are looking for their next purchase. I've been doing business with this dealership maintaining my Eldorado for years and every time I was in there she has made it a point to speak with me and remembers almost everything we had talked about. I literally can't sing enough praises for her. -- The onstar setup people gave me more sales pressure about putting a credit card and buying cell phone minutes through the car (if the minutes didn't expire I would of bought some just to be able to use them in traffic) than my sales woman did. As for the MPG tonight when I parked my avg so far this tank states 39.6 MPG you do get xm radio free for 3 months. I only need one fm channel in my sparkgie kshe 94.7:) or I listen to music from my cellphone with Bluetooth. Mine doesn't have the XM I don't think, it's a LS and I don't see an XM button on my radio...it does have an aux jack though that I will make good use out of if I can't find anything on the radio. Welcome to the forum I love my SPARK Thanks! I've seen some awesome stuff on here (really thinking about the LED cabin light replacement and getting some of those LED strips. There's a ton of knowledge on here, I did troll around here for a bit prior to making my rather hasty decision that I had had enough with discontinued parts. (on a lot of the other forums as well), I'm hoping I pass the AC issue that some have had. I will say that setting up onstar was interesting So here's a picture of mine in the sun. I really like the lighting reflecting from the semi sunset and the way the tint offsets the color Here's what I'm thinking/wondering 1) Is onstar worth the emergency package (I do live in Tampa and trust me at least 3 times a day I wonder if that guy's gonna really pull out/change lanes w/o lookin/cutting off/etc yea it's rough down here) really worth the fee? IDK how much I would use the directions since I really don't travel a lot so I can't justify the extra on the driving package, although I will try it out tomorrow omw to work (maybe find a quicker way ) 2) Are the factory dealer installed fog lights worth the cash, the way that molding sits all I want to do is shove fog lights in to make it match the 'cutout' area 3) Can I safely remove the Front LP bracket? I know the AC issue lies right beneath that, is it worth leaving it there for the added protection? 4) When I fill it how many clicks do you stop on? When they filled it on delivery they stopped on the first click and it was one little bar under full. I just don't wanna spill gas all over Thanks for all the replies so far...Happy Labor Day everyone! Link to post Share on other sites
Gossamer 50 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 (edited) You're gonna get a lot of differing opinions whether OnStar is worth it or not (I still am not sure) but I can tell you that when I set it up, they asked for a credit card and I told them that I didn't want them to store it on file and they said fine with no argument. Also, when I renewed (just the connections not directions) the minutes I bought at the discounted rate were renewed too. Since I'm in FL too, my car was delivered with the front plate bracket in the trunk. When the dealer asked if I wanted it attached, I said no, and haven't had any problems. Since about half of my driving is on I-95, I would say pull it off if you want to and don't worry about it. =o) Edited September 2, 2013 by Gossamer Link to post Share on other sites
austex04 48 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 As far as Onstar is concerned, in the age of cell phones, that is your call. To me, Onstar isn't worth it at all, even XM radio is much cheaper. Onstar also collects data whether or not you subscribed to it, remember the privacy waver you signed? My free trial is up soon, and Onstar will even solicit you in the car. I'm pulling the plugs out of the box under the driver's seat as soon as the calls come, or once the trail ends. Link to post Share on other sites
Dgolden 7 Posted September 2, 2013 Author Share Posted September 2, 2013 I wouldn't really take the onstar for the directions part of it since I really just stay in my area and rarely take a road trip and when I do it's usually home to NY for a week. (although I can see how I could of used it when I was on my last long road trip some of those turns are really easy to miss and I hate having to look at my cell phone for directions) I was really thinking about the S&S package and from what I'm reading online they are willing to work a price out with you if you're willing to cancel. I've seen so many car accidents that it's not even funny and most that I've seen down here aren't the type that you'd be able to just grab your phone and call 911. That's the side that I'm thinking about. On another note, I was half way between 1/4 and 1/2 and I decided to fill up. 38.6 MPG on the first tank. I clicked it 5 times before I decided I wasn't brave anymore...on starting the car the fuel gauge still read ONE bar below full? Am I not doing something right LOL I will say it was an amazing feeling to fill the tank from that low and be out in less than $18 bucks I literally cackled with delight. :wub: (The last time I filled my Eldo before trading it when it was that low it cost me $58) ---- My boss rode with me today and was pretty impressed with the legroom up front and the interior room. The other half was Lolling at me because I don't have power locks (of course after Lolling at me she said 'so when you're ready for your next car I get this right?' ) , but seriously it's usually just me in the car 95% of the time... Link to post Share on other sites
austex04 48 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) If the surface where the gas pump is not level, that will cause the tank to not fill full. I pull up so the highest point is where the filler neck is, and stop at the first or second click, my fuel bar reads full, until after 30 miles or so, then one bar disappears. Also, filling up during the heat of the day causes fuel to expand, and more vapors escape. I fill up early morning or at night. When the low fuel light comes on, there's just under one gallon remains in the tank. Edited September 2, 2013 by austex04 Link to post Share on other sites
Dgolden 7 Posted September 2, 2013 Author Share Posted September 2, 2013 you're right, after driving back to the station (having forgot something) after starting it up and pulling out of the parking lot it did display all the way full. I wonder if it just takes time for the float in the tank to adjust. I usually fill up in the morning but I was eager to see how much it would cost going from 3/8 to full On a side note, I downloaded the OnStar app for my cell phone and even though I have no power locks, I can remotely unlock the hatch which is good to know, I'm notorious for locking keys in the car (usually about 2x a year) IDK if the lights and horn will work since I don't have RKE but I'll try it when it's not 1130 at night (which I'm sure my neighbors appreciate) Link to post Share on other sites
Ataristic 5 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Being able to unlock that hatch can be useful in a pinch, it is much better to craw trough the back and unlock a rear door than having to wait on Pop A Lock Link to post Share on other sites
Lovgun7 75 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Check the picture below for a good daylight photo. I really like it a lot with the tint. Autonation was amazing to work with, I can honestly say I don't have that 'they jipped me' feeling (that I've ended up with before with almost every other car). My saleswoman has been amazing. She even grabbed my parking permit (which I had forgotten in the loaner they gave me while waiting for mine to be delivered...college parking permits = crazy expensive), she had it waiting for me tonight after the dealership closed. She worked tirelessly for me to get me into a payment that fit my budget without all of those trips to the 'sales managers' office. There was absolutely ZERO pressure as well. I happily asked her for a few cards to give to friends when they are looking for their next purchase. I've been doing business with this dealership maintaining my Eldorado for years and every time I was in there she has made it a point to speak with me and remembers almost everything we had talked about. I literally can't sing enough praises for her. -- The onstar setup people gave me more sales pressure about putting a credit card and buying cell phone minutes through the car (if the minutes didn't expire I would of bought some just to be able to use them in traffic) than my sales woman did. As for the MPG tonight when I parked my avg so far this tank states 39.6 MPG Mine doesn't have the XM I don't think, it's a LS and I don't see an XM button on my radio...it does have an aux jack though that I will make good use out of if I can't find anything on the radio. Thanks! I've seen some awesome stuff on here (really thinking about the LED cabin light replacement and getting some of those LED strips. There's a ton of knowledge on here, I did troll around here for a bit prior to making my rather hasty decision that I had had enough with discontinued parts. (on a lot of the other forums as well), I'm hoping I pass the AC issue that some have had. I will say that setting up onstar was interesting So here's a picture of mine in the sun. I really like the lighting reflecting from the semi sunset and the way the tint offsets the color Here's what I'm thinking/wondering 1) Is onstar worth the emergency package (I do live in Tampa and trust me at least 3 times a day I wonder if that guy's gonna really pull out/change lanes w/o lookin/cutting off/etc yea it's rough down here) really worth the fee? IDK how much I would use the directions since I really don't travel a lot so I can't justify the extra on the driving package, although I will try it out tomorrow omw to work (maybe find a quicker way ) 2) Are the factory dealer installed fog lights worth the cash, the way that molding sits all I want to do is shove fog lights in to make it match the 'cutout' area 3) Can I safely remove the Front LP bracket? I know the AC issue lies right beneath that, is it worth leaving it there for the added protection? 4) When I fill it how many clicks do you stop on? When they filled it on delivery they stopped on the first click and it was one little bar under full. I just don't wanna spill gas all over Thanks for all the replies so far...Happy Labor Day everyone! 1. although the package they offer is a sweet deal.. if you have a smart phone you dont need onstar... even 911 works where there is no reception 2. NO... you'll want after market ones. theres a thread here of a step by step tutorial and even the dude that posted it says they arent as strong as he wanted. You'll have to go to the dealer to get software for the fogs which will be $50 3. Let the dealer worry about that since its covered under warranty 4. i pumped $30 last night ... the first click was at about $27.70 ? managed to fill it up until $30 with an extra click and gas slowly being pumped. usually release the trigger and shake the rear a bit so the gas moves around and leaves space more extra Link to post Share on other sites
Lovgun7 75 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Check the picture below for a good daylight photo. I really like it a lot with the tint. Autonation was amazing to work with, I can honestly say I don't have that 'they jipped me' feeling (that I've ended up with before with almost every other car). My saleswoman has been amazing. She even grabbed my parking permit (which I had forgotten in the loaner they gave me while waiting for mine to be delivered...college parking permits = crazy expensive), she had it waiting for me tonight after the dealership closed. She worked tirelessly for me to get me into a payment that fit my budget without all of those trips to the 'sales managers' office. There was absolutely ZERO pressure as well. I happily asked her for a few cards to give to friends when they are looking for their next purchase. I've been doing business with this dealership maintaining my Eldorado for years and every time I was in there she has made it a point to speak with me and remembers almost everything we had talked about. I literally can't sing enough praises for her. -- The onstar setup people gave me more sales pressure about putting a credit card and buying cell phone minutes through the car (if the minutes didn't expire I would of bought some just to be able to use them in traffic) than my sales woman did. As for the MPG tonight when I parked my avg so far this tank states 39.6 MPG Mine doesn't have the XM I don't think, it's a LS and I don't see an XM button on my radio...it does have an aux jack though that I will make good use out of if I can't find anything on the radio. Thanks! I've seen some awesome stuff on here (really thinking about the LED cabin light replacement and getting some of those LED strips. There's a ton of knowledge on here, I did troll around here for a bit prior to making my rather hasty decision that I had had enough with discontinued parts. (on a lot of the other forums as well), I'm hoping I pass the AC issue that some have had. I will say that setting up onstar was interesting So here's a picture of mine in the sun. I really like the lighting reflecting from the semi sunset and the way the tint offsets the color Here's what I'm thinking/wondering 1) Is onstar worth the emergency package (I do live in Tampa and trust me at least 3 times a day I wonder if that guy's gonna really pull out/change lanes w/o lookin/cutting off/etc yea it's rough down here) really worth the fee? IDK how much I would use the directions since I really don't travel a lot so I can't justify the extra on the driving package, although I will try it out tomorrow omw to work (maybe find a quicker way ) 2) Are the factory dealer installed fog lights worth the cash, the way that molding sits all I want to do is shove fog lights in to make it match the 'cutout' area 3) Can I safely remove the Front LP bracket? I know the AC issue lies right beneath that, is it worth leaving it there for the added protection? 4) When I fill it how many clicks do you stop on? When they filled it on delivery they stopped on the first click and it was one little bar under full. I just don't wanna spill gas all over Thanks for all the replies so far...Happy Labor Day everyone! 1. although the package they offer is a sweet deal.. if you have a smart phone you dont need onstar... even 911 works where there is no reception 2. NO... you'll want after market ones. theres a thread here of a step by step tutorial and even the dude that posted it says they arent as strong as he wanted. You'll have to go to the dealer to get software for the fogs which will be $50 3. Let the dealer worry about that since its covered under warranty 4. i pumped $30 last night ... the first click was at about $27.70 ? managed to fill it up until $30 with an extra click and gas slowly being pumped. usually release the trigger and shake the rear a bit so the gas moves around and leaves space more extra Link to post Share on other sites
Dgolden 7 Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 1. although the package they offer is a sweet deal.. if you have a smart phone you dont need onstar... even 911 works where there is no reception 2. NO... you'll want after market ones. theres a thread here of a step by step tutorial and even the dude that posted it says they arent as strong as he wanted. You'll have to go to the dealer to get software for the fogs which will be $50 3. Let the dealer worry about that since its covered under warranty 4. i pumped $30 last night ... the first click was at about $27.70 ? managed to fill it up until $30 with an extra click and gas slowly being pumped. usually release the trigger and shake the rear a bit so the gas moves around and leaves space more extra 1. Are there any good mounts out there for cell phone navigation? Do the driving directions from the phone work through the aux port do you know off hand ? 2. That's good to know, while the headlights are bright, I've noticed that I miss the extra 'wide' coverage given to the shoulders of the road at night that foglights bring. 3. Nice! I'll have to call and see if I can convince them to take it off for me for free xD 4. I'll have to try the shake trick on this car my old car was far to heavy and I'da looked insane trying to get that car to shake. Thanks for the reply Link to post Share on other sites
austex04 48 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 (edited) As far as the headlights not having good light output on the sides, you should try upgrading the bulbs. I've noticed improvement in light output on the sides in three other cars I owned after installing sylvania xtra vision bulbs, they're the same bulb and design as the expensive silverstars, just without the blue coating. About $22 for a pack of two at Walmart. I think it's 9008 that fits these cars. Edited September 3, 2013 by austex04 Smikster 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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