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My 2013 Chevy Spark: Good-bye and Good Luck/Riddance!


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After one year and eight months, my Spark is history. I couldn't be happier. I consider the Spark to be the worst car I ever owned when it came to blind spot issues. The idiotic design of the back seat door panels defied common sense: Why put door handles in black panels that take up important rear window space, thus limiting visibility of the road for the driver? Unbelievable! Placement on the horizontal door/window interface, as in 90% of all other cars out there, would have been far better. Also, if you're going to put outside mirrors on a car, and you are, does it not make sense to make those mirrors of a design where they actually allow the driver to see what's coming up on his/her car while it's being driven? The tiny, triangular, outside mirrors on the Spark are terrible. Putting convex spot mirrors on those mirrors did help, but the regular mirrors still were beyond horrible. I felt like my Spark was an accident waiting to happen. After the novelty of the Spark's appearance wore off, and I actually started driving it a good deal, I was amazed at its poor design, safety-wise. Yes, it has lots of interior space, a cool appearance, nice features with I-Link, reasonably good acceleration, great mpg realization (avg. 32 mpg, for me), but the safety factor sunk that ship. Also, let's talk about the laughably horrible AC. I had to take the Spark in five times for AC problems. It NEVER cooled to a satisfactory level, even after the fifth visit saw a complete replacement of the whole AC system! If you're in a cool area, you're probably OK. I'm in an area that routinely gets into the 90's and 100's during the summer, so the AC was just about unbearable.

I understand that the Spark has a (sort of) cult following. Cool. You can all slam this post and puff yourself up on doing that. You deserve the Spark, you're its kind of folks. As for me, I'll laugh at Sparks when I pass them in my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. That car feels far safer, far more comfortable, drives smoother and quieter and----I can actually see the road around me with no problem, whatsoever. For a larger car, it can park in pretty small spaces with its excellent turning base and very helpful back-up camera. Gas economy is sitting at about 24 mpg, so not too bad there, either. Oh, and let me add that I turned on the AC, yesterday. I got a blast of Arctic air. YES!

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The spark is not perfect no car is, my issues with the visibility with the spark are only with the large headrests. I can get my mirrors adjusted so I have no side blind spots(learned how to do that with the Camaro). The AC is fine as long as you are moving, sitting in traffic it sometimes can't keep up, but once the interior is cooled down and if you keep it on recirculate it keeps it fairly cool at 90.

10 months and 14,000 miles and still happy with our Spark.

Good luck with the Jeep, unfortunately I have heard some horror stories about the new Cherokee too. You never can tell any more.

Edited by Angrybird12
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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 someone with arthritis/fibromyalgia. I drove 12 hours straight in it and felt fine. In the end the Spark fell victim to several problems. Poor quality control, excessive and unreliable technology (why did it need VVT?) and dealers that just didn't seem to care. Now the cars reputation has been irreparably damaged. Dealers here are selling base models for $9999 and not even haggling. They just want rid of them. I wound up buying a Sonic, which turned out to be a lemon as well, or maybe a white elephant, as it was white. Transmission failure at 11,000 miles, severe overheating problems started a few months later. I eventually wound up taking a huge loss, and now have my dream car, a 2006 Mazda Miata with 47,000 miles on it. Despite having owned 2 brand new GM vehicles with very minimal problems, GM stuck it to me good this time. I will never own another, nor would I recommend one to anybody.

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You can all slam this post and puff yourself up on doing that. You deserve the Spark, you're its kind of folks.

This is where the Spark's tire inflation kit may come in handy for us deserving folks. However when puffing ourselves up using that pump, it may be a good idea NOT to use the tire sealant canister because, well, you get my drift...

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  • 9 months later...

Comparing a compact car to a jeep Cherokee is like cam paring apples to oranges. It's a low cost highly optioned fuel efficient sub compact. I have always owned a sub compact to drive. I have had 2 pintos(horrible experiences so I won't bash) 2 chevettes(great little cars) 2 metros( excellent kettle cars) and I am always amazed at what people had to say about them. Junk inferior or whatever. My chevettes and metros where all in the 190000 mile range when I updated and all still run fantastic. The metro fuel economy was and still is amazing. I had a 3 cylinder and a 4 cylinder both 5 speeds. I use to get 45-50 with the 3 cylinder and 40-44 withthe 4 cylinder. My last update is a spark. I bought a 2lt with a standard Trans with 5800 miles on it. I love little standard cars. So far I love the spark also constantly getting 40-44 mpg with as high as 51. It's loaded unlike most of the little cars I have had. The quirks that this car has had are all fixed thanks to a great local dealer fixing the recalls. Hvac oil pcv valve and hood latch. I changed the oil when I first started driving it at 5800 miles and now have 12000 miles on it it didn't even budge on the stick. The ac is nice and cold as the replaced the pump wiring and switch that was recalled. Will it live up to my others? To early to tell with such low milage but I have all the confidence it will. I meticulously maintain my vehicles. As far as the door post are concearned to me they are no problem and I love the design looks great. Number one safety in s rollover. Number 2 highly function able I wouldn't have anything but a four door. I did add the spot convex mirrors but I do to every vehicle I own. You are not Spose to rely on looking over your shoulder to pass or change lanes. You look in the mirrors and with the convex mirrors and factory mirrors it is no problem. But that's just me I drive truck for 26 years and that's just what you do no looking over your shoulder. Like I said earlier if you don't like sub compacts don't buy one your choice. But don't buy one thinking it's something else. I'll take my little spark again any day, might even buy another if I can find a good enough deal. By the way my other vehicles are a 04 ram 1500 quad cab hemi and a full size ram conversion Van. Just to compare they are great vehicles also but I can't compare them to a spark made for differant transportation clicks. And there blind spots are horrible also but using convex mirrors and good driving skills makes a world of difference. Good luck with the jeep.

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I agree with Chippy848! We have the '13 Spark and find it more fun to drive and better handling than our '15 Range Rover. Once you become aware of blindspots you compensate. Also correct is the fact you can't compare a Jeep with a Spark. They are two completely different platforms at vastly different prices. Our Spark exceeded expectations and at slightly over 70Kmi..still runs like new and no issues. Great gas mileage and burns no oil...I truly don't find the blindspots an issue once I got used to them. Excellent vehicle for the money. The Rover is faster, more quiet and more comfortable, also cost a heck of a lot more than the Spark and won't get me to my destination any faster or safer.

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  • 10 months later...

Mine is a 2013, Im use to driving V8 Mustangs so you can imagine how i feel with power, but 3 kids and all the bills the Spark has done its job. Will probably sell it but because I need something bigger, my kids are growing and are feeling to tight, I drive mostly alone but certain times pick kids in school. Will get a 2005 Used Ford escape 4x4 v6, hope it goes well. 

 

I did enjoy mine with almost 50,000 miles and no problems but the warped rotor and thats it.  No electrical problems or engine whatsover. almost 40mpg in the city

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1 hour ago, mitogt said:

Mine is a 2013, Im use to driving V8 Mustangs so you can imagine how i feel with power, but 3 kids and all the bills the Spark has done its job. Will probably sell it but because I need something bigger, my kids are growing and are feeling to tight, I drive mostly alone but certain times pick kids in school. Will get a 2005 Used Ford escape 4x4 v6, hope it goes well. 

 

I did enjoy mine with almost 50,000 miles and no problems but the warped rotor and thats it.  No electrical problems or engine whatsover. almost 40mpg in the city

 

I like the old box style Ford Escapes.  Thew Ford Escapes do look nice, but they don't look as roomy or durable.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Its a keeper for now the Spark, the Ford Escape is a New York used one, rust bucket, NOPE. Will use the Spark and get a 5.0 Mustang again, 1990 LX Hatchback with 60,000 original miles for $2500, old lady passed away and kids are selling it dirt cheap. So will be here more time with the Chevy Spark.

 

will replace the brake pads on the Spark , they lasted about 22,000 miles, I drive fast sometimes in a mountain where I live, brake hard so I bet if wasnt like that they would last more. 

 

 

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