Road Test: 2013 Chevrolet Spark

The mini car, those smaller than a subcompact, has never gained meaningful traction in the U.S. Whether it's a lack of power, aesthetic appeal, or versatility, buyers here expect style and substance for their hard-earned dollars. But, it only took a short time with the 2013 Chevrolet Spark, for us to conclude that there is plenty of both in this ultra-compact cruiser. John Davis with the MotorWeek road test review of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark.

[matthewwilder]

You people don't understand that this car is made to be affordable to people like me who can't afford a prius-like vehicle. We can't all afford to buy big cars with a v6 or a v8. The fuel economy of this car is not the end of the world considering it's a city car. And to all who say it's unsafe, it's the best rated compact above any toyota, honda, kia and hyundai. Not every american wants a huge suv or a gas guzzling muscle car. This car is cheap and well made. So what if the styling is questionable. You can't tell me $15, 000 is too expensive. It comes with more features on the LS model for around $14k than you would find on similar small cars. Take it for what it is and stop complaining. We poor people need a car to buy!

[carwashvnvmc]

I bought a 2015 and it's been the funnest car I've ever owned and I'm 63. I've had the windows tinted and bought a dash mat for it. It gets up to 75 MPH with no problems or strains and the air conditioner is very good. Mines the LS model in Salsa color. I've driven Her 375 miles so far and gotten gas once and still have 3/4 of a tank. I Love this little car!

[HOTRODRICH]

My 2014 Spark LS is not the most luxurious car I have ever bought but it is one of the best. It has never given me a problem and has extremely low maintenance costs. I am also averaging an amazing 49.5 miles per gallon on regular. The sport gets an A-Plus for me for value.

[thetinysideoftiny]

I just bought a brand new 2017 Spark LS (base model) with a 5 speed manual transmission for $10, 100 OUT-THE-DOOR. It's the deal of the decade for a brand new vehicle. I feel that I received far more than what I paid for. Thanks GM Korea for such a great little car! I've owned it for about 6 weeks now and have 2, 500 miles on the odometer. Super fun to drive. Reminds me of my 80's Civics...a little street legal go-kart. Fun, Fun, Fun!!

[archerrunner]

5 speed manual 107k miles and still running. original spark plugs, dealer replaced o2 sensor. bad wheel bearing just started a week ago. getting that replaced for $100. 37-42 mpg depending on driving style. I've been a couple thousand miles late on oil changes, started using synthetic (walmart supertech synthetic ) since 75k miles(update 11/24/20 121k miles. started driving over 200 miles a day. so far so good)

[joshmckinnley]

This car is surprisingly safe, earning a Top Safety pick from the IIHS

[gibbyjones]

people (like me) who own this car (mine's a 2019) love it. people who bad-mouth this car don't own one.
as to safety, only us owners know (even chevy gets this wrong) that 2019 sparks have 12 airbags, not 10.
the other 2019 cheapest cars cost twice as much. the one they call spark - when less is more.

[callumbalodis]

We have all of these in Australia "Holden Barina Spark" they are great!

[rexxephoenix]

I bought my 2015 cvt spark in 2018 for 3k and I’ve never had even one single problem with the car. It’s been the best car I’ve ever owned. It’s the ONLY car I’ve ever owned that’s not had any issues.

[GeekTherapyRadio]

Tiny cars are a blast to drive. You have the same fun at 30mph that a performance car could only do at 90 mph. That means that every trip to the grocery store can be a hoot, whereas a high-end sports car would require a visit to the race track.

"Legally" speaking, of course.

[dktdt]

I have a 2014 Chevrolet Spark 2 LT in the Grape Ice color and it has 42, 000 miles on it now, i absolutely love the car. Im always getting 400 miles to a tank of gas, im 6, 1 and i fit very comfortably in my Spark. The only things ive done to the car in the 42, 000 miles, is replace one set of tires, one set of brakes all the way around, oil changes and i had to bring it in for one recall to replace the Mylink radio, other than that its been a great car. I would definitely buy another spark, however its my fun car, i also got a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis as well.

[michaelbenjamin]

money is very tight in some cases needs a good ride get 2013 or 2014 chevrolet spark LS or 1LT with automatic this is good budget and low monthly car payments.this is good for all ages including the city.

[turdinthepunchbowl]

I traded in my 2017 Stingray, when I saw this car in real life!

[themlotproductions]

The voiceover sounds like a normal American shopping channel advert.

[palebeachbum]

I wanted a thrifty car. I whittled it down to the Chevy Spark, Nissan Versa sedan, and Kia Rio. Comparably equipped, the Rio was too expensive and not terribly comfortable. Loved the style, features, and price of the Spark, but fuel economy was a huge let down. So I opted for the Versa sedan. Perfect car for me. Roomiest, most comfortable interior. Loved the seamlessness of the CVT. Got one as cheap as the Spark, so it was no brainer. Also, MPG is incredible. Best tank so far at 50 MPG!

[danielware]

I have a '14 Spark but I only average 300 miles or so on a tank.  I recently replaced the dome & license lights with LED's.  So far no warning/error messages.  I'm just a little nervous about getting the LED's for like the brake/back-up in case there's an error.  I bought the other LED's at Wal-Mart and the bulbs they had are made by Pilot Automotive.

[Trance]

I love the styling of this car. I drove one briefly (Techno pink. Yuk!) around a parking garage as a valet.

[BumbleBee]

i just realized theres a chevy dealer right around the corner from my house! and the first car you see is the spark. i really love this car and im going to get it :)

[ecowarrior]

A U.S. gallon is smaller than a European gallon therefore the European cars will show much higher miles per "gallon". Most people never realize that the gallon measurement is not the same on the different continents.

[anthonybancheri]

what the hell? they didn't say anything about its braking time.