The fun of a small car is often lost in the fact that it’s a small car. Many shoppers look at the minicars and wonder how so much can be packed into them for the ride and while that mystery is left to the automotive engineers the fact remains that small cars offer a lot for a little for us to enjoy. One of the best examples of this is the Chevrolet Spark. Here is a car that brings in an engine that is stronger than the car needs, great fuel mileage, a low price and the ability to have some of the latest features, all in a small package.
Starting with the engine the Spark is powered by a 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that produces 98 horsepower and 94 lb.-ft. of torque. These numbers may make you laugh and feel like you will need to push the Chevrolet Spark to get it moving, but at less than 2,300 pounds of total weight, this is more than enough power to let you feel like you have a great little car to drive. The engine is mated to either a five-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission to bring in 30 city/41 hwy mpg for the manual and 31 city/41 hwy mpg in the automatic version.
Next, we look at the price of the Spark which will make you feel like you’ve traveled back through time a couple decades. The base price for the Spark is $13,875 but this is probably not where you want to start as you may want to step up to the 1LT and pay $16,800 or move to the fully loaded 2LT and still be under the $20,000 mark with a car that has more for the money than any other car in the class.
As for the features, when you do choose the Spark LS with the manual transmission you will have air conditioning, a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen infotainment system, a three month trial of the OnStar system with the 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity, a four-speaker audio system with USB ports and Bluetooth streaming, ten airbags, a rearview camera and six-months of the OnStar Guidance with automatic crash response and roadside assistance. That’s packing a great deal into a car that costs as little as the base model does.
Looking at the higher trim levels, the 1LT brings you power windows, keyless entry, cruise control, steering wheel mounted audio controls, a theft deterrent system, and SiriusXM. Looking to the top of the line you can have a leather wrapped steering wheel, chrome exterior trim and rear parking assistance on the 2LT model. Other features that you can add include a power sunroof, a Driver Confidence Package which brings in passive safety features you desire and the automatic transmission which can be added to all trims.
When you’re looking for a great car to give as a graduation gift or as a great car for commuting on a daily basis the Spark makes a smart choice. With a low price and the versatility that comes with owning a hatchback your student can head off to college with the ability to carry some gear along with them in the car when they need to and you will know they have a safe ride to enjoy. For 2017 the Spark EV was dropped from the lineup to allow focus to be on making a car that’s even better than ever before. With the technology that can be added to this car and the ability to have a great little car to drive you or your student will love this Spark.
Considering the fact this car has less than 100 horsepower you might not expect the drive to be as great as it is. However, when you visit your local Chevy dealer you’ll see that the Spark is the right size to be smooth and capable on the road, allowing you to challenge it in corners and feel how nimble it is when you find the open road. If you do most of your driving in the city, this is a car that fits nearly everywhere, giving you an easy vehicle to park and enjoy the downtown area. The Chevrolet Spark fits many lifestyles and needs for driving proving that great things do in fact come in small packages.
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