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Home , Chevrolet Spark

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TAP DANCING The touch display takes a lot of finger tapping to get things done.

Tested vehicle Highs Economical, easy to park, Spark usable rear seat road-test If you’re looking for an affordable Pounding the pavement Lows Acceleration, , score city car that’s easy on gas, the Power comes from a dinky 84-hp, 1.2-liter ride, noise, front-seat comfort, driving position, new Spark may strike your fancy. four-cylinder mated to a four-speed controls The four-door subcompact, . To save gas it 34 Trim line 1LT which is built in South Korea, gets excellent clings to the highest gear available, robbing Drivetrain 84-hp, 1.2-liter four-cylinder fuel economy of 32 mpg overall and 42 on pep, and it jerks while hunting between engine; four-speed the highway and has a surprisingly usable gears. The Spark struggles to keep pace, and automatic transmission; rear seat. It offers a relatively nice assortment the engine revs loudly a lot of the time. front-wheel drive of features, including aluminum wheels, A five-speed is also Major None options a touch-screen audio system, Bluetooth, available, which, in our brief experience Tested price $15,420 and 10 air bags. with it, provided livelier performance. The Spark is affordable; we paid $15,420 With its small footprint and stiff suspension The Spark line for a midlevel 1LT version with an automatic the Spark is highly maneuverable, but the Other Trims LS, 2LT transmission. And it measures a foot-and- steering provides almost no feedback. It OTHER Five-speed manual Drivetrain a-half shorter than a Honda Fit, so parking posted a high speed threading our avoidance transmission is super easy. maneuver, with no unpleasant surprises. Base prices $12,995-$16,720 But parking might be the most fun you But pavement flaws deliver stiff, rubbery have with a Chevy Spark. It has sluggish, More test findings kicks into the cabin, especially from the rear. patience- testing acceleration; a 0-to-60- Braking Short stops. The interior has bright colors and mph “sprint” takes 13 seconds. The best we Headlights Good intensity and distance accents, although the plastics and fabrics from low beams; high beams can say about the stiff, jittery ride is that look and feel cheap. Despite high seats are sufficient but don’t excel. it’s better than the buckboardlike Scion iQ, and ample head room, the cockpit still Access Easy in front; the small rear another city car. Despite the Spark’s feels tight and narrow. The steering wheel has an awkward handle. commendable space utilization, the front tilts but doesn’t telescope, forcing a Visibility There are large front and side seats are narrow enough that your shoulders windows, but the wide roof straight-arm reach for some drivers. The and hips hang over the cushions. And then pillars obstruct the view to front seats are lumpy and very firm. On the sides and rear. there’s the cabin noise, a relentless assault the positive side, the rear seats provide Cabin storage Modest. from all quarters. adequate head and leg room for two adults, Head All four adjust and remain All of this contributed to a meager unlike other minicars or even the larger restraints sufficiently tall when overall road-test score of only 34, one of Chevy Sonic. lowered. the lowest in recent years and way too The motorcycle-like gauge cluster looks CHILD SEATS Some rear-facing seats might low for us to recommend the car. The Spark be tough to secure. Top cool but is cluttered and picks up some is too new for us to have reliability data. tether anchor is hard to find. reflections. Dominating the center dash is a 7-inch touch screen that controls How they compare audio and some -phone functions. 0 100 Rec. SUBCOMPACT It lacks traditional buttons and knobs, | | | | P F G VG E even for volume, and the fussy touch- c Honda Fit (base) 68 n screen equivalents give no feedback. Many Scan for video. nc Kia Rio EX 63 functions require several taps to get nc Mazda2 Touring 60 what you want. At least the Bluetooth connectivity sets up easily and works well, fiddling the 60/40-split rear seatbacks fold nc Scion xD 60 and there’s Pandora and a USB port for down to make substantially more cargo 1LT 34 connecting portable music players. room. In lieu of a spare tire, the Spark Scion iQ 29 The space behind the rear seats can hold supplies just a tire pump and a can of just one large suitcase, but with a little puncture sealant.

58 consumer reports january 2013