2013 Chevrolet Spark 2LT Automatic Review

The 2013 Chevrolet Spark may be small but it certainly doesn’t lack for pep or comfort. In fact there is a reason why this mini car was named ‘Spark’, and that is because it absolutely sparkles on the road.

At first glance there is no denying the Spark is small. In fact this mini car is downright tiny next to the larger, full size sedan and SUV. But just like Rocky, he may have been small in stature but his punch was powerful, similarly the Spark is in horsepower. Outfitted with a 1.25L engine and 84 HP with a 83 LB @4200 RPM torque, the Spark can handle both street driving and highway driving just fine. No, it doesn’t have the engine of a Porsche, but it’s still zippy enough to get the job done. Parking the Spark is another pleasure, since it is so tiny, fitting into small spots on crowded New York City streets is a breeze.

The Chevy Spark was made for city driving, its small size makes it ideal for parking, and also zipping through traffic and manuering out of tight situations quickly. The car handles very well and is tight on quick swerves. Its 15″ wheels along with solid suspension handle potholes and other road hazards easily, and are able to bounce right out of them without feeling like this small car will fall apart.

While road handling is solid, the Spark also has many tricks up its sleeve with being a very technically savvy car. For starters, its odometer is completely digital, small and attached to the steering wheel. I did find this design disconcerting in the beginning, but it quickly grew on me. Furthermore, the 7″ color touchscreen with MyLink Radio offers Bluetooth connectivity with your smartphone, access to Pandora internet radio and Stitcher Smart Radio Apps. We streamed our iPhone 5 with the car and it paired quickly and easily.

The entire MyLink system is touch based. There are no physical buttons to operate the navigation of the system. Once MyLink turned on, it works flawlessly and is extremely intuitive, but oddly enough actually powering on the interface is the most difficult part. Since everything is all touch, the power button is extremely sensitive to your finger and it often took several tries to get the interactive touch screen on. This often left us scratching our heads and wishing we had a traditional control knob back.

While the Spark may look like a speck on the road, its interiors are very comfy and in reality very spacious for this type of car. It is almost an illusion from looking at the outside of the car versus the inside of the car. The driver and passenger side legroom and headroom is quite suitable and seating is quite comfortable for long rides.

Unfortunately backseat passengers may not have as much legroom, but still the bench easily sits two. Unfortunately, the interior seating in the back and its headrests are extremely uncomfortable and stiff. Luckily those upfront do not have this issue. Many might also be concerned with safety in this mini car – well fear not – there are 10 air bags in this car as well as a rollover sensing system.

Verdict

The Chevy Spark is a great little car that has it all. It offers surprisingly comfy and spacious interiors for long drives and easily fits two friends in the back for those rowdy Saturday nights. The vehicle also offers a decent fuel economy with city 32MPG and highway 38 MPG and a 9.2 gallon fuel tank. Which means filling up will certainly be a lot cheaper. But depending on how much you drive, it could be more frequent as well. We were able to squeeze 270 gallons on a full tank of gas of mixed city and highway driving.

That said, it can be nerve-wracking to drive the Spark on the highway since many other cars try to intimidate you because of their bigger size. But the 2013 Chevy Spark easily holds its own on the road, leaving those bigger cars eating its dust. The 2013 Chevy Spark can range anywhere between 12k and 16k depending on upgrades and features, and it is available now.

The Good: This mini car is big on features. Spacious interiors, nice handling, smart design with hidden rear-door handles, MyLink Smartphone integration, intuitive touch screen system, and the perfect car for city driving.

The Bad: Temperamental touch power button on the audio system, backseat with headrests are uncomfortable, and it is a bit pricey for the size of the car.

2013 Chevrolet Spark 2LT Automatic Review