Used 2018 Chevrolet Spark Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Spark, so we've included reviews for other years of the Spark since its last redesign.
Good Little Car - Real Cheap
Johnny, 09/06/2017
updated 03/14/2018
2017 Chevrolet Spark 1LT 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl CVT)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
Given the immense supply in North American dealerships these cars should be a steal. After one year of ownership I've had zero problems reliability-wise. The front seats are good and can fit two big dudes no problem provided you stagger the seatbacks a little. Android Auto is fantastic. The CVT isn't. If you can drive manual or want to learn this would be a great car to do so, especially with the hill holder feature - the CVT is angry, doesn't like to rev, and will leave you motionless from a stop on steep hills unless you throw it into L. Don't be afraid to use the L mode on hills, up or down. Otherwise this car is very easy to park, good on gas, and painless to drive in traffic. It's actually kind of fun to throw into curves too. Just know that if you have tall people in the front seats no one is going to be sitting behind them. Also: the stock Kumho tires my car arrived with were bad in the snow, definitely get snow tires if you'll be dealing with serious winters. Another year in - no issues with the car whatsoever. Just one recall.
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4 door hardtop Miata
Bill, 03/28/2018
2017 Chevrolet Spark 1LT 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl CVT)
28 of 30 people found this review helpful
If you are only going to have one car in the family, the Spark probably isn’t for you. For me, cars are like tools. You can’t owe one screwdriver or one wrench and expect to get much done. My other cars are an F250 to tow my travel trailer and for heavy work around the house, my wife has a KIa Sorrento we use for family outings and the Spark takes me on my 90 mile round trip to work. After communiting in a diesel F250 for a year, it became apparent to me I could just buy another car with what I’d save on diesel fuel and maintenance. That math equation turned out to be spot on. I honestly don’t understand the complaints about power. The Spark has very close specs to a first generation Miata. It is around 2300 lbs and just under 100 horsepower. My commute is in Dallas traffic and I never have issues with acceleration. To put that into perspective, here is a little background on me. I raced 125 cc shifter karts for 20 years and I’ve owed some reasonably fast cars over the years, Supercharged Mustang, Mercedes C55 AMG and a few motorcycles, and the Spark accelerates just fine. It isn’t fast in a straight line but it certainly gets the job done. The street handling is on par with the NA and NB Miatas I have owned. I’m not taking it to the race track, so the handling limits of the Spark are far beyond what you’d ever need on the street. That being said, I have one reasonably decent speed right hander on my way home where I frequently find some unpleasant person in some high power car climbing up my rear. As I enter the corner I can give a slight throttle, lift turn in hard to the apex and hit the throttle and watch them disappear in the mirror. I can frequently see the car behind with fairly significant body roll under steering while they try to keep up. Spark too slow? I think not. I embarrass cars costing sometimes 10 times as much on a daily basis going around that corner. The Spark is a hard top Miata with 4 doors. I only wish to could find one with a manual transmission. The layout of the dash is very intuitive and the radio is fantastic. I don’t know how I lived before Apple Car Play. I pick up my two toddler sons on the way home and there is plenty of room for them. My older son named my red Spark “Rojo”. Luggage space is certainly limited but I have no issue fitting groceries in it. My mileage has slowly crept up from 35.5 to 37.1 in the 25,000 miles I’ve driven. It has only been back to the dealership once and that was for an airbag recall. I do my own maintenance and it is very easy to work on. I change the oil about every 7000 miles and rotate the tires every 5000. I think it is important to review cars for what they are supposed to be and not hold them to the wrong standard. As a commuter car or even just running around town, the Spark far exceeds any expectations I had. It isn’t a track day car, a luxury sedan, or whatever else you might want to compare it to. Yeah, the plastic is hard in the interior. I paid $13,500 for it with all sorts of dealer incentives. What did you expect? And frankly, who cares? I’m not sitting on the door panels or the dash. Are you too precious to be in the presence of some hard plastic? It’s small...duh. I don’t need some expert car reviewer to tell me that. My Spark is fun, well thought out, reliable and gets great gas mileage. If you need a second car or a third, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another....enough said... (except this.. Dear Chevrolet, how much would it have cost to put a dome light in the back of the car? It is seriously dark back there at night when I’m taking the kids out.)
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2018 Chevrolet Spark for sale near you
3 of 67 listings
- LS 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $10,900143 mi away
- ACTIV 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $15,795248 mi away
- 1LT 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $13,998256 mi away
See all 67 listings
Neat Little Car
Michael H., 06/19/2018
updated 06/29/2021
2018 Chevrolet Spark LS 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
19 of 20 people found this review helpful
I bought this car to replace a 2004 Mini Cooper S that I totaled. I needed a car that I could easily put a multi-needle embroidery machine in the back, which I could in the Mini. So far it has been great. Meets my needs well. Ride gets a bit lively when the road gets really rough, but I can fly through severe rain when others have their hazards on. I have yet to drive it in a Southern Ohio winter, but I think it will be ok in the snow. I researched a lot of other cars and found this to be the best value. The gas mileage is really great. Controls are easy to use and well located. Not as much interior storage as I was used to with my 2008 Mazda3, but that is to be expected.
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More than meets the eye.
Steve, 07/03/2018
updated 04/30/2019
2017 Chevrolet Spark LS 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
24 of 26 people found this review helpful
I agree with another poster who compared the Spark to an early generation Miata. Consider the following: 1. Did you know the Spark is actually a European design? It has that European feel and no wonder - it is marketed in several European countries as an Opel “Karl”. 2. In Consumer Reports tests of around 250 cars in 2017, the Spark was rated either #6 or #7 in their accident avoidance (handling) tests. It matches the Corvette and the new Miata in this regard. It also has braking scores in the top 20% or so all cars tested. 3. Traction control can be completely shut off if you wish. 4. All the (0-60) acceleration tests you see are with the CVT trans which has a notable “bog” off the line. The 5 speed manual is at least a second quicker. 5. I can reach 50 mpg on the highway occasionally, and rarely if ever get below 40 mpg. My overall average (5 speed manual) is around 42mpg in mixed driving. Hybrid mileage without the hassles and complexity. Port injection - no D.I. I find the car similar to a 1st generation GTI in terms of weight and power-and it is also kicks to drive and eminently practical. It’s kind of a “hidden gem” of a vehicle and a great value for the dollar. It’s a fun to drive car and an exceptional economy car to boot. Update: I travel a very curvy backroad on the way to work. I frequently encounter people in high end cars (the road is near a wealthy area) and they always seem to be in a big hurry. So far, I have made one Mercedes coupe, one late model 911, and one late model (mk 7) GTI my peers in that they could not gain on me until the road straightened out. The poor guy in the GTI was literally using both lanes of the 2-lane road to keep up with me using just one lane, and the 911 just blasted by once the road straightened out, but hey, I did not hold him up through the corners! For what the car is, it is pretty amazing. It is really all the car you need unless you have a big family. I even think that it looks pretty good, the front end has a serious but not an angry look to it. Edmunds indicates that the manual transmission Spark is probably slower than the CVT. Absolutely not true! The manual is quite a bit quicker, all the tests are done with the CVT, so the car appears slower than it really is. The CVT has a noticeable "bog" off the line. The manual breaks the tires loose in first - even got a "bark" out the tires shifting up to 2nd. Most of the complaints I have heard of revolve around the CVT transmission. The Spark is manufactured and designed as a "clean sheet" design in S. Korea (not a bad thing) and is marketed as an Opel and Vauxhall in other countries. It is not, as I have previously stated, designed in Europe as an Opel. Just FYI. It may just be the smallest 4-door in the world, but it does not look like it and the large rear doors allow easy access. As you may determine, I really like mine!
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More isn't always better
Terry, 09/20/2018
updated 03/27/2023
2018 Chevrolet Spark LS 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
23 of 25 people found this review helpful
We are a retired couple. At this stage in life, our kids expect us to go all out. They think we should treat ourselves to the finest, most luxurious, and exotic things life has to offer. Did we ever fool them! Six months ago we bought a Spark LS base model. That's right, not a single option. We got it off the dealer's lot for a little over $10k. Do we miss all the electronic convenience features? Not a bit. It's not that hard to roll up a window or adjust a seat manually. It's an incredibly easy car to operate. We have taken several day trips in it and find it comfortable. It rides nicely. It's quiet. It's very nimble, easy to park, solid through the corners, and generally fun to drive. The gas mileage was a pleasant surprise. Our worst is 42.1mpg and our best is 48.3mpg. We often stay on the state highways and find the little car gets great mileage at 55mph. Storage space is adequate for our needs. Legroom is adequate for my over six foot body. In short, it does everything we need without a lot of unnecessary frills. We are extremely happy we took the simple road with this little car.
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