The lowest-priced vehicle in the entire GM family, the Chevrolet Spark is positioned as a champion of economy and urban agility. Although it might not look like a proper Chevy, the Spark offers many of the tech and convenience features found in its bigger siblings.
What's New for 2015
The Spark's standard OnStar system now comes with a WiFi hotspot for connecting to the Internet.
Choosing Your Chevrolet Spark
Unlike most of its competitors in the mini class, the Spark has four doors and does a reasonably good job of seating four passengers. The 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine produces 84 horsepower and comes with a five-speed manual transmission or an optional continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The Spark delivers 34 mpg in combined driving with either transmission.
The Spark starts at just over $12,000, which makes it a bargain even for this class. You get a fair amount of equipment for that price, but the Spark becomes truly livable once you move away from the base model.
Chevrolet offers the spark in three trim levels:
Individual options are limited to a handful of trim pieces like pedal covers and a unique grille insert.
There's about a $4,000 difference between the bottom and top of the line, which is significant for this price class. We recommend shooting for the middle with the 1LT, which offers everything most buyers expect in a new car. Note that the CVT adds almost as much to the price as a whole trim level. If you don't mind doing the shifting yourself, sticking with the manual transmission is a great way to save or get more features for your money.