The MiziMoto Review: Chevy Spark EV.

"jsmizira" (jmizira) 01/31/2014 at 11:22 • Filed to: None

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The Chevy Volt's hipster little brother has been on the dealership lot for a little while, and has not gotten much publicity as of late. Is there a reason this little blue skittle has been forgotten already or is this much more of a car than it leads on?

The Chevy spark is a small car that many people have praised already. The reason for this is that it's solidly built, has an interior that is actually decent, and handling that, I've been told, wasn't bad. Their biggest gripe for many regarding the gas powered spark was the lack of power. Car and Driver said "With 84 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque, the little 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine gets the 2350-pound Spark through first gear reasonably quickly. It slows beyond that but never sounds strained, and it's sufficient for urban commuting." Time after time, reviewers said that if it had more power, it would be the perfect small car Chevy needed. Along with the low power of the gas engine, some owners have complained about oil consumption.

All of those problems seem to disappear when the gas tank and internal combustion engine is removed and the battery pack and electric motor sneak in. And lordy, what motor. In gas form the Chevrolet Spark 2LT goes from 0-60 mph in 11.2 seconds and pokes down the quarter mile in 17.9, leisurely when you compare it to its non fire-breathing counterpart, the EV, which does the 0-60 mph deed in 7.8 seconds and Quarter Mile 16.1. That is 3.5 seconds less to 60 and as-good-as-makes-no-difference two seconds in the quarter. Let that sink in for a second. This is not the EV trim level; this is the SS trim level. I believe the traction control off button is actually the burnout ON button, thanks to the teeny tires. Smiles for days will ensue. Even with the traction control on, just twist the steering wheel and plant the throttle and you will hear the tires squeee.

The sportiness of the Electric motor with 400 Ft-lb of torque permeates throughout the cabin in subtle and quiet ways. The sound of silence is all that comes from the motor into the cabin. As you settle yourself in an adequately bolstered seat, listening to absolutely no noise, you gaze goes to the Superbike-inspired, adjustable gauge cluster. The electronic gauges are bright and informative. Everything seems to be driver oriented, with nothing out of reach. The EV comes nicely equipped standard with everything someone looking for a compact or super compact car could realistically use.

That's not to say everything with the Spark EV is perfect.. Space is at a premium, though you can't tell by the trunk for something this size, but headroom is plentiful. On our brief test drive we were able to have fun just as long as there was not a passenger. You see, if you are a bigger person, you will quickly find that the single armrest, not even shared between the driver and passenger, will be constricting when left down. When left up, the bond between you and your co-pilot are bound to become stronger, and in a sweaty, sticky way you won't want. Constricting also are the rear seats. So constricting, that there isn't even a middle seatbelt because, why bother? The heat and A/C is almost instant and comfortable, but to the detriment of the overall range.

Now, if you don't need to travel more than 50 miles to and from work that won't be a problem. If the distance is longer, then you need to plug in at work or look at the Chevy Volt. You would also want to look elsewhere if you do only high speed highway driving. While some could live with it, passing a much larger vehicle increases the nervousness in the steering that most do not care for on the freeway.

Overall, for a $26,000 car it is everything you might want and that's before any federal and state rebates are factored in. Once all those are factored in a $19000 price is possible, which is proof that battery electric vehicles are accessible to everyone. If your current car costs anywhere around $200 a month to fill with fuel you should seriously consider this car and don't discount it until you drive it.

My name is Jamil Mizirawi and I occasionally like to write, always love to drive, and most times love to wrench. Expect more cool and helpful stuff.