Chevrolet Spark - American Mr Muscle

[peterbredde]

My pride and joy is under accident repair after it was molested by a 4x4 and so I find myself in charge of a bad assed Chevvy with a 1 liter 3 cyl powertrain for a week.

Once you get used to the complete lack of low down grunt it's actually quite good fun. Very willing little engine at higher speeds, sharp brakes and a 'will I, won't I make it' approach to cornering.

I love small cars, the thinner the wheels the better. But I will be glad to return it. 1 week is about enough.

[Escort3500]

I had a Chevrolet Lacetti hire car a few years ago. It was underpowered, badly screwed together and the handling was borderline scary

[r11co]

Escort3500 said:

I had a Chevrolet Lacetti hire car a few years ago. It was underpowered, badly screwed together and the handling was borderline scary

I'll bet you it wasn't. 1st rule of hire cars is that you drive them with no respect, which might explain your observation.

My own experience of a Lacetti was very predictable plough-on understeer if you drove like a tool. Otherwise no worse than any other non performance car...

As for the Spark - I actually laughed out loud the first time I saw one for real. My colleague has one because he admits he has zero interest in cars and bought it because it was the cheapest new thing he could find at the time. The interior feels like it is made of the same plastic wheelie bins are made out of, and his came as standard with bits of blue metallic trim that look like they were painted with a rattle can, which look even odder because the rest of the car is silver...

Edited by r11co on Saturday 7th December 19:05

[anonymous-user]

Escort3500 said:

I had a Chevrolet Lacetti hire car a few years ago. It was underpowered, badly screwed together and the handling was borderline scary

I had a brand new one of these as a courtesy car a while ago. It was underpowered, and badly screwed together but not scary. The best way I can summarise it was that it felt like a brand new car from the mid 80s in terms of dynamics.

[Blib]

My daily London runaround is a Fiat 500 Twin Air. 0.8 litre with optional turbo which I hardly ever engage.

It's great fun to drive. Really comfortable. Goes anywhere, parks anywhere. I pay no road tax and no congestion charge. I love it.

[Noesph]

I had one as a hire car back in the summer, engine makes quite a nice noise, pity it has no power at all. I found that the pedals where too high up, like when your heels are on the floor your touching the pedals with your toes.

[Escort3500]

r11co said:

Escort3500 said:

I had a Chevrolet Lacetti hire car a few years ago. It was underpowered, badly screwed together and the handling was borderline scary

I'll bet you it wasn't. 1st rule of hire cars is that you drive them with no respect, which might explain your observation.

My own experience of a Lacetti was very predictable plough-on understeer if you drove like a tool. Otherwise no worse than any other non performance car...

As for the Spark - I actually laughed out loud the first time I saw one for real. My colleague has one because he admits he has zero interest in cars and bought it because it was the cheapest new thing he could find at the time. The interior feels like it is made of the same plastic wheelie bins are made out of, and his came as standard with bits of blue metallic trim that look like they were painted with a rattle can, which look even odder because the rest of the car is silver...

Edited by r11co on Saturday 7th December 19:05

I didn't actually drive it with "no respect"; it's was hired by my employer to whom I'd have been answerable if I'd caned the life out of it and any damage had resulted. It wandered in a straight line, was dreadfully fidgety on corners and inspired little confidence if I wanted to hustle it along. dme123's description as it having the dynamics of a (tired) mid '80s car is probably pretty accurate. However, some of these characteristics might have been down to or exaggerated by a hard life: it was coming up to 13k miles, which is when the hire company usually get rid.

[Petrolhead_Rich]

peterbredde said:

My pride and joy is under accident repair after it was molested by a 4x4 and so I find myself in charge of a bad assed Chevvy with a 1 liter 3 cyl powertrain for a week.

Once you get used to the complete lack of low down grunt it's actually quite good fun. Very willing little engine at higher speeds, sharp brakes and a 'will I, won't I make it' approach to cornering.

I love small cars, the thinner the wheels the better. But I will be glad to return it. 1 week is about enough.

it's a complete bag of st, worst thing I've ever driven (including a 1970's Czechoslovakian Tractor!!!) oh and they rust, when I went to get one from a hire company, they had seven, every one less than 6 months old, everyone of them rusty!!!