September 2012: Jaguar Land Rover North America

This little car, a 2022 Chevy Spark, saved the day …. or, rather, the week.  I exchanged a larger and more complex vehicle and, of the few available to pick from, I chose this one.  It was a dark metallic blue sedan.  I once had a Spark for a day in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and I felt I could go for this pint-sized and economical go kart, even though, this time, I would be taking it on the open road for about a week. The Spark’s hallmark is simplicity.  The interior is simple.  The controls are simple.  And what’s under the hood is simple. A person gets into the Spark and setting it up is easy.  The controls are straightforward.  Curiously, the only thing that was missing was a temperature gauge, which could have been slotted in near the fuel gauge.  Similarly, the center stack is also easy to work with, except that everything is a little smaller and less complicated.  However, dials and switches are “Cadillac grade.”  For the infotainment system and climate control, GM’s divisions share the parts, and, here, the Spark benefits. Some similar cars in Europe are powered by 3-cylinder engines.  The Spark runs with a familiar 1.4 liter 4-cylinder Ecotec engine, sitting in a very tidily organized engine bay where things are accessible and serviceable.  Like many other small cars, the Spark uses a CVT and has for several years now. For everyday driving, the Ecotec 1.4 is acceptable.  Its best feature is how it pulls off the line, or maybe that’s an illusion because it’s small and agile.  It fares okay on mid- to high-speed upticks in speed, but not enough so to get oneself out of tighter situations with neighboring cars with way more horses.  On several highway tanks, the mileage came in at between 38 and 44 mpg.  The lower mileage treks probably had more city driving to find gas stations or supermarkets! The Spark’s CVT seems to perform fine.  The nice thing about it is that the shift lever is very simple and is notched such that it moves down directly from P or R to D, and requires a jog to move over to L.  You won’t get to L by accident.  The CVT does drone on when pushed, but it’s not as pronounced as in some other vehicles. Ride and handling are two different things.  The Spark rides decently on well-kept city streets and on well paved highways.  In fact, here, it almost defies its smallness and low weight.  However, on rough local roads and highways that have washboard pavement and gaps, it might as well be a “beater.”  The roughness can come through as jolts.  As for the handling, it’s nimble and agile.  You always know what the tires are doing, though not in bad way.  There is some isolation.  It’s fun to drive this car in downtown areas, on good suburban roads, on mildly winding 2-lane roads, and even on interstates with speed limits under 65 mph. The interior materials are not especially uptown, but their assembly is respectable.  We are talking about small expanses of surface areas that need to be trimmed out, hence the car’s interior appears to be put together well.  The seats are firm, have some shape, are suitable for up to an average sized individual, and do the job … except for maybe long-haul jaunts.  It’s funny that there’s a small fold down armrest only for the driver.  I actually used it.  There is no console.  There’s not much else down in the center except for the squarish module with the shifter.  At the base of the center stack, there is a small tray which has a USB outlet and a lighter outlet right above it.  Controls at the stalks are standard GM items and the infotainment center and climate control system are almost intuitive.  There is a floor mounted fuel door release by the driver’s seat, a feature that I believe should not be omitted for gasoline or diesel-powered engines, yet some larger cars have done away with this feature.  The rear seat, while nicely finished for the price point, does not offer much legroom for adults.  The storage space with the back seat up behind the hatchback (or 5th door) is very limited.  It can probably handle a medium sized suitcase and a smaller duffel bag, so plan accordingly.  Still, it’s slightly better than what a Smart Car can offer in the back, and it comes with a cover that hides your contents. The Spark’s exterior is econobox all the way, with some endearing almost toy-like aspects, such as a low-key front fascia and rear taillamp assembly and bumper.  It comes in the standard colors, but also some “radical” ones like metallic lime, metallic passion fruit, toasted marshmallow, and possibly a strong “yield sign yellow” aimed at younger drivers or someone who wants to do things a little differently.  The rear overhang is especially short and hearkens to the smallest foreign cars in Europe and Latin America.  This car would look right at home there, but I don’t know if it’s marketed elsewhere at this point.  Alloy wheels can round out the look, as do the rear door handles that are up in the frames at the side of the doors, just like they were on ‘88 to ‘96 GM W-body coupes!  The car might make you chuckle as you go about your business without fetching much attention. The Chevy Spark is a car that serves a purpose – it’s a zippy little city car or local road trip car for someone that wants a known brand and a car that has been around for a few years at an entry-level price.  It has some systems that have had some issues, and the jury is still out on CVTs and their longevity, but Ecotec engines have been around for a while though, for some reason, certain years fare differently than others (think dots on adjacent columns in Consumer Reports).  Some of the other systems are common to and shared within the GM stable, so they should perform acceptably.  In short, I had fun driving this car for that week.  However, coming home to a larger vehicle that is smoother, quieter, and more isolated was also welcomed. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING

*Somewhat random thought* So obviously those are pretty rare vehicles, right? I managed to see two of them yesterday! A black one and a maroon one. Of course I never got pictures of either but both seemed to be in "pretty good" shape, not mint but far from bad. It's good to see, at least these two, taken care of.