Took one for a boot a while ago. Narrow little thing. Could use a few more ponies but its adequate. Zippy even. It handles fairly well- its not a garbage barge like the mirage, wallowing like an elephant on a skateboard. The spark is probably just as planted as the micra.
I like the infotainment center. I also like the steering wheel controls, but this is the 2lt model I tried. In typical GM fashion, the dealer only ordered 1 Base model Manual (LS), the rest are all premium.
Block heater is a $150 option. Probably wont need it tho. Floor mats are also $150 option. But the base model DOES have the MyLink fancy stereo- A big point if you area tecchie.
Called GM Canada for some more insight because the vehicle locator service isn't working. The representative informed me that there are only 30 LS Manual Sparks ordered in Ontario from dealers to go into their inventories.
Base model micra vs base model spark. With the spark you get a few more treats. You get onstar with the LTE and hotspot. You get a tire pressure monitor system. You get a USB port. You get outside temperature display. You get an oil life monitor. You get a backup camera. And you get a bit more fuel economy. Not to mention the rear cargo shelf is standard. The micra is a bit heavier at 1044kg then the sparks 1010kg, but the micra has 109hp compared to the sparks 98hp. I dont think you will see much of a performace difference between the two.
What you don't get is room for a third passenger in the back seat.. almost a 100l smaller trunk. (3 cubic feet smaller) Almost 100l smaller interior (about 3 cubic feet) 10cm less rear leg room, Smaller fuel tank. Smaller track as well- Hell. Its simply a smaller car then the micra and thats it. Interesting thing tho is the CVT LS model gives you Air conditioning wither you like it or not, but lacks the cruise control like the micra S auto has.
So. I guess it comes down to priorities. Is the back seat important to you? If not then the spark is a pretty worthy competitor. I was actually nicely impressed by it. Seriously. Its really not bad at all.
I dont really expect the price to stay down on the LS manuals for long. Its a promotion. The success of the spark is going to lie in the hands of the dealerships. A few GM dealerships in my area only have the spark as a lure to get you in the door and persuade you into something larger, so I would say go to a major city to look at the spark where they wont care so much about the profit margin they are taking. If the dealerships promote the spark and steer people at it, the micra will be in for serious competition. If they just use it as a step stone to get people into more expensive cars, then it will flop in a few years.
Last edited by Howie; 05-10-2016 at 11:42 AM.
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View my fuel log 2015 Micra S automatic: 7.9 L/100 km ... 35.7 mpg (Imp) ... 12.6 km/L ... 29.7 mpg (US) ...