Considering a cheap Spark

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taco

Member
Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
5
So I've been toying with the idea of getting a cheap Spark to drive to work. I have a short commute, only 12 miles round trip, well under the range of the Spark. I've found one for $7k with about 38k miles on it. I found it on cargurus which says it's a "great deal". Does this sound like a good deal? I've seen a few others in California for about $1-2k more with 10k or so less miles.

I know it's hard to say one way or another without checking out the battery with the Torque app but what do you guys think? Does it sound like a decent deal for a commuter/beater ev or should I keep looking/wait for Bolts to come off lease and see what they're going for?
 
taco said:
So I've been toying with the idea of getting a cheap Spark to drive to work. I have a short commute, only 12 miles round trip, well under the range of the Spark. I've found one for $7k with about 38k miles on it. I found it on cargurus which says it's a "great deal". Does this sound like a good deal? I've seen a few others in California for about $1-2k more with 10k or so less miles.

I know it's hard to say one way or another without checking out the battery with the Torque app but what do you guys think? Does it sound like a decent deal for a commuter/beater ev or should I keep looking/wait for Bolts to come off lease and see what they're going for?
What year? I might be a bit concerned if it was a 2015 due to possible electrical issues some drivers have experienced - myself included. If the car itself is in very good to excellent condition, why not make the jump; especially if your main use is all local driving? Battery capacity is not a major concern unless your driving requirements in winter approach the maximum range of the car. And, if it were me, I would want to know what the battery capacity is as a point of reference. I bought a used 2014 Spark EV and a used 2016 Spark EV I found on Cargurus.com. Both cars have been trouble-free and I still have them. My 2015 Spark EV was leased for three years and, at the end of the lease, was returned to the dealer.
 
The one that I am looking at is a 2014. I'm not too concerned with winter as I'm in the south (Texas) and it doesn't really get cold. Mainly mid 30s-40s, and even with potential range decrease it wouldn't get in the way of my weekly commute.

I guess I'm a little hesitant because this is a completely new world for me. I'm not really worried about range anxiety or anything, it's just, different.
 
You may look at the trade in value Carvana would give to you if you didn't like it. I've heard of someone getting $7500 for their 2015 with 30k miles on it. If you don't like it you could sell it to them and not be out too much money.

I have an 18 mile round trip commute with a side trip to take our kid to school, after we got a Volt for my wife we realized the Spark EV was a perfect fit for our second car. It is a very small commuter car without a ton of luxury options if you are okay with that. For me being in the car for less than an hour a day total it's what I needed and not much more. I charge it just a few days a week on the standard 8 amp setting through a regular 120V outlet and only a few hours on those days we do actually charge.
 
That’s a good idea I’ll look and see what they would give me for it.

I emailed them and they replaced the shifter assembly & cable as well as the 12vdc battery.

All I’d ever use it for is driving to work and probably short errands around town. The wife’s car is used for any long trips. I would like to save on gas on my Jeep and keep it for having fun.
 
taco said:
The one that I am looking at is a 2014. I'm not too concerned with winter as I'm in the south (Texas) and it doesn't really get cold. Mainly mid 30s-40s, and even with potential range decrease it wouldn't get in the way of my weekly commute.

I guess I'm a little hesitant because this is a completely new world for me. I'm not really worried about range anxiety or anything, it's just, different.
The 2014 Spark EV I purchased used in 2015 only had 1500 miles on the ODO. I still have the car and it has performed without any problems. I do not have DCFC capability with this car but that has not been a problem for my around-town driving. I charge at home overnight using the L1 EVSE that came with the car. I do have to reset the charging rate to 12 amps each night.
 
I spent $7800 on a 2014 withy 52k miles a few years back, best car purchase Ever :)

Fun, silent, no maintenance, fantastic pickup speed, actually roomier than I though, plug at night, never think about gas again...
 
I'm really considering it. I'll save something like $600 a year on gas with the Spark. It looks like it would be a fun "beater" car for driving to work. I'm going to have to talk it over with the wife and get my truck sold.
 
If savings is a factor you may want to consider your insurance rates. My rates are about $20 higher a month for my Spark EV than our Volt with the same coverage.
 
If you have any concerns about the vehicle or it’s battery life you may want to consider a certified pre owned. It gives an extended warranty on the battery plus two free service checks. I’ve seen some CPOs as low as 8 grand on the GMcertified.com website.
 
MrDRMorgan said:
What year? I might be a bit concerned if it was a 2015 due to possible electrical issues some drivers have experienced - myself included.

What were/are these electrical issues? How much hassle to get it repaired?
 
I’m not too worried about the insurance as I’ll still save about $600 a year on gas.

The certified is good definitely something to think about. I saw one with about 40k on it for just under $8k. Seemed a little much seeing as I’ve seen them with less miles for less.
 
DesertSprings said:
MrDRMorgan said:
What year? I might be a bit concerned if it was a 2015 due to possible electrical issues some drivers have experienced - myself included.

What were/are these electrical issues? How much hassle to get it repaired?
You will find posts on this forum. Usually the yellow Service Vehicle Soon light will go on first. At 24k miles, the Service Vehicle Soon light came on in my leased 2015 Spark EV and I suddenly saw my calculated battery capacity drop from 17.1 to 15.8 kWh. The dealer said there was a problem in the charging electronics even though I was not having any charging problems. They replaced a part but I never recovered my lost battery capacity.
 
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