Eh, the only reason this is bad is because of the “mAh FoRd/ChEvY iS bEtTeR tHaN aNy ChEvY/fOrD eVeR bUiLt!“ argument.

This isn’t news to anyone who’s done any serious pre-purchase research on EV’s. That said, good on you guys for posting it in a straightforward manner that’ll make the information easier for future EV-curious individuals to find!

I’ve never used the safety ratings in my car buying decisions, but most of my car buying has been of the sub-$5k Craigslist private sale variety. That said, I recently had to refer to IIHS ratings to prove to my family that no, my teeny tiny Spark isn’t a death trap. Then we all learned that, holy crap, my wife's…

I had a 2nd gen with a turbo for 5 years. It was fantastic nearly the whole time and was still pretty good when I sold it with over 230,000 miles. It once fit 3 adults and 2 kids in car seats on a 4 hour road trip with no issue, and somehow averaged 23 mpg despite hilly terrain. It handled snow like a boss, and also…

When I bought my Spark EV, I had read so many reviews that commented about the Fisher-Price plastics, the janky-feeling switches, and the Dollar Store quality seat material. Sure, compared to a luxury car built around the same time, the interior sucks - but if you compare it to some cars of yesteryear, it’s actually…

I'm not Desoto61, but I'm 90% sure their reasoning is because of how Nissan has handled issues with the Leaf (ie. not well). Granted, the Leaf has very few issues overall - but the ones it has aren't trivial, and Nissan's responses have usually been subtle ways of saying "we'd rather sell you a new one than fix the…

Same scenario not far from where I live... what’s funny is that the one not inside the Walmart closed down this year due to slow sales.

I can think of two on my Spark EV: First, the car is “keyless”, but 1. uses the same switchblade key fob as the gas powered Spark, yet 2. has a pair of extra buttons that the gas powered Spark doesn’t (remote start and EVSE disconnect). It also has the ignition switch in the steering column, but it’s both covered with…

As another data point, I bought my Forester XT from a buy here/pay here lot - it wasn’t a “bad” car at all. They’d got it from an auction, and the one previous owner had taken good care of it. They also let me do a PPI, which spotted a leaking valve cover. When I brought this up, they offered to pay the mechanic that…

Define “better”... Our 4.0 WJ transmission has 150,000 miles on it, and it’s fine. Plus, some owners actually prefer the Selec-Trac transfer case over the V8's Quadradrive, as you have a 2WD option in addition to part-time 4WD & AWD. The real weak point is in the axles - Dana 30 or 35's (don't remember which) that…

The question is, in America at least, will buyers follow?

Just follow the trumpets

If they keep it at $33k (which I doubt, as batteries are $$$) then the after tax cost is $25,500. That's DAMN good for an EV that can go more than 200 miles. I had intended to upgrade to a Kona EV in the next couple years (despite it's ugly face), but this news makes me reconsider...

Seconded! (Okay, thirded!) My Spark only puts out 130 hp... and 357 lb/ft of torque! I took it down some curvy backroads last weekend and the torque + regenerative braking in "low" was addictive. If I could afford the range penalty, I'd seriously consider swapping out the stock Ecopias for Yokohama S-Drives.

Can confirm; my wife's grandfather bought one earlier this year to replace his old CR-V. He's only had it a few months, but he loves it so far.

I know the Spark EV fits every definition of “compliance car”, but have you actually driven one? It’s actually BETTER than the gas Spark, is more efficient than a similar/same year Leaf, and is way more fun to drive. I’m willing to bet that if GM had kept making them alongside the Bolt and sold them in all 50 states…

I had my first sip of coffee at 7 years old, but didn’t start drinking it regularly until I was either 11 or 12. People used to tell me all the time “You shouldn’t drink that, it’ll stunt your growth!” I grew to be 6'5", and am the tallest person in my family by at least 4 inches.

How do dealers figure comps when there are few to none in a region? I’m curious because this is something I came upon recently in searching for a used Leaf. Example: Dealer A has a 2015 S trim with no fast charge option for $10k; Dealer B has an almost identical car (same year, trim, and color, with about 1000 more…

Thank you! I encountered this several times over the last couple months and thought it was because I was searching for an EV in an area where EVs haven’t quite caught on yet. In the first instance, the dealer hadn’t even bothered to plug in the car I wanted to look at, and then completely lost interest in me when I…

Thank you for this! Now I know what to make for the next office holiday potluck!