2018 Chevrolet Spark vs. Its Competition

John Voelcker

Very small cars were a trend a few years ago, but cheap gas and more fuel-efficient SUVs have left many of the tiniest cars gasping for sales.

The Fiat 500 is now in its eighth model year, and shows it.

The little Italian three-door hatchback is as stylish as ever, but its awkward driving position and lack of refinement are starting to show, plus it’s really only usable for two adults.

The Mini Cooper, now in three-door and five-door form, is larger than the littlest Chevy, and considerably more chic, but it’s also pricier.

The two-seat Smart ForTwo is one of the few cars on the market smaller than the Chevy Spark, but it has only two seats—against the four usable seats in the Spark.

The closest minicar competitor is the Mitsubishi Mirage, and we have no hesitation in saying the Spark is a better car than the slow, dumpy, primitive Mirage.

But the Spark’s closest competition within Chevy dealers may be the brand’s larger subcompact Sonic hatchback.

It too holds four people, benefits from a recent freshening, and is simpler a bit larger and more substantial against the almost toy-like Spark.

Neither is selling particularly well, so it may be possible to get a Sonic for almost Spark money.