[Jabellas]

The NY Times ran an article comparing the Chevy Spark, Fiat 500e and the Smart ED. He liked the Spark the best. Has anybody driven the Spark?

Electric service from 199$ a month

 

[SkippyThorson]

I read that yesterday with a smile on my face because I had finally found an unbiased review that was well-written, well-thought-out, and above all, honest!

 

[isai95]

Of the 3 electric cars reviewed just the Smart ED is the only one available the other ones are promises only. I have not even seen one Fiat 500E in the streets of Los Angeles. The Spark; there is not even information on the Chevy site or their dealers. Even the Nissan Leaf is not available. Before getting the Smart ED I went to several Nissan dealers and they did not have them. Same thing with the Honda Fit. Honda made only 1,400 cars for the whole USA and one color available. Why they would do this if they are serious about going electric? They have a big list just to see if you can get one. Give me a break!
About the ED you can go and choose of the many colors and options that they have right now and it is the more affordable electric car on the USA. The best electric city car right now. The best deal if you really are serious about not polluting.

 

[jwight]

Hmmmm... You can find out more about the Spark EV at: 2014 Chevy Spark EV | Electric Vehicle | Chevrolet

You can build and price a Spark EV at: 2014 Chevy Spark EV | Build Your Own Electric Vehicle | Chevrolet

Available at participating dealers in California and Oregon in limited quantities.

PS - the smart is the lowest priced 2 seat EV; I think the Spark is the lowest priced 4 seat EV.*

*actually, it's the Mitsubishi i-MiEV @ $22,995 MSRP

 

[isai95]

MSRP: 1LT $26,685 & 2LT $27,010 for the one with Leather seats.
I'll go to one of their dealers this week to see if they have one.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Yeah, other than the fact that they forgot to mention that the base smart ED is the cheapest mainstream EV in the nation, it was a really fair review!

I remember driving the ED over the summer during smart's "fun test drive" tour. Boy did it make me smile with its quiet ride and surge of torque.

 

[isai95]

Yeah, other than the fact that they forgot to mention that the base smart ED is the cheapest mainstream EV in the nation, it was a really fair review!

He starts by saying that electric cars are becoming cheaper, yet, he does not mention the Smart's price about $12,490 after incentives and rebates or lease for $139.00 He mentions at front the $200 lease for the Smart Cabriolet which is their more expensive option to put it at the same level as the other cars leases.

I remember driving the ED over the summer during smart's "fun test drive" tour. Boy did it make me smile with its quiet ride and surge of torque.

It's very obvious that he likes the Fiat 500E and the Spark second.

The good news is that none of them are terrible.

What kind of comment is this? What car is terrible really?

But would a pure electric vehicle meet your needs?

Oh yeah, the whole point is not to polluting any more. Most people should drive an electric car now. The pollution in Los Angeles and other big cities is killing us.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

His only real complaints about the smart were its responsiveness and ride quality.

Which (sadly), is expected since it's the least powerful of the three...and we all know how harsh the smart suspension can be...

 

[Finest]

I've driven all 3 of those cars.



The 500e was actually what i wanted to get over the ED but the prices for the 500e at the time were over $40,000, nowhere near their advertised prices. That's Volt money right there.


The Spark... Did not feel comfortable driving around in at all. Not because the ride was bad, the torque was great although it was shaky when you stepped on the pedal as if there was too much power for it to handle. But i was eerie just getting in proximity of the car. To me its an eyesore. Not aesthetically pleasing in any way so that right there regardless of anything else made me not want it in the slightest. It's just not a good looking car and compared to its rivals it wasn't even a consideration. And even if it had no rivals it still wouldn't be a consideration.


And the smart... well... i think you all know. :wink:


Still would love to have a 500e though.

 

[Jabellas]

Between these only the Smart ED is offered in MA, and though I would have loved a Fiat it would have been impossible to match $139/mo

 

[kennyrayandersen]

without the immoral subsidies, they would all be WAY overpriced!

 

[Miss Mercedes]

without the immoral subsidies, they would all be WAY overpriced!

Except the smart, which before subsidies starts at $25k and comes pretty well equipped.

You can make a petrol smart cost more than that.

 

[isai95]

Between these only the Smart ED is offered in MA, and though I would have loved a Fiat it would have been impossible to match $139/mo

Yes, that's why I got the Smart ED. For $139/mo nobody would match that. Sure, you may get a better car, better looks, better whatever but the Smart is already more than enough for a city car. That's the cell phone bill for many people
Do I really want to pay $85K for the Tesla to go work? No way!

 

[samsf]

Only other alternative is mishubishi i, now starts at 22k before any rebates. But that company is half dead on life support with only one dealership in all north california.

Fiat 500e is sold out for the year where i live, and there were 150 people on waitlist crazy!! That may partially explained why when i walked into fiat dealership, for half hour not one salesman paid attention to me. :-(

 

[trooplewis]

without the immoral subsidies, they would all be WAY overpriced!

Subsidies only seem immoral to people who don't get them.

But if you want to bounce into an EV forum and complain about subsidies, let's start with the $14 Billion (up to $52 million) in subsidies that the US govt gives to oil and gas companies every year.

Fossil Fuel Subsidies in the U.S. | Oil Change InternationalThe Price of Oil

 

[Miss Mercedes]

You wouldn't want a Mitsubishi i-Miev. The thing has interior materials that remind you of a 90's KIA, seats harder than a school bus, and an overall interior presentation that makes the first generation Chevy Aveo look good.

 

[isai95]

Subsidies only seem immoral to people who don't get them.

But if you want to bounce into an EV forum and complain about subsidies, let's start with the $14 Billion (up to $52 million) in subsidies that the US govt gives to oil and gas companies every year.

Fossil Fuel Subsidies in the U.S. | Oil Change InternationalThe Price of Oil

Bravo! my friend. You took this out of my mouth
Partaking of the gasoline benefits is the most immoral thing that exists. Oil companies are criminals! How can they sleep after all the damage that they have done to society, plants and the animal kindom?

 

[isai95]

Only other alternative is mishubishi i, now starts at 22k before any rebates. But that company is half dead on life support with only one dealership in all north california.

Fiat 500e is sold out for the year where i live, and there were 150 people on waitlist crazy!! That may partially explained why when i walked into fiat dealership, for half hour not one salesman paid attention to me. :-(

This leave us with only one city electric car @ $12,490 or $139/mo which is the one and only one Smart ED.
Really well priced and great selection.

 

[kennyrayandersen]

Subsidies only seem immoral to people who don't get them.

But if you want to bounce into an EV forum and complain about subsidies, let's start with the $14 Billion (up to $52 million) in subsidies that the US govt gives to oil and gas companies every year.

Fossil Fuel Subsidies in the U.S. | Oil Change InternationalThe Price of Oil

no, it's immoral when you rob Peter to pay Paul. Sure, Paul is OK with it (Paul is a progressive that believes the end justifies the means), but Peter got short-changed, and it's not OK. Peter earned his money and he deserves to spend it himself.

I fully agree with you that the oil industry shouldn't get subsides either -- that's not OKay. Just because one bad thing is going on doesn't make it OK to do another bad thing! The only thing that works long-term is to let the market decide. When EVs are mature enough, and a good deal, you won't have to offer people incentives -- they will buy them because it's a good deal and it makes sense. Most of these over-priced EVs are bought by people who can afford it anyway -- they don't need my money (and neither does the oil company!).:wink:

 

[Woody14619]

Most of these over-priced EVs are bought by people who can afford it anyway -- they don't need my money (and neither does the oil company!).:wink:

Please stop with this lie.

NONE OF YOUR MONEY WAS TAKEN TO PAY FOR ANY EV SUBSIDY, EVER!

The one-time tax credit for EV owners is the lesser of $7,500 or the amount of tax they owe to the federal government that year. Meaning the most you can get back is what you already owe/put in. At no point will someone elses money be used to pay for another persons EV tax credit. PERIOD.

You want to talk about immoral taxation? I pay property tax that goes to schools that I have no children in. I pay state taxes to fund programs that I can never, ever be eligible for (WIC comes to mind, being I'm not a Woman, Infant, or Child). I pay tons of taxes for things I can never get back. And my state, as a whole, generally pays more into the federal government than it gets back in funding.

What about child tax rebates? Because you choose to have a child, you get over $2K per year per kid off your taxes. Given that most claim that child for two decades, that $400K per kid in lost tax revenue. There are tons more kids than EVs in the world. You want a wind-mill to charge against, go for that one.

Oh, and on the gas companies getting subsidies... Sorry, but the "two wrongs don't make a right" argument doesn't work when you're participating in one of the wrongs, while bashing the other that has a bottom line less than one thousandth the cost. You can't stand on one side of the fence throwing stones, and then complain when one gets thrown back at you that all stones are evil.