GM - Spark PS - 22 months - 25,000 Kms - Long Term Ownership Review

[Chethan B G]

I bought my first car - Matiz in the year 1998 and since then I have been a great fan of Matiz. In 2004, I thought of buying a entry level 2nd hand MUV and sold my Matiz for Rs.1.25L. My Matiz had done about 1,25,000 Kms in 5 years! But after I shopped for the MUV, I understood the mistake I had done. I just could not digest the quality of the entry level MUVs after owning a Matiz for about 5 years. I did not have money to stretch because of other commitments. So I ended up buying another 2nd hand 2002 model Matiz for Rs.1,45,000/-, which had run about 35,000 Kms when I bought it. My experience with this car was also superb! But I did find a diffrence between my first and the second Matiz in terms of general quality. May be, it is some thing to do with the cars I had Owned.

Day by Day - Service and getting quality spares became a problem. So I decided to change my car in the year 2008. In July 2008 I sold my second Matiz which had done about 90,000 Kms for Rs.1,00,000/- and bought GM-Spark PS - Black! The car was delivered to me on 4th Aug 2008.

Spark-PS with HVAC, PS, Tubeless tyres, Air Suspension, Day/night Rear view mirror, with fairly good safety features, 3 years Cash Less Ownership Offer - Costed me Rs.3,32,000/- OTR Bangalore!!! Superb!! I had to add a Music system, Rear speakers, Sunfilms, Remote central locking, 3M Teflon coating, Floor Mats and Mud flaps. All in all, it costed me Rs.3,60,000/-! Coincidently this is the exact price I had paid for my First Matiz-SD 10 years back!! And that too, without PS, Tubeless tyres and 3 years cash less ownership offer!!

I have driven this car for 25,000 Kms in the last 22 months. Had 6 services done at ZERO cost! First one at 700kms, after that at 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K, and 25K Kms. Engine oil, oil filters, fuel filters, air filters, Break pads, wheel balancing were all replaced/done free of cost! There was no problems other then rear suspension and Dicky door lock making some noise. This was rectified by lubricating and minor adjustments. So Practically I had to just fill Normal Petrol and run My car! An avg of 13KmpL in Bangalore traffic with AC being used always and 19KmpL on Highways again with AC being used always - I did not mind it at all!

My Observations:

• Good High speed Handling
• Very nice to drive inside city - Peppy engine
• Fairly good steering control
• Nil drop in power with AC
• 3rd gear can pull from 15kmph and 4th can pull from 20kmph
• Double folding seats very convenient - Mine did not have split seats
• GM reliable service backup
• Avg ride quality - Same as Matiz
• Avg/Good breaking - Matiz was better
• Plastic quality & Fit/finish - Satisfactory - probably best in class
• Tube less tyres are a boon
• 3 year - 45K Kms CCOOO is excellent. No additional cost other then EMI!

This car has served me very well for the last couple of years. Since I am upgrading to Polo-Diesel, I sold this car yesterday for Rs.2,10,000/-. It was very difficult for me to part with it. If GM had a diesel hatchback (U-VA) in the offering, I would have definitely settled for it. Unfortunately, they do not have one. I am saying this since I am satisfied with there service barring minor irritations. I would definitely recommend Spark as an entry level Car for people who are looking for one.

Some Pictures I took Yesterday before giving away the car:

[kkg]

Short, Crisp and to the point review. I agree with all your views (first being a Matiz and now a Spark owner). Except for a few flaws, Its a wonderful car to have. Nice to know that it served you well in last two years, you'll surely miss it. BTW, POLO TDI is an execellent choice.

[oxyzen]

Why didn't u wait for beat Diesel if you are such a GM fan?

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by oxyzen

Why didn't u wait for beat Diesel if you are such a GM fan?

I needed a bigger storage space. Also I wanted to upgrade to a bigger vehicle. Car with boot is a problem in Bangalore traffic and also to park.

[Chethan B G]

After driving Polo for about 2000 kms, i could appreciate the following things about spark:

• Turning radius - great to have in the city.
• City car park - could squeeze in any available space.
• Front bumper - more practical.

Really miss this baby!

Link to my Polo Ownership thread for those interested:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ip-report.html

[Gansan]

What was your total purchase price for the Spark?

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by Gansan

What was your total purchase price for the Spark?

I had PS version (AC + PS). It costed me Rs. 3,32,000/- on road Bangalore, with 3 year maintenance. After that, with all accessories put together, it costed me 3.6L

I would say real VFM. I had not spent even a rupee after that!

[GoldenParadox]

I had the opportunity to drive the Spark in Tiruppur last week, and I have to agree with you. It is a fun and peppy car, and really suited for city diving.

And, good mileage too...

[mkuruvil]

How did you sell the car? I am thinking of buying a used car . . . . I know that I can get a used maruti or hyundai from the dealer. Where does one look for, if he wants a used gm/toyota etc.

I am aware of the existence of local used market shops. I am also aware that one can simply advertise and wait for a buyer/seller. But buying used vehicles are always risky since the buyer needs to have a good grasp on how much repair work a used car needs before settling on the price. This is why I would prefer to get it from the dealer itself as the Maruti True Value brand will try to protect its own . . .

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by mkuruvil

How did you sell the car? I am thinking of buying a used car . . . . I know that I can get a used maruti or hyundai from the dealer. Where does one look for, if he wants a used gm/toyota etc.

I am aware of the existence of local used market shops. I am also aware that one can simply advertise and wait for a buyer/seller. But buying used vehicles are always risky since the buyer needs to have a good grasp on how much repair work a used car needs before settling on the price. This is why I would prefer to get it from the dealer itself as the Maruti True Value brand will try to protect its own . . .

I exchanged it for Polo at VW-Downtown.

I have bought used car (Matiz) before from the local market. Spark has 3 years warranty. If you buy a car 2 years old, it will still be in warranty and you can get service history from the dealer, where the car was serviced. It will be safe.

I would suggest you Spark, if you are looking at a entry level vehicle. It is simply great in all respects.

If you can get a used car from a known person, it will be like icing on the cake. Try through friends working in MNCs.

[deehunk]

I agree with Chethan, have been owning Spark for 16 months now and have driven 15k till date. I have not experienced any problem and all free services(3) have been a good experience. For the 4 service, I was sure there was no need for any spares replacement except the Brake pad so tried getting the car serviced at Castrol service center in Total mall on Sarjapur Road and opted for Express service. The total cost was Rs.2100 which included

1. Oil Change
2. Coolant change
3. Distilled water -
4. 20 check points + inside/outside cleaning
5. Oil filter replacement

Luckily the brake pads were good enough to run for another 2.5k kilometers, i will replace them during next free service. I spoke to the supervisor and he told the spares are available easily and maintaining the car will not be expensive if driven properly. I feel for a car which has done 15k without any hassles spending Rs.2000 for a trial is not expensive, I definitely recommend this car to any entry level buyer.

[mkuruvil]

Thanks guys. I didn't know that a Volkswagen dealer would accept a GM car!! In this case, what does he do with it? How will he sell it?

[Gansan]

^^
AFAIK any dealer offering exchange scheme will accept any brand car. Same brand cars will be sold trough company's certified used car outlets - if it has one. The other brands will be turned over to their own certified car outlets or independent multi-brand used car dealerships.

If you exchange a same brand car as what you buy, you will get loyalty bonus, in addition to exchange bonus.

This applies to bike dealerships as well. Any dealer will accept any other brand in exchange. They will have a used bike broker/dealer in the vicinity who will evaluate and buy the old bike before the deal, settling the amount to the dealership.

[sharma_sanjeevi]

@Chetan, from the Pics it can be seen that you have done the Floor Vinyl Carpeting. I have few Queries regarding this:

1. How much did it cost you?
2. Were the seats and the plastic near the Gear Lever were removed for doing the carpeting ?
3. How much time did it take to complete the carpeting ?
4. After Carpeting, are the mats stuck to their place or they are slippery ?

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

@Chetan, from the Pics it can be seen that you have done the Floor Vinyl Carpeting. I have few Queries regarding this:

1. How much did it cost you? Around 2k - as I remember.
2. Were the seats and the plastic near the Gear Lever were removed for doing the carpeting ? Yes. Everything was removed.
3. How much time did it take to complete the carpeting ? 4 hrs.
4. After Carpeting, are the mats stuck to their place or they are slippery ? I did not have any problem with the mats. In fact, it is easier to clean the floor because of vinyl carpeting.

Please find my reply in bold.