Cars and Drivers

The Least Expensive Car of 2019

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: December 15, 2019 7:48 am

Last Updated: December 16, 2019 6:42 am

There is some debate about what the least expensive car in America is. Some experts include destination charges. Others pick some accessories which cost small amounts of money. These things make the decision to decide the winner difficult. However, most analysts pick the 2019 Chevrolet Spark.

The price used to pick the Spark also varies. Some analysts put the price as low as $12,995. Most lists put its base price at $14,095. All agree the lowest price is the hatchback version. The higher of the two prices includes some very modest additions to the base price. Chevy’s official price disagrees with both numbers and puts the figure at $13,220. Chevy adds, however, that this price excludes destination freight charge, tax, title, license, dealer fees, and optional equipment.

The Spark has a tiny engine, which, at 1.4 liters, the inline 4 cylinder puts out 98 horsepower. The car has front-wheel drive, which is unusual. And it has a 5-speed manual transmission, which is also rare. Almost all cars sold today have automatic transmissions. Many people have never learned how to use a manual, at least not those born after 1970. The transmission and engine size together allow Chevy to get extremely low gas consumption for the Spark–31 MPG in the city, and 39 MPG on the road.

The Spark has some up-scale features for which Chevy charges nothing. These include a 7-inch infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay, and ten airbags. The car is so small and light that in a crash the airbags might be a lifesaver. Spark only weighs 2,246 lbs.

Like most car manufacturers, GM pushes the price of the Chevy Spark up for virtually every major feature. A continuous variable transmission pushes the price to $15,195. At $18,$595, the car comes with leather, extra chrome, and a system that helps keep track of the area behind the Spark.

The Spark gets mostly mediocre review. The back seat is too small. The car does not much cargo room. It accelerates slowly. Most reviews, however, say that the Spark is a good car for the money. It has a lot of features for which Chevy does not charge, these experts say, and it gets good gas mileage. This is not much of a selling point when gas prices are as low as they are now. Finally, the Spark, unexpectedly, is not among the 25 cheapest cars to insure.

Not everyone wants a fast car with leather seats, room for four people, and a lot of space for luggage. The Spark appeals to this group well.