1989 Chevrolet Sprint 1.0 from North America

Summary:

Got gas

Faults:

Drivers side window falls off the track.

Muffler was rusted and needed repair.

General Comments:

Incredibly fast for rallying.

Like driving in a tin can.

Incredible gas mileage.

Full bore off road rallying (constant shifting, between 60-150km/h) achieved 38.67km/l.

Tank filled until gas could be seen on both fills.

Gas mileage calculated over 418km off road rally trip.

I was amazed. I am going to drive it sensibly on the highway and see what kind of mileage it can actually get.

Just had to write this because if you want gas mileage..

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th February, 2008

1989 Chevrolet Sprint 1.0 litre from North America

Summary:

Grateful to have it:)

Faults:

I had a pretty bad oil leak starting in 2005...was really hard to fix, but had to fix it as it was running into the timing belt area and ruined the alternator belt, causing it to snap once.

General Comments:

A little Suzuki engine made it really quick to rev, handled hills brilliantly and easy. Pretty good on the freeway, unless it's windy, but it is a very light car - only 3 cylinders - and therefore, I am still impressed it even exceeds the speed limit at all:)

Unbelievably impressive on gas; I was a university student when I got it, and never shuddered at the cost of a fill-up...better mileage than any one else's car I know...

Has been amazing and reliable; only complaints would be attributed to it being an 18 year old car with 262,840 kilometers on it... all around a blessing in my life!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th July, 2007

26th Jun 2009, 17:17

I, too, have a little 1988 Sprint. I have grown very attached to her in the few months I have owned her. Needless to say, she came with very high miles and the problems I have had are the ones that come with original parts... old fuel pump, water pump, and so on. Nearly ruined her due to a over-heating problem, which still isn't quite resolved. The fan doesn't come on, or stay on long enough so I warped the heads, had to have that fixed and she goes just as great as before. But once in a while that temperature will rise. Have a feeling the fan sensor is bad. The thermostat was replaced a very short time ago but that didn't resolve everything. I will keep playing with her, though, because I love the gas mileage and the fact that she gets 45-plus miles per gallon unless I run the air-conditioner.

Yes, an air-conditioner! Couldn't believe it in such an old, small car. And it still freezes you to death when you use it! It does sap the speed, though. I will be going 75 miles an hour if I'm not careful in this little thing. It turns on a dime.

Owning "Christine" has made me really wonder why fuel-efficiency is such a problem now when they could do it like this in 1988. All in all, I love her, and will keep her unless she gives up the ghost completely... and I do need a car that I can depend on... Otherwise, I am proud to have her here. Paint jobs were terrible and that is a downer, but she is straight and presentable otherwise. Can't say that for a lot of newer cars! She still deserves respect!

1989 Chevrolet Sprint 4 door hatchback 1.0L (993cc) from North America

Summary:

Best economy car ever built

Faults:

I bought the car for $400 Canadian. Thus I had to replace the hood and the brakes. Not bad for a car with 245,000km. The hood cost me $30 from a salvage yard. The brakes cost $650.

Those repairs were done at 245500km. The last 50,000Km have been problem free.

General Comments:

The car came with an aftermarket tape deck. Much better than the stock AM/FM stereo.

It warms up great in -35C weather. Only taking five minutes of driving to have wonderful hot air. It even started trouble free in -40 weather, when not plugged in.

My car came with a rear window wiper. This makes driving in the rain and snow more enjoyable.

I found that newer Chevy Sprints (Suzuki Swifts) came with larger 13 inch wheels. The 1989-1992 came with 12 inch wheels. I put the 13's on my 1989 and it really grips. This modification increased traction, because I am running a wider tire, and increased gas mileage, because I am using a taller tire (larger gearing). However, the larger tires cause less performance when accelerating.

I am 6 foot 4, and find the Sprint very roomy and comfortable.

Top speed that I have achieved is 155km/h.

I would prefer a five speed manual to the three speed automatic.

I put a fifth seat belt in the back seat so that the car can hold five occupants. This has come in handy.

I am considering converting my car to electric when the engine dies, but I don't know if the engine will ever die.

Canadian Electric Vehicles offers kits to convert a Sprint to a 120hp electric vehicle. This is their web site: http://www.canev.com/index.html

This car gets better gas mileage than the new hybrids built by Honda and Toyota.

This car is the best by on the market. Best bang for your dollar.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st March, 2004

31st Mar 2004, 16:40

How in the world could you spend $650 to fix the brakes?

And how do you fit even one person in the back seat, let alone three, when your 6'4" self is in front?

16th Aug 2008, 16:00

I bought one new in 89. Damn it was a fine little car. Mine had the 3cyl w/5speed and the little car would get to 55mph in 12 sec. It would top out at 75, but who wants to be in one doing 80. Going thru the old Smokey Mtn roads was a joy, like being in a really quick go-cart. But, got drunk and rolled her at 55. Not a scratch on me but the little car was crumpled.

12th Dec 2009, 17:58

Hi there, I too have one of these and recently just got a 94 Pontiac Firefly, same thing right :)

Anyway, I was just wondering what the 13" wheels you got were, as I can't seem to find any 13" wheels with the right 4-stud pattern/size...

15th Mar 2010, 23:25

I had an original 88 Chevy Sprint 4 door automatic, red. My first car, and the one I wanted first. It's traveled many miles and many trips. It's last adventure was that out old Rt. 66 with my 2 small boys then, 3 and 5, through OK, Tx, Nm, into Arizona to the Petrified Forest National Park. We made it almost all the way till, in the 95 degree heat and 75 mph. speed limit the back tires blew out and we had to camp in small town for the night. Come morning we were able to locate the right size tires and get down the road. We made it to the park, camped a night 1 mile out in the canyon and then turned around and headed back home to Spfld. It was her last trip, her last great journey, because when we returned, her transmission was out, couldn't repair and sold to a friend who subsequently totaled it. I really loved that car and sure do miss it. Never should have sold her, looking back.

-Brandy Dawn Tracy.

1989 Chevrolet Sprint 5 speed 3 cylinder from North America

Summary:

One of the best bargains on the road today!

Faults:

The drivers side window weather stripping has shifted a couple of times causing the window to be very difficult to wind up and down. At one point the window came right out of the track.

The thermostat has broken twice.

The interior seat upholstery lasts great if no one sits in it, but the driver seat has come apart.

A very weird thing has happened as well. The seal for the speedometer cable in the transmission had broken and started sucking the transmission fluid into the cabin of the car. By the time it started dripping onto the floor the oil was all through the dashboard. This caused extensive damage to the carpeting, and loosened some of the electrical wiring. The smell was horrible after a while, especially in the summer. I didn't realize it until after, but the warning signs of this problem is a moist look at the bottom of the instrument panel, it kind of looks like it has some water in it, but, it is the oil starting to pool behind the speedometer. I had insurance pay for the re-upholstery and they had the dashboard taken out and completely cleaned. I was very grateful for that, by the way. So it is like new now, but the dealer didn't want to deal with it unfortunately, I had to take it to a private shop.

General Comments:

Although my car problem was very bad, and caused many of my shoes and pants to get ruined because the oil would drip on to me, I still really love the car. It is SO cheap to run, easy to park, and is still very zippy for commuter traffic.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th February, 2002