Chevrolet HHR

A luxury car in disguise.

I bought a fully loaded (LT2) model that listed for under 24K.

It has that great old style American comfort that gets lost on the sport suspensions of most other passenger and SUV's today. The HHR LT2 merges the traditional old style comfort with todays most wanted luxury features that include a Automatic Transmission,Leather Interior, Captain style front buckets with Arm Rests, Power Seats, Heated Seats, Cruise and XM Radio controls on the steering wheel, Sunroof, 17" Mags, Hands free telephone, MP3 Player, 6CD Changer, On Star, Compass, Power Windows, and other over-the-top goodies.

The 2.4 Litre Ecotech power plant has decent power if you are willing to work with it. I have found the HHR jaunts along happily at 80MPH, rarely needing to be brought over 3500RPM to make a pass. While it rides like a big vehicle it is also easy on the breaks and tires because of its smaller size, making it a perfect commuter.

The rear seat has belts for 3 passengers and of course the whole rear row folds down for cargo - great for taking the kids to college.

The dealer told me to use regular gas but the manual says use 91 or better and I have been using 93. Of course I recommend synthetic motor oil as well. One odd thing I have found is the HHR runs really nice on 1/2 tank of high test. Losing 40LBS of gas makes her run like a blonde teenager.

I have found some negatives after putting on a few thousand miles.

Even though it might not appear so, and there is good interior space, the HHR sits very very low. So low in fact, it is difficult to see traffic signals through the windshield at the regular stopping point and to judge the size of traffic in back of you through the large rearview mirrors. This can be hazardous if you dont break in the engine and transmission correctly to provide the proper launch. Unfortunately this issue is unaddressed by the manufacturer.

Overall the quality on this car is excellent, the only fault I found so far is the latch on the top center glove box, which is difficult to toggle.

This vehicle is an excellent candidate for 4 Wheel Disc Brakes, All Wheel Drive, and a bit more torque. My opinion is GM would be able to double their sales of this unit using that approach while keeping costs in line.

Still, the car is undersold because most people, including manufacturers marketing, dealer salespeople and automotive review authors, dont know how to handle a high revving 4 Cylinder.

When a loaded model like the one I bought provides excellent fuel economy, comfort and style at a great price it should be the provocation for a proactive approach to complete this vehicle, not discontinue it.

I bought one of these for my girlfriend on ebay. runs and drives great. great mpg's. Little small' but you get used to it. no problems yet

The HHR SS is a completely different car than the base models. The look, power and suspension in the SS model are completely different and waaaaaay better than what you get in the base models. Drive and compare the 2 versions, and you will quickly see why you should spend a little extra cash and get the turbo SS model. The fuel milage is only slightly worse.

WE LIKE THE STYLE AND COLOR OF THE 2006 HHR THAT WE PURCHASED. I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANYTHING THAT WE DISLIKE ABOUT THE VEHICLE, IT IS A GREAT VEHICLE FOR THE PRICE. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FOR OUR DAUGHTER, SO IT IS THE PERFECT SIZE AND TYPE OF VEHICLE FOR THE TYPE OF DRIVING THAT SHE DOES. WE TOOK THE CONVENTIONAL ROUTE OF SEARCHING CAR LOT TO CAR LOT AND FOUND THE PERFECT DEAL ON EBAY!

Love the 23mpg city and the 31mpg Highway. The quality is great and the price was right. I would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone who enjoy's good gas milage and great handling in a station wagon.

We bought this HHR in Feb. 09 from a Chev Dealer in Palatine, IL. (Grossinger) (BTW Grossinger sent us the missing manual and a extra key when we got home) We live 135 miles south. (Bloomington) It was listed on eBay classified for $8895. 47k miles. The only complaint is with the shifter assembly, and everyone I have talked to that has a automatic has had the same problem. (You will know when it happens, you cannot remove the key, and the battery runs down) Unfortunately ours was not covered by warranty, so $475 at a local dealer to fix. (And note: NO warranty on the replacement!) GM should have had a recall on this. GM has no money now, so tough. My wife, who's car this is, loves the thing. Her prior was a 99 Voyager SE. This has more pep, and she zips around like Danika Patrick. The seats are high like a PU or Van, so seating is good. The rear seats fold down like a station wagon, so it is handy for her gardening. Comfortable for 4 adults. We would buy another one. Recent 2200 mile trip yielded 32 mpg.

I rent this Chevy sometimes when I travel. Overall it is very dependable and has enough space to fit my wife and 3 kids.

This 2007 HHR was purchased used on Ebay from a California used car dealer who picked me up at the airport, which enabled me to drive it home to Las Vegas NV. Because of the cheap price, compared to new, I expected a few problems and wear and tear. The car had a few more cosmetic flaws than could be seen in the photos. The tires, at 32,000 miles were basically worn out down to the wear bars, the vehicle I discovered later had a bent rim and one leaking strut. A brake inspection turned that up, but the brakes were still at about 65%. I suspect many of these nearly new HHRs are lease returns, former rentals, or as was the case with mine, a vehicle used commercially for deliveries. That explains the excessive signs of wear and tear to the exterior and cargo area. The interior cleaned up nicely, but some detailing would be needed to remove paint defects, scratches and bumper scuffs. The car drove home quite well, except for vibration later determined to be caused by the bent rim. I would have preferred to buy a slightly better example, had I known the extent of the problems, but for the price, about 2/3 of new, it was OK. Try to find out how a vehicle was used, in my case, the cost to fix initial problems, not covered by factory warranty, will total about $800. Overall, not a bad car, but certainly not quite like new, for a 2007.

We bought a used 2006 LT2 with everything on it. We love the car, great gas mileage, quiet, quick and gets nice comments on it's looks. We have a 1990 suburban with 400,000 miles and love the old girl, but needed something that got better mileage and could still carry the dogs, and had to be a General motors. The HHR fits the bill perfectly and with a lot of style, comfort and luxury. It's 13 1/2" narrower inside than our suburban, wish it was 6" wider but it is what it is. This is the first non-V8 we have owned since I was in college. Hard to get used to a high rev engine. We would buy another in a heart beat.

My wife an I really like this HHR. Although I have never found out
what the HHR stands for. We just took a 600 mile trip and got 33.9
miles per gallon. I don't like the location of the window controls.
We don't like the location of the cup holders. Other than these two
items its a great little car!!! Would purchase another one.