2006 Chevrolet HHR: Little Truck, Big Future
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.
Source: eBay Motors Reviews