Overview & Reviews

The Chevrolet HHR was something of a late arrival to the compact wagon scene. Its name stood for "Heritage High Roof," referring to its tall retro-wagon styling, which Chevrolet claims was inspired by the '49 Suburban. Everything else about the vehicle, however, was decidedly modern.

Though compact in size, the Chevy HHR featured clever interior packaging solutions, including a split-folding rear seat, a fold-flat front passenger seat and a cargo area floor (with built-in grocery bag hooks) that allowed it to accommodate bulky and/or long cargo items. For shoppers searching for a used versatile compact wagon that's also stylish, the HHR certainly merits consideration.

Most Recent Chevrolet HHR
The Chevrolet HHR was a compact four-door wagon produced from 2006-'11. It shared its front-wheel-drive architecture -- and thus many of its driving characteristics -- with Chevrolet's Cobalt compact sedan.

In testing, our editors commented favorably about the HHR's smooth and quiet ride, ample cargo space, attractive interior, excellent visibility and versatile sound system. The cabin boasted nicely detailed gauges, tight construction and substantial-feeling controls. There was, however, no shortage of hard plastics on hand that sullied the overall ambience. The HHR's tall ceiling provided headroom aplenty, but the narrow body limited comfort for adults riding in the backseat. Other downsides included weak brakes, underwhelming handling dynamics and a lack of refinement from the 2.4-liter engine.

Four trim levels were offered: LS, 1LT, 2LT and a high-performance SS version produced from 2008-'10. A two-seat panel van version that came in LS, LT and SS trims was available every year but 2006.

The base engine was a 2.2-liter four-cylinder that initially produced 143 horsepower, but was bumped to 149 for 2007 and to 155 for 2010. Available on the LT was a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that produced either 172 hp or 175 depending on the year (it actually went back and forth). The SS featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder good for 260 hp, along with stronger brakes and an enhanced suspension that together made it quite fun to drive. Front-wheel drive and a five-speed manual were standard with all, but a four-speed automatic was optional.

Besides the minor horsepower bumps, changes to the HHR were limited to standard features. Most notably, this included stability control for 2008 as well as antilock brakes and side curtain airbags the following year.

User Reviews:

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  Nice Vehicle for the money - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Tdyson - February 10 - 5:37 pm

  my 09 HHR is not bad for the money $17000.00 tax and tags out the door. Auto trans, XM radio, On Star with turn by turn direction. Drive good 500+miles to a tank of gas. My 08 Max pivk up stays park in the drive due the fun driving money saving, on gas, HHR I wont take it places were I will take my truck off road or drive it in snow its has 7000miles and no problems. If i have drove this before I got the truck, the truck would still be sitting at the dealership. the HHR is a nice car/truck for the money.

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  Is it a Wagon, or SUV? - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By Chevyman - February 3 - 12:24 am

  Instant acceleration even with the automatic. SS seats are very comfortable, with an excellent Pioneer sound system!This year they moved the turbo gauge to the middle of the top of the dashboard which use to be a storage compartment for the Super Sport line. Very easy ingress and egress.

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  Just the Car I Needed - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Clay - February 1 - 9:12 am

  I needed something reliable, got good gas mileage, and could carry a bunch of stuff. My 2008 HHR does all that! I average ~26 to ~27 MPG and have been amazed at all the stuff I can carry in the back with the seats folded down. Extra storage UNDER the floor is nice also when you want to keep handtools hidden. I could use a little more leg room for my left leg when driving though [the wheel well kinda sticks up there] and the center window controls take some getting used to. Heat/A/C work wonderfully and sound system is nice also. Lots of headroom is nice and yeah, that cargo capacity =)

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  i love my HHR always - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By love my HHR always - January 29 - 11:29 am

  I feel it is a very comfortable car given the price range. The biggest attraction of this car is its unique retro style from the 1949 Chevy Suburban. I really love that old style with a mix of modern features. Another good thing is the mileage and the seating is really comfortable, leg room. The visibility is OK, but not great because of the unique body shape and windows are small, but that is a not a problem as i get used to it. The biggest problem is the depreciation of the car value. SO , may be a used car would be a best bet. But overall, i recommend this car who love the old style.

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  What a great vehicle! - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Mark - January 26 - 12:26 pm

  Bought this vehicle brand new and saved $8000. I love the space for carrying stuff with the fold flat seats. It allows me to carry my daughters drum kit. Very smooth ride. Swapped in Michelin X-Ice 2 tires. What a difference it made on icy roads...Im passing everyone (legally). Very good on gas. Was starting to get a sore back sliding down into cars to get in...not anymore! This is the easiest vehicle to get into. No more sore back! Fantastic Pioneer sound system with the factory installed sub woofer in the rear. A lot of people have stopped to comment on the great looks and to ask me what I think of the vehicle. Seriously thinking about getting a second one. Great warranty too!

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  Awesome car!!!!! - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Lori - January 24 - 3:39 pm

  I bought my HHR in April of 09 and was just recently in an accident last week. The safety of this car is AWESOME!!! My 15 yr old daughter was with me and was saved from severe injury by the passenger side airbags and the strength of the frame. I was hit on the passenger side. I am waiting to hear from the insurance company to ti find out if I can get into another one!!

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  FUN car after inital bugs worked out - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By BeSwift - January 19 - 2:56 pm

  Bought new. Very FUN car. At about 12k developed a major electrical problem that took months to resolve. Car would DIE at random, at speed! Almost got me killed twice on I-95. Im angry at the horrible customer service I received at count em 3 different dealers before the problem got fixed...more so than the problem itself. Now that problem is resolved, and Ive got confidence in it again, Im very happy with it.

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  I Love my HHR! - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By jaj - January 17 - 6:58 pm

  I bought a used 2009 HHR to replace my 2000 Pontiac Sunfire. I love it! Its comfortable, peppy,fuel-efficient, fun to drive, and handles well.

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  Fun, Fun, Fun! - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By Shortiemetoo - January 15 - 6:37 pm

  This car is just plain fun! Love how it looks, great feature with the DIC, mileage is better than advertised and it looks good. I got it in black, having never owned a Chevy or a black car and do NOT regret the purchase. I am only 51" and my daughter is 411" and we can see well, gives the feel of being up high!

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  Happy in Ohio - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By preacher - January 11 - 6:47 pm

  Wow! What a nice set of wheels. I purchased this 2009 HHR in Dec. and have 1000 miles on it. I have the H.O 2.4 which has a lot of guts. With the LT2 package, it is loaded. The only thing that is missing is a telescoping steering wheel. I absolutely love it. Its like riding on a rail. Love the electronic power steering. Upscale feeling all the way. Bright red and chrome wheels makes this 65 yr. old feel a bit younger. Lots of room for the grandkids and their stuff. GM has a winner in the HHR and so do I.