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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  Very pleased with this sport wagon - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Narg - November 22 - 7:46 pm

  The day I saw this vehicle, I called my wife. Within hours we knew this was the one for us. For a small car, its amazingly big in size and attitude. The ride is far beyond what youd expect, and its creature comforts are the best in its class. Even though it only has a 4 cylinder engine, its got plenty of pick up and go. I tested 0 to 60 in about 9 seconds, so its just as fast as needed for what well use it for. The steering is light and responsive, which is great for us since my wife will be driving it on a long commute once a week. Highway ride is awesome, quiet and smooth. We love the drive by wire feel. It is so fun to drive we cant seem to find enough errands to run.

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  My HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By LISA LOOK - November 20 - 3:26 pm

  The HHR is a pleasure to drive and gets great gas mileage. It’s comfortable and I love the way you have a split shelf in back layer. Heavy items on bottom and the shelf to hold bags of groceries on top. It is a real eye catcher. Wherever we go someone is looking the car over and they like what they see. We get asked a lot of questions about it. We love it

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  HHR LS Rental - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By HHR LS Rental - November 15 - 11:10 am

  I had a rental HHR LS for one month. It had 600 miles on it with a 26.3 mpg. I turned it in with 1650 miles with a 27.7 mpg. It was peppy,fun and easy to drive. I was never fond of small vehicles but the HHR changed my views. I had plenty of leg room, seats were comfortable. My wife loved driving it.Perfect for groceries, parking at the mall. I plan on buying one next year.

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  Great car to drive - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By RICHARD - November 14 - 7:56 pm

  Nice quiet ride. Bought the LT with sunroof, and auto transmission. Love the auto start, and would not buy without sunroof. The light in from sunroof makes it appear larger inside. Took on trip to Norfolk, VA and at legs of trip got 33 mpg in gas mileage. Enough room for me being 511". If you buy one, get the one with sunroof. The 2.2l has enough power for whatever you want and the automatic gets you the auto start and door locks.

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  WoW, I Really Like My HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By MisterB945 - November 13 - 8:16 pm

  Ive only had my HHR 1LT for about two weeks, but so far I havent found much to complain about. I do feel my HHR is somewhat underpowered (it has the 2.2L 4 cylinder engine). Most of my driving is in and around the city, so the lack of power dosent affect me much. I am very pleased with the fit and finish and with the really comfortable front seats. I do think the power window controls could have been better placed. My gas mileage has been between 22 and 24 mpg in mostly city driving, but I havent had my HHR long enough to evaluate whether or not this is very accurate. My overall driving and ownership experience has been very good.

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  GAS MILAGE - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By SEEKER - November 6 - 11:35 pm

  I bought my HHR in May 2009. I have only had it for 6 months, but I have had no problems and I can get up to 40 miles on highway. Maybe thats be cause I drive a stick and I do drive a ways back from semis to cut the wind shear. I love my car. Only complaints is the arm rest seems to high, I cant stand that my window controls are in the middle, and the little windows make me feel like I dont have enough visibility. To many blind spots.

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  HHR SS->is a "BLAST" - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By bcom76 - November 3 - 7:55 pm

  I ended up with this car completely by accident.I was not looking for a new car but happened to be given an HHR as a rental car.My first thoughts were- what else is available.However,it did not take me long to really appreciate this car/suv.I like it so much that when I returned home I researched the HHR and bought an SS.I traded a an suv that I really liked-a 2007 Tahoe LTZ and I have not been disappointed.This HHR SS is comfortable,stylish,economical and,when needed,very fast. An excellent purchase and I have no regrets.A fun car overall!!

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  No more American cars - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Wish I skipped this - November 2 - 7:14 pm

  At first the car was great! Then both remotes died the first year-2x! The brakes are terrible! THEIR brochure for scheduled maintenance says they visually inspect them. What good is that if I need new brakes? I cant get new (better) ones without nullifying the warranty. So Im stuck with theirs. When the rotors get wet and I brake, the entire front panel shakes. Ive already repaired it 2x (warranty) and it has occurred again. I dont live in the desert so why have a design that warps when wet? I had a Saturn SL1 from 1995-2001 which sat lower than this car and never had this problem. This is my LAST American car. Saturn shouldnt be the GM branch closing!! And hubcaps? SERIOUSLY!?!

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  Gotta love this car!! - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By LB - November 2 - 3:29 pm

  All I can say is "Man is this car fun to drive!" And Im just finishing up about 10 years of driving a BMW 5 series and X-5. The torque and acceleration are just awesome in this car, and I dont even have the Stage 1 Kit installed yet. Even though I have an AT rather than Manual, it is still fast and still fun. Ive only had it for a couple of weeks, so Im sure the glamor will wear off, but for right now, this car is a blast to drive. I cant speak for the other versions, but the SS is the way to go if you are into performance as well as looks.

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  Dont drive in a state that gets SNOW!! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Kimberly - October 28 - 2:05 pm

  This is not a good vehicle for driving in snow. It gets hung up in drifts and is too light to get thru deep snow. I did like all the room when the seats are down and they fold perfectly flat. Extra storage compartments were nice.I dont understand why the window controls arent on the doors and the cups holders are so far back.