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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  Fun car with hit or miss looks - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By subcult - March 23 - 6:11 pm

  We have put 20k miles on this car and are 1 month shy of a year of ownership. We have had 0 problems everything works no repairs. It was bought for my wife but now that we have 3 car seats we had to get a Mini- van, so now the HHR is mine. The car is fun to drive and gets great gas mileage we are averaging 26 mpg after a winter of letting the car idle for 5+ minutes while it warmed and we loaded up the car seats.

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  Gets the job done - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By okeydokey - March 23 - 12:44 pm

  Good Gas mileage and decent room. Quieter and more solid feeling than the Vibe. Merging onto the express way can be a challenge as the little motor tries as best it can.

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  Nice Little Fun Car - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Sean - March 19 - 11:06 pm

  General Motors is getting a bad rap about their cars. The engines in the Cobalt and HHR are tried and true Ecotech motors. I have owned this car since it was new. I have put on tires and a brake job. I love this car, not one problem at all. This will match up well against most small imported cars very well. I am thinking of trading in next year for the SS model. Great little car and really fun to drive.

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  Unreliable - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Tommie - March 19 - 3:56 pm

  I have owned this car for a little over 2 years and have less than 60,000 miles on it and the power steering has gone out on it. I called GM and their response was that it was no longer under warranty and they were not responsible for it. They offered a50% discount on the almost $900 repair it would take to fix it and only gave me 90 days to fix it. Do not buy this car it is a piece of junk. The Sun roof broke at 37,000 miles, the in dash console broke at around the same time. It cost a lot of money on maintenance and is not worth your money, even GM wont stand behind this piece of junk!

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  HHR Build Quality Questionable... - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Redlinetoys - March 18 - 8:15 pm

  I get 35mpg on the highway (manual trans) and about 24 in town. The styling is good and it is fun to drive for the money. I baby the vehicle and take extreme care of it, but question what I am up for long term regarding quality (based on experience so far). Month 1 headliner rattle getting worse fast, Month 2 Engine squeal needs repaired through service bulletin, Month 3 gold chevy emblem on back has water in it, Month 4 noticed knock in front suspension when cold, Month 5 brakes squeal at EVERY stop, Month 6 inside coat hook is stuck in up position, Month 7 Window grease in door is streaking driver window, Month 8 radio quits. Havent had it 9 months yet. Wonder what is next??????

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  Great Bang for Your Buck - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By wade - March 17 - 2:32 pm

  This car is a lot of fun to drive. I admit it is not a Corvette but it is quite fast and nimble. The way it sticks to the road and corners is awesome. Its a real sleeper-people do not expect much based on how it looks. I have a 35 mile drive to work on a fairly empty mountain road and most people would be afraid to ride with me the way I drive it [hey, thats why we buy the SS] and yet I still get about 25 MPG! Like I said, its not a Vette. Now for the bad -- the road noise can be unbearable on certain road surfaces. It is so loud I may get ear plugs for 580 westbound. The interior is all hard plastic. The exterior fit is not so good -- my hood sits crooked. But for <$30K great!

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  Fun to drive and good gas mileage - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Marty - March 16 - 8:49 am

  I wanted a car that had good gas mileage, was sporty-looking and had a lot of interior room. I have dogs and with the back seats folded down, there is plenty of room for dogs or cargo. The seats are very comfortable compared to some of the other smaller vehicles I have driven. The HHR is perfect for what I wanted in a car.

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  Lots of Fun for Little Money - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Susan - March 11 - 1:03 am

  I didnt set out to buy the HHR but when I saw everything it offered Id be foolish not to! My Equinox lease was up and wanted better fuel economy and lower payments.I have been averaging 24 MPG. With gas at over 3.45/gal this is awesome. Purchase price was low -allowed me to buy it keeping payments in line with my lease. Rides smoother than the Equinox and cargo space is the same or even more.I really love the manueverability - it has a much bigger turning radius compared to the Equinox - I just zip in and out of places. I knew pick up would be slower but it makes me drive safer. It does get a lot of looks - either you love it or hate it. I like different anyway so its right up my alley

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  I Love my HHR! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By srlmort - March 10 - 10:46 pm

  This is the first car Ive ever purchased! I love it! I am such an HHR lover I count the others that I see on the street. The gas mileage is excellent.(6 tanks 1907 miles) He is pretty quiet, drives well on the highway and the black on black look is gorgeous! I am a very satisfied with Gomez.

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  water leaks, ignition problem - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By jonny1507 - March 9 - 11:40 am

  I have a 2006 HHR i purchased new. First was the water leak problem. after a hard rain, the driver side floor board floods. a seal on the firewall cracks. design flaw. they fixed it. Second was the shifter. a sensor broke that told the ignition the car was no longer in gear. as a result, the key would not turn to the off position. this happened 15000 miles past the warranty. 450.00 out of my pocket for a manufacture defect.