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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  What A Trip Its Been - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By darkwolf927 - October 28 - 2:09 pm

  Second car ever, lots of ups and downs. Lots of little things, my electrical problems alone have been a total nightmare, the $2K price tag for the AC repairs, the extra-expensive profile tires, the fact that you cant replace ANYthing easily... but Im trying not to complain here, and heres why. Overall, I bought it used with 36k miles, 5 years later I just passed 265,000! Eaten probably $5,000 in various repairs, and I never did get around to fixing that AC. But it fits my family of 4, strollers and luggage, and I still marvel driving around on FL roads and watching it get 38 MPG. Oh, and the stock stereo has killer bass! Quarter million miles on the original trans & still going!

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  Happy with my HHR - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By bones21 - June 24 - 1:04 pm

  Purchased a Chev. HHR from Hertrichs Capitol in Dover, DE. I am very pleased with my car. It took some time getting use to since I was use to a bigger windshield. The car gets good gas mileage. Hertrichs made me a good deal with the price too. I would recommend going to this dealer. They work hard in satisfying their customers. This is our third car that we have purchased from tem.

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  Something Chevy Doesnt Tell You - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By oceanhhr - May 13 - 8:31 pm

  We have an HHR LT with the 2.4L Ecotec FlexFuel, automatic. Drives great. Plenty of pick-up. But no one mentioned the engine is NOT happy using the Ethanol gas we have to put in it!! To get decent gas mileage we have to put in an additive by Lucas every time we fill up! Thats a pain. I would think about it before buying. Another problem is that the interior has MANY blind spots. You have to be extra careful to look more than normal to make sure you see properly. (Esp. for someone short in height.) It sits comfortably and the power driver seat works well. The round air vents are nicer than the standard louver ones. There are ample cup holders compared to many more expensive cars.

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  Original Owner Since New - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By cc732 - February 11 - 8:18 pm

  I originally leased this car new and bought it in 09. I drove the car 350 miles a week for the first 2 years (35,000 mi.) until I retired from General Motors Canada. It now has about 60,000 miles with no problems. Tires and brakes were replaced at about 35,000 mi. Four Uniroyal TigerPaw II snow tires solved the winter driving issues and four Michelin HydroEdges are used in the summer. Oil changes were being done when the oil life monitor indicated. Gas mileage is good at about 40 mpg. (combined) with the automatic transmission. The key sticking issue and the water leakage were fixed at my local dealer to my satisfaction. he still does all the maitenance on the vehicle.

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  P.O.S.!! WORST CAR EVER!!! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By sean_1976 - January 19 - 11:57 pm

  Ive owned many cars over the years and can honestly say this is by far the worst one ive ever had. Bought it at 80K.. 92K it all started: - warped front rotors constantly - road noise is horrible - terrible desgn with blind spots - replaced the engine at 135K - wind shield wipers hitting each other - -0- power - replaced 2K worth of sensors and moduals - seats stained SOOO Easlily - if the battery goes dead, you cant open the rear gate to get to the battery.. JESUS, i absolutely HATE this damned car. Does actually get good mileage.. (when its actually on the road and not in the shop) DO NOT BUY ONE!! Id buy an ugly 1991 ford escort 4 door hatck back with 350K miles first

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  HHR...road warrior - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By fordguy63 - September 29 - 10:34 am

  We bought this car for my wife in 2010 (new). The only problem weve had is with the ignition switch, which got stuck in the ON position & the car would not shut off. This happened on a Sunday afternoon & onstar was spectacularly unhelpful. The operator told us to find a shop that was open & go there, then sent us to Honda dealer which was closing by the time we got there (5pm). We finally had the running car disabled & towed to Bachman Chevrolet, per Onstars instructions. (something to do with warranty regulations blah,blah,blah). Bachman Chevrolet had the car up & running free of charge by 3PM Monday, so pretty good service on their part.

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  LOVE MY HHR!!!! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By lyrics4mama - September 7 - 3:52 am

  Bought my used HHR in 2012, with 14k miles on it. Love the head room, and cargo space. Great on gas. Love the look. My husband is 6ft 3 in and has plenty of room. This is a wonderful car for travel, both in comfort and riding. It is awesome, and fun to drive. Its not a "powerhouse", but will get up and go. Love the fold down seats in the back. Took a while to get use to the window controls on the console, but like it now. My one and only complaint is the cup holders are located in an awkward place. Love the functionality of all the gadgets (radio, climate control, cruise control, etc...), very accessable, and easy to operate. Great for a family with children, from infant to older teens.

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  Original owner 130,000 miles later - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By waz3 - August 15 - 9:13 am

  I love my HHR I would buy another one in a heartbeat. I bought mine brand new and now have 130,000 miles on. It is driven almost 100 miles a day. my only compliant is the sway link bar. Other than regular maintenance this car is a charm and I will drive it until the doors fall off.

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  Key Stuck Problems - 2009 Chevrolet HHR
  By kingshahid - July 31 - 2:10 pm

  I bought this car in April 2012. My battery died and so I called GM. GM boosted the car with their roadside assistance resulting in a stiff steering wheel that couldnt be turned. My keys got stuck in the ignition as well. Both problems where resolved but my auto starter (oem) was blown in the process that was not fixed by local Chevrolet Bob Myers. So I had let the issue go with them since I thought they had done enough for me. 2 weeks later (mind you I barely drove the car in this period) the keys are stuck again in the car. Car is at 88,000 km.

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  Water Problems - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By shutto01 - July 30 - 5:41 am

  I too was having problems with standing water in the floorboards. Easy fix.....the sunroof has 2 drain tubes that run down thru the door post, we blew these hoses out (full of nasty black debris). Once they were cleared out I have not had 1 problem with water again. I am so happy with my car. This car gets great gas mileage and performs great. So happy we figured out the problem.