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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Problems with my HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By Linda - March 31 - 7:15 amI love driving my 2006 HHR. It comes with many standard features that on most cars you would pay extra. My problem since I have owned it include having to get keys reprogrammed, radio making noise when not on and would pop when turning on (had to be reprogrammed), had to get gear shift replaced because not unlocking doors when put out of gear and now in shop twice for oil leak (replaced gasket but still leaking a puddle of oil when sitting. I have 29,000 miles on my vehicle.
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Great Car - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
By Bob B - March 28 - 9:00 pmDrive 98 miles daily in town and highway gas mileage avg 34 miles per gal. Fun to drive. Had 6 months. Have no problems.
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Great basic model - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By Carpizo74 - March 28 - 4:17 pmI bought this car after testing a Matrix. The HHR felt like a much better car. My only option is automatic tranny, but it comes with so much standard stuff that I am very pleased. I love the information center and the mp3 plug-in feuture. I drive 50 miles each way to school 3 times a week and I find the car extremely comfortable and I really appreciate the gas mileage, its awesome. Its great for the money, I feel like Im driving a far more expensive car. It fits my wife, 2 kids, and all the gear (strollers and such.) What else can I say? If youre considering one, Id highly recommend it.
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Terribly dissapointed - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By Glen - March 27 - 6:42 pmDay one-problems with acceleration, brakes, front-end. Interior plastic warped on back door. Flat spot on acceleration, bogs out and dealers cannot find problem. Very dissapointed, was very excited to purchase this new model and now wish that I hadnt. Am class a mechanic so I know how a vehicle should run.
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Not a winter car! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By ivy12595 - March 25 - 3:47 pmI purchased my HHR in the spring and loved driving it for about 8 months. Then winter came. The windows continuously freeze up. I have to scrape them to get them to roll down even though there is not obvious signs of freezing. The vehicle is in an unheated garage. I have also found the the struts are terrible. Every time I hit a bump, they squeak. With frost heaves in Maine, I squeak all the time.
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Great buy for $16K - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By S. Daniel - March 23 - 11:20 pmWas looking to downsize from a mid- size SUV. It had the necessary cargo capacity I was looking for with some kicking style to boot. Nice ride with adequate power. Im not a nit-picky guy, so all the reviews Ive read about inconvenient power window button location and cheap seat fabric I can live with. Being a former SUV owner, if GM wants more of us to downsize to the HHR, they have to do something about storage up front. Even with the unique dashboard compartment, storage is really lacking. Even the door pockets are the smallest Ive ever seen! But obviously all the other positives outweighed this big negative, so Im still happy I bought the car.
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Great little car - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
By herbertthered - March 20 - 9:03 pmVery easy to get in & out of - Im 6. Has been great in a MN winter. Handling is excellent. Corners like a dream. Has plenty of power. Id forgotten how much I enjoyed driving a stick. Has a lot more room inside than youd think at first glance. Fuel economy according to display has been as high as 34+. During winter it dropped to 29+. Perhaps the best designed vehicle Ive had in 20 years. I checked the options & decided standard had everything I wanted. Plus, its "cool" - it will turn some heads.
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Love my LT2! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
By malinche - March 20 - 1:15 pmWaited over 2 years to get my LT2 2.4 & absolutely love it. I get about 25 mpg city driving. I have a blast driving & look for any reason to do so. It is still pretty stock (the look is what attracted me to it & I still love it), but go to many car shows with it & get lots of compliments. My sister is even considering the SS for an everyday car (has an 07 Tahoe) to save on gas. We are a Chevrolet family and my chromed out LT2 is a nice addition to it. So open the sunroof, put on some cool fuzzy dice and go for a drive!
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Turns the Heads - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By Robert Sutherland - March 19 - 3:43 amWeve just bought our loaded 2LT this week, and Ive been amazed at how many people compliment me on its looks. It drives exceptionally well, rides nicely on the Sport suspension, and is very comfortable. The engine could use a few more horses, but this is the wifes and Im used to driving my 295 hp Z71. The automatic tranny shifts smoothly and it doesnt feel at all like the speed were cruising at. Even around town its easy to drive faster than the limit without realizing it. Roomy enough for the family, I even fit well behind the drives seat when its adjusted for me to drive (Im 62" at 245lbs.) Option list is nice, the only thing we dont have is the engine block heater
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My HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By laurie turnovsky - March 8 - 11:43 pmWe test drove the PT Cruiser before buying the HHR. I would say both cars have the same power however, my husband felt the PT on acceleration was bit slower on the pickup than the HHR. The exterior of the HHR in regards to design we felt was exceptional and far more superior in body design than the PT. In addition we feel the HHR has more room than the PT as the body is longer. My husband is 64" and has plenty of head and body room. One of our dogs is very big and has plenty of room in the cargo area. We feel we got far more with our money and a much better buy than the PT. Very happy customers.
