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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Great for the money, but... - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
By dadkars - March 1 - 10:20 pmTraded in my gas guzzling Suburban, paying the gas was just plain crazy! At first I thought I had settled for the HHR, boy I was wrong. I love my HHR. Fun to drive, not as nimble as a MINI but awesome for under $16K. We like it so much that we are considering trading my wifes car for the special edition HHR or the Super Sport HHR. One huge complaint, I really believe everyone should complain about the $395 option for rear air bags! Crazy! Chevy should include this in every HHR. That would seal the deal. If I would have know before, I would have ordered an HHR with the option of airbags for the rear seats.
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HHR More for Less - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By bsadan - February 26 - 9:43 pmI was worried about the power or lack of according to the car mag reviews, but it is more than enough unless your pulling away from pit lane. On the freeway the HHR rides very smooth, we traded a Chysler Concord with about an equal ride, impressive for a little car. Handling is really good, as ours does have the tighter suspension option. At the grocery store the wife only has good things to say about the storage. The sound system is killer! A lot of thought went into consideration of controls and driver layout. Engine compartment is a nice package with all the lastest veriable valve timing (read no real need for preminum fuel)
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Lets Be Real Americans. - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By Debbie L Gamm - February 15 - 7:53 amWe have purchased and are enjoying our new HHR LT. We love the room and handling. Leather interior and heated seats are a plus.
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No More PT Cruiser - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By Paul - February 10 - 8:20 amI bought my wife an LT HHR with the 2.4 Liter and Automatic Transmission 2 days ago, trading in her 2003 PT Cruiser Limited. I cant believe the difference in the 2 cars. Chrysler should be very worried. If more PT owners test drive this car, there will be too many PTs on the used car market to count. Dont get me wrong, we loved the PT, but the HHR is so much more refined. The first thing I noticed was the lack of road noise. We can hear the stereo and carry on a normal conversation at highway speed! Turning radius is great, it is so much easier to park. The transmission is smoother, and the engine is more powerful. This car is so fun to drive, I find myself finding reasons to drive it.
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Good for the Price - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By K Chandler - February 6 - 3:46 amThis is a nice, cheap alternative to a very small SUV. Good gas mileage, cheap insurance, and room to store stuff when you fold down the seat. I did have to take back to the dealer to get work done on brake rotors at only 5000 miles though, seems fine now. The gearing in the automatic is very high though, so it seems a bit sluggish unless you really punch the gas, but when you do the engine gets very noisy at high RPMs, much more so than many other 4 cylinder cars out there. This car woudl really benefit from a 5 speed automatic. Great car for the money though, as long as you dont expect the highest refinement or a silky smooth engine for the price.
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I love my car! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By Reg - February 3 - 2:43 pmIt is a smooth ride. Everytime I see it I say "Wow, that is MY car!!" I never had a car that I loved to look at AND drive -- and could afford!
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You love it or hate it - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By christopher - January 28 - 12:10 amFun to drive. Everyone asks what it is and I love telling them. I wanted a car with fenders and this had it. I like the PT Cruiser but it was way too small. This is everything I wanted and needed!
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GM is making a come back - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By Doug - December 16 - 11:33 pmMy wife and I have traditionally purchased foreign cars, but she saw a picture of the HHR and was interested. We test drove it and were very impressed. Ride and handling are excellent, surprisingly quiet vehicle, suprisingly comfortable seats. Interior is well laid out with lots of storage space. Retro appearance is kind of fun, but it was the value that sold us. We bought the base model and didnt add any options because it didnt need any in our opinion, the base model is very well equipped. We just took it on our first road trip, it was a pleasure to drive. If GM can continue to put out vehicles like this they may be on the way back.
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HHR PRETTY HAPPY - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
By SUNNY FLORIDA - November 1 - 2:53 pm6 months 8000 miles. Needed 2 trips to dealer to fix warped brake rotors and drums, broken rear hatch latch replaced. paid $19K for a leftovr 07, listed for $23K. The car delivers decent comfort & performance for price. It feels reliable, motor and trans. are okay. You will not feel or hear motor inside car, vibrates less then Japanese cars. Fuel economy is not up to par, I am averaging 17 MPG with mostly city driving. I use it for deliveries, hauling family stuff etc. Nice fold downs & roomy. Rattle free, I like the interior very much, simple, elegant nice fit finish. I am happy, although car is far from perfect, see suggested improvements below.
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Style and so much more - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
By marie - October 18 - 6:06 pmWe have had our HHR for a month, and its great! We traded our mini van because of terrible gas mileage. My husband had a PT when we got married, traded it for a Chevy Avalanche, then came the mini van! We wanted to get something with style and good gas mileage,these two things usually do not go together! But the HHR is the best of both worlds! Right now with only 700 miles we are getting around 26mpg(town & country roads),compared to 15mpg in the van. Price was great too ($14,900) LS model, which comes with many extras for a base model! Only complaint so far is the amount of storage in front area, this is a big pain! But a small price to pay for great gas mileage and great style!
