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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  2.4LT - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Matthew - November 4 - 7:06 pm

  I would say I am generally happy with the car. The gas mileage is fine (mid 20s), the power is fine (the gear ratios need to be adjusted), the options are very good (I opted for all options) and the ergonomics is good. It is very weasy to get my daughter in and out of the center rear seat, the rear volume is better than I orig thought and the styling is unique.The two things I would change would be the location of the power window controls and the number of cup holders available. The only complaint is the the roof liner glue does not hold with sunroof models and the dealer does not have a clue as to how to fix the issue. I would recommend this car to a friend or family member.

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  HHR in the country - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By dairyaire - October 14 - 12:33 pm

  I really enjoy driving my HHR. My son, on the other hand, likes the car, but at 61", he is almost too tall to comfortably drive it.

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  my new HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Archer19541 - September 22 - 12:40 pm

  I love the vehicle, there are only 2 things that I dont like. The first is the location of the window controls, they are out of place and you have to search for them. The other is the electronic steering is a little touchy and sensitive at low speeds.

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  So far so good - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By jean - September 17 - 7:46 pm

  Well, left my VW Jetta 1.8 Turbo ( end of lease ) for this car. Took the car for a drive twice and fell in love with the looks, ease of getting in or out, smooth ride, milleage and price. Got the base model 2.2,LS, 5 manual and no frills. Big change in lifestyle but so far, so good. Enjoying the ride and good gas usage so far.. 8.5L TO 100 Kms, city driving during the first 1000Kms break in period. Great AC and heating systems.

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  Ultimate Christmas Present - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Cannon Family - September 2 - 10:33 pm

  This car is awesome to drive and to look at. Who could ask for more? We have the HHR 2LT and we are enjoying it to the max. First new car in 10 years and when we saw it we wanted it. Our first driving experience was a trip over the holidays and we headed north to Pa. and thru W.V. and ran into snow covered interstate and it handled terrific. The gas mileage has been in the high 30s on the road. We have not driven in town that much. This is our tripmobile and we are looking forward to our next excursuion to show our HHR off to the big guys. Go Chevy and keep up the Revolution. We wouldt change a thing.

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  Best Car - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Robert Hayes - August 19 - 11:06 pm

  I love it. You can put a 2"x4"x8 in vehicle with no trouble. Boxes of tools. Best little car. Im 63"3/4 tall 260 lbs. So far 13,645 miles on it.

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  Hot HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By smokebee - August 16 - 1:43 am

  Took three months to get delivery. Did not get to take advantage of temp price reduction because of delayed delivery-- Having said my piece on that--we are delighted by the vehicle. Took a 500 plus mile trip immediately after delivery and the car performed flawlessly and was very comfortable in ride and driveability. I ordered the Base LT1 in red and added leather seats, side air bags, rear cargo mat, OnStar, Anti-Lock brakes, fog lamps,auto tran/w/remote start.Std radio and disc are very good. It accelarates well for a 4 banger. I came down in size from 03 Ford Expedition-loaded EB 250+HP to 142HP. Yeah!!!!I like My HHR

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  2.4 performance same as Benz Kompressor! - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By robb - August 8 - 6:53 am

  Surprise! The off the line power is great! The interior comfort is super. The quality is great in and out. Get the mud flapsor the dirt will hit the vehicle. This replaced a Land Rover and I am not looking back!

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  #2300 off the line - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By critter - August 1 - 7:06 pm

  This was the first one in northern MI sold. Had some new model quirks and bugs to work out, dealership took care of all of them except for one, which needs GMs help. All 4 doors are rusting at the seam on the inside door bottom. GM seems to be giving me the runaround. I want either new doors (as an attempt to repaint didnt work) or a new car. Other than that it gets OK gas mileage 23 around town, 28 on the freeway (thought it would do better.) Put a real console in the car and move the window switches. Love the heated leather seats and XM radio. Quality would be better if it wasnt built in Mexico.

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  Excellent value for the money - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By john g - July 17 - 6:46 pm

  I also own an 05 HHR, and they are similar. Opt for the ABS and side airbags. OnStar is super, worth the money. This car doesnt do anything super, but it doesnt do anything really bad either, and I paid $15,200 for my 08 with the automatic transmission and one year of on-star. Pinebelt "etched" my windows for $299 and said it was "standard procedure" although I didnt really want it. It was a pure money maker for them, but the deal was still sweet. If you want a reliable, good looking economy car, this is an excellent choice, and I would buy another one when in the market.