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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  Worst car I ever bought - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By Scortch - August 1 - 7:50 am

  Worst mistake I ever made in purchasing a car. Its a really nice car to look at but, thats it. The all plastic interior just reaks of cheap. The front windshield has you leaning up into the steering wheel to see when the red light changes. No console and thus no decent storage space. The little thing they put on the dash is very lacking. The seats are uncomfortable. The space between you and the passenger is almost non existant. Really cramped feeling. No console between seats and the cup holders are the worst I have ever seen in any vehicle. The arm rest sit too low to be of any use. Window control location is very poor. Rear seat room is very poor.

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  2 Weeks Owner - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Robbase - June 25 - 6:43 am

  This is a changeover vehicle for a 2005 Magnum w/Hemi that I traded in for my Sport Red Metallic HHR LT automatic. Superfluous to speak I wanted to get rid of the Gas Hog…. But this HHR has surpassed all my expectations. This HHR is totally awesome, fun to drive, eye catcher, super on gas and very peppy for a 2.2 four cylinder. I love this vehicle. There is not enough to say about it. The handling ability is fantastic! GM has done it again.

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  Fun in retro - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By mortgageit - June 21 - 4:13 pm

  I purchased the HHR as a work vehicle and have enjoyed it so much we drive it everywhere. Great looks and definitely turns heads. Would highly recommend this little cruiser.

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  Nice Ride X - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Xavier - June 8 - 10:16 pm

  I bought this car because I needed a bigger car than the Mirage I had prior. The HHR is soo much fun to drive and soo quiet that unless youre using cruise control you could get into trouble. The whole retro look puts the PT Cruiser to shame and is much roomier. The MPG are still low but I hope they will eventually rise to the occasion after the break in period. Overall great car for either the single party animal or a family. If youre looking for a quiet ride and lots of room then the HHR is the way to go.

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  HHR - Best car for the money!!! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By RedGeminiPA - June 2 - 8:16 pm

  When I first saw the new HHR on Chevys website, I loved it! Once I knew they were starting to arrive at dealers, I started looking on Chevys site to locate the one I wanted. I finally found it, a 2LT in Sunburst Orange Metallic, gray leather, sunroof, roof rails, running boards, 17" high polished wheels, XM radio, 260 watt Pioneer premium sound w/ 6-disc in-dash changer. Sticker was $22,875... and what a package for the money!! Chevy hit a home run with this one! Ive put over 1,000 miles on it within the past 2 weeks!

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  Fiest HHR in Austin, Tx. - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By BigG - May 29 - 2:03 pm

  I bought the HHR right after it hit the showroom floor. LS with 2.2L 5 speed, side airbags and ABS. The ride is outstanding and I cannot believe how well this car/truck is put together. The ride is quiet, 2.2l accelerates quite well, and it holds speed on hills, all while returning 30 MPG. Handles great on interstate and is very stable at our 70 MPH speed limits in TX. I currently have around 1700 miles on the car. If the HHR is an indication of the type of vehicle that GM will be building, then their market share should definetly turn around. Engineeing overruled the bean counters on this one.

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  What a Grin - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Skip in Michigan - May 26 - 9:23 pm

  It has been so many years since I have enjoyed the fun of driving. This vehicle took me back to my first driving experiences and made me feel like a kid again! It rides well, has enough power (is there ever enough?), and the grin factor is unbelievable. I actually did a cruise the first weekend we had it. The price makes it affordable, the gas mileage as painless as its going to get, and enough room and comfort to last the whole week. Chevrolet hit a homerun on the first swing at bat!

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  Just drive it to believe it - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By RKienhofer - May 23 - 9:36 am

  Love it,j ust got it on 10/01 and cant believe the quiet ride, how tight it feels, and all the goodies it has for a small car at $20,000 bucks. Got the auto and 174 horses, all the power plus 30 mpg and the review on cornering, I didnt buy an Indy car.

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  Best Car I Ever Owned - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By MICHAEL - May 20 - 3:00 pm

  Went from a hog of a truck to this surprisingly sharp car. Its quick, fanc, and has nice standard features. Car alarm, auto starter.

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  My other SSR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By SSR/HHR - May 20 - 12:36 pm

  It was worth the wait, I own a 2005 SSR and when I saw the HHR I just had to have the remake of the delivery wagon of years past, I was surprised with the pick-up it has, and it just has a style, its Gms better version of the PT cruser.