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 nice car - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Guido - June 7 - 3:43 pm

  I LOVE this vehicle!!! We bought this car on a whim...our Chrysler LHS (nice as it was land yacht) was on its last legs, nickeling and diming us to death. This car is exactly what we were looking for...it has the 172 HP engine, which has plenty of zip (surprisingly, I might add) for me, gets excellent gas mileage around town...about 20 MPG in Pittsburgh, dont know about the open road yet...excellent stereo...got the sunroof, remote start, heated leather seats...overall, this is probably the best AND COOLEST car Ive ever owned...people still turn their heads to look...by the way, its black with the chrome trim package.

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  A lot of fun in a small package - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By ssdriver - June 7 - 3:30 am

  While we purchased this vehicle for my wife to use, I find myself using it every opportunity I get. The driving position is quite confortable, the front seats accomodate my 62" large frame and due to the upright sitting position I can move the seat forward quite a bit without compromising my driving comfort. My only complaints are reduced visablity looking over my left hand shoulder, the lack of a center console, the power window positions and the lack of low end umph in the 2.4 litre motor, but then again Im used to the 5.7 litre V8 in my 95 Impala SS. Overall its a great car for the value and the styling is always refreshing to see. The sunburst orange metallic is easy to find

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  A real looker - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Georgetown, ON - June 2 - 12:36 am

  I have had my Sunburst Orange HHR for 7 months now. It sure gets a lot of looks. The pickup is great and it handles well 3 seasons of the year. I have 3 complaints though. It does not handle very well in the snow. (important feature up here in Canada) The cupholders and electric window buttons are awkward to reach. Other than that I absolutely love this car.

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  Chevy Comes So Close - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Bill - May 29 - 9:06 am

  Never owned a Chevy before buying the HHR but the looks of this caught my eye when the first "spy shots" were posted on the web. Really a great car for the money. I bought a 2LT with pretty much every available option and the car has not disappointed me at all. The acceleration is better than I anticipated and my wife loves the heated leather seats. Now well see how it fills the bill for tailgating this Saturday. If Chevy had just put more thought into the placement of the cupholders, spent a few dollars more on the power window switches by placing them on the door where they belong Id have no real complaints.

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  A Great Car - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By new owner - May 22 - 2:33 pm

  I love this car! Have had it for 3 months and drive it 90 miles back and forth to work every day. The retro styling is really cool. I have the chrome package which adds a nice touch as well. It is fun to drive and I average about 30 miles per gallon. I dont mind the window buttons on the center console as I havent had power windows before, so I am not used to them being on the door. At first the roof light that shines on the center console bothered me, but I got used to it pretty quickly.

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  Better than my past 08 Scion xb - 2008 Chevrolet HHR
  By swartz - May 10 - 3:33 pm

  I was able to trade in a 08 Scion XB after seeing an 08 orange HHR panel wagon. The drive was smooth. Wish I had purchased it in the first place. The Scion was very limited in color selection, had lower MPG, tough to see stop lights, only one back up light, even with a pioneer stereo the sound was not as good as the HHRs. Buying American was nice. I just love the HHR!

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  Hooray! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Zumboot - May 9 - 6:43 pm

  I decided on the HHR after 6 weeks of research and trying lots of small and tiny wagons. I loved the look of the HHR as soon as I saw it and knew it was the right car within minutes of my test drive. The editor reviews seem to care a lot about how fast (or slowly) the HHR can take off and its engine power, but hey, I wasnt looking for a hot- rod! Im perfectly happy with its power, and love the handling. Its not "mushy" - I know Im driving, but the road isnt abusing me. This is a terrific family wagon that looks so, so very cool! We were concerned about it being a new model - track record, so bought an extended warranty that refunds our money if we never use it! Im happy!

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  2007 Chevrolet HHR LS - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By ROPER - May 6 - 8:53 pm

  I truly enjoy it. Its pretty quiet and spacious. Fuel economy. The A/C cools pretty quick. I used to have a Honda Civic and it would take forever to get the cool air out.

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  Way to go Chevy!!! - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By Randyb - April 21 - 1:43 am

  Can hardly believe it, but Chevy definitely got it right this time. The HHR is by one of the hottest and should become one of the most customized vehicles out there. Just got my Sport Red Metallic 2LT with all the bells and whistles and I am very happy with this car. The one thing I did though was to replace the rear speakers with a better aftermarket Memphis 6.5 speaker. Much better response and sound than the factory. Waiting to see what gas mileage will be. First tank about 26.5. Second tank 29.8 with about the same roads covered. Everyone who has seen this car so far has said what a cool look and way better than the PT Cruiser. It has a much bolder stance and a beautiful retro look!!!

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  HHR satisfied - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By gene cook - April 19 - 11:46 pm

  We purchased our HHR on sight after 1st seeing it on the lot. The style & head room inside, and fuel mileage were our 1st reasons to buy. The interior is well designed. We are getting 24mpg driving in town. Recommend a rubber mat in rear to keep cargo from sliding in rear cargo area. Handling on road is very good.We have not had the option to take a long trip yet but will do so soon.