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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  I love my car and you will too! - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jumpinghorse210 - November 8 - 2:06 pm

  Dont be fooled by all the negative reviews about the HHR, I would say this has a lot to do with voluntary response. A few people had such a terrible time with this car that they felt compelled to respond. This doesnt happen often when people have a positive reaction to something (go figure). My HHR was the first new-ish car I had ever purchased. I got an excellent deal at the dealership a silver 2010 Chevy HHR LT 2.4L with 35k miles for $11,500 in Dec of 2012. I got the 1 year 100k warranty along with it. After driving in a 1988 Chevy Celebrity for two years it was like a dream. During my first few months there was a recall for my power steering motor and I just took it over to the dealership and had it fixed in a couple hours. Easy-peasy. Ill talk about the negatives first to get them out of the way. Firstly, it does have very big blindspots. I did have to purchase those additional circular mirrors you put in the corner of your side-view mirrors for some additional help merging and parking. The view out of the front is very square and small, not like a normal 4-door sedan where the windshield is rather large. Something you have to get used to and is not for everyone. Again, Im very small so the small windshield doesnt bother me. The one feature I always wished it had was a USB for my IPhone. It would be cool to be able to charge my phone AND play my music simultaneously but honestly the auxiliary port has been a perfectly good substitute. I would say considering the kind of gas mileage most 4cyl are getting today (2012-2014 models) the HHR does leave something to be desired in MPG. Right now I get 22/30 and I think the new Chevy Cruise gets up to 36 freeway or something like that. In terms of engine performance it is only a 4cyl 2.4L so the acceleration leaves something to be desired. No wonder. Other than that it has been smooth sailing, my favorite part about this car is that it is easy to keep maintenance up at home like a lot of Chevys. I changed my own brake pads, changed my own oil (after the warranty expired) etc, during the summer and during the winter just took it in if necessary. I even put new rotors on at 50k and it was a snap. Being a very small lady this says something. Parts are very cheap for this guy. Also keep in mind Ive put A LOT of miles on this bad boy. Ive had it for three years and I just hit 85k (yikes) and it still runs like a dream. Otherwise I made many long trips with this car, even took it to Florida and back a couple times. Space-wise I LOVE it. I have been moving once a year for the past 5 years and with this car I could comfortably pack all of my furniture and make one MAYBE two trips, no UHaul needed. I was also always the one driving a group road trips because my car was the most comfortable for 4 or 5 people. Winter driving: I was basically Santa driving his flying sleigh through the snow. Enough said. I really cant think of anything I genuinely didnt like about this car. I feel like most of the people who complain about performance didnt properly maintain their car so boo-hoo on them. At 85k, with proper maintinence, I cant even tell if my car is on sometimes it runs so quietly. I havent even had to bother getting a tune-up because I have the 100k spark plugs etc. My brother owns a 2008 HHR and his still runs excellent at 130k. Of course he has had to replace his suspension which was expected but it was only 650 bucks. The only weird thing about the 08 is that the window buttons are on the center console. No idea why but mine is normal so who cares. Long story short, if you are trying to decide whether to get this or a normal sedan, get the HHR. It has so much utility and is just overall just a great little easy-keeper car. I have every intention of driving this car until it cant run anymore.

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  Surprising little car - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Jim - October 27 - 7:56 pm

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  Almost time to say goodbye - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By Adam - September 18 - 11:56 pm

  Five years of ownership and all she really cost me was shocks and struts and front wheel bearings. Plus front brakes. The ride of this vehicle has never been acceptable to me..seems to me that my 1997 chevy blazer rode better, and that is after struts and shocks. 164k as I write this, not once has it ever failed to start. It handles ok until you attempt tight corners.....not good. Too much body roll and it feels like you will rip the tires from the wheels so slow down like youre in a truck. But the fuel mileage is consistent between 28 and 30 mpg. But where this vehicle really shines is its ability to haul stuff.....lots of stuff. I tried once to get a sheet of drywall in there but that is where I stepped over the line....I had a lawnmower in there once. I would not buy another one though and I would recommend you purchase one if all you intend to do is drive to school or work and stay off of back roads. I did replace a head light and a brake light also. Ive never had a problem with the ignition tumbler but I think that is because there is only one key and a remote start on the key ring.

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  Stylish Ride - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By E Souffle - August 11 - 10:13 pm

  Early HHRs had many teething problems some of them serious. My 2010 model has been trouble free. The car went in for two recall items: ignition switch and power steering, even though I was not experiencing any problems. Neither visit cost me anything. My mileage isnt great - about 22mpg (80% street). I dont use ethanol. A drop of ethanol has about 85% the energy of a drop of gasoline. Not to mention some water content. The car is plenty peppy for me. The A pillars are very thick take a little getting used to, but the interior is very comfortable. Entry/exit is very easy unlike some cars with a low roofline. I also like the useful cargo area and A/C. There is a little compartment in the middle of the dashboard - very handy. I do my own oil changes and the HHR is the best car for this. The new type oil filter is so neat, no mess. Owners of earlier models have reported transmission problems at around 40K+ miles. I only have 33K miles no problems yet. So far Im very happy.

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  2006 Chevy HHR - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By rodfreeman - May 25 - 12:11 am

  So far I love my HHR.

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  Accident - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By jordan2014 - March 2 - 5:32 pm

  I absolutely love this vehicle, its an amazing gas saver. I was so so about buying this car but my wife wanted it so we obviously got it. After 6 days today being the 6th me and my 19 month old were on my way to pick up my new born and wife from the hospital, and along the way we lost control and had flipped 4 or 5 times. The only damage was the roof. The above airbags deployed and saved my sons and I lives. I very strongly recommend this vehicle to anyone for the safety, all i can say now is thank you chevy.. thank you

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  2006 Chevrolet HHR 1LT 2.4 5 speed - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By 06hhr - January 28 - 12:04 pm

  Bought April, 2012. When bought it had 50,432 on it, Just short of 2 years later its at just over 90k. Average over 20k miles a year. The clutch still feels new and the 2.4 Ecotec hasnt skipped a beat! All this said, I have done the following: -Thermostat replaced (factory installed coolant caused premature breakdown of OEM part. (known issue) - Fixed broken sunroof wind deflector (common issue) - Replaced/upgraded front rotors (OEM known to warp), upgraded to ceramic pads. Total cost, about $230 to fix, all easily done at home. The one thing I will need to have done is suspension bushings. Theyre shot and make the car creak horribly in cold weather.

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  What A Trip Its Been - 2006 Chevrolet HHR
  By darkwolf927 - October 28 - 2:09 pm

  Second car ever, lots of ups and downs. Lots of little things, my electrical problems alone have been a total nightmare, the $2K price tag for the AC repairs, the extra-expensive profile tires, the fact that you cant replace ANYthing easily... but Im trying not to complain here, and heres why. Overall, I bought it used with 36k miles, 5 years later I just passed 265,000! Eaten probably $5,000 in various repairs, and I never did get around to fixing that AC. But it fits my family of 4, strollers and luggage, and I still marvel driving around on FL roads and watching it get 38 MPG. Oh, and the stock stereo has killer bass! Quarter million miles on the original trans & still going!

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  Happy with my HHR - 2007 Chevrolet HHR
  By bones21 - June 24 - 1:04 pm

  Purchased a Chev. HHR from Hertrichs Capitol in Dover, DE. I am very pleased with my car. It took some time getting use to since I was use to a bigger windshield. The car gets good gas mileage. Hertrichs made me a good deal with the price too. I would recommend going to this dealer. They work hard in satisfying their customers. This is our third car that we have purchased from tem.

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  Something Chevy Doesnt Tell You - 2010 Chevrolet HHR
  By oceanhhr - May 13 - 8:31 pm

  We have an HHR LT with the 2.4L Ecotec FlexFuel, automatic. Drives great. Plenty of pick-up. But no one mentioned the engine is NOT happy using the Ethanol gas we have to put in it!! To get decent gas mileage we have to put in an additive by Lucas every time we fill up! Thats a pain. I would think about it before buying. Another problem is that the interior has MANY blind spots. You have to be extra careful to look more than normal to make sure you see properly. (Esp. for someone short in height.) It sits comfortably and the power driver seat works well. The round air vents are nicer than the standard louver ones. There are ample cup holders compared to many more expensive cars.