2006 Chevrolet HHR Reviews

Brakes needed replacing twice.

Trim very poor (pieces of dash coming unglued, chrome trim around gearshift lifting).

I purchased this HHR used in 2009 as I was looking for something more fuel efficient than my Windstar. It is a fun little car to drive, and overall I feel it is a relatively good value for the money. Fuel economy is good, and while you will never beat anyone away from a stoplight, it cruises along great on the highway.

The ride quality overall is amazing considering the size of the vehicle. My only reason for getting rid of it is the visibility issues, I am over 6' tall and no matter how I adjust the drivers seat, I am still bending forward to see out of the top of the windshield to look at street signs, stoplights, etc. but that is really no fault of the car, more that I should have taken more notice of it on my test drive prior to purchasing it. I would highly recommend this car for anyone looking for a reliable, inexpensive wagon (small families, couples with a lot of luggage, etc), so long as the driver is 5'8" or shorter.

Struts clunk a little when it is really cold outside, and the car is travelling down a rough road, but what would you expect out of a small vehicle that has spent most of its life dodging potholes in rural America?

The rear Chevrolet "bowtie" emblem became disfigured due to weathering way before the original, 36,000 miles. Bumper-to-bumper warranty expired, and the dealer still wouldn't do anything about it.

Otherwise, this car has been flawless.

We custom ordered our HHR with the larger 2.4 liter engine and a manual transmission. It has reasonably good performance and returns phenomenal (28 MPG) economy for a vehicle of its stature.

It has been far more reliable that any GM vehicle we've ever owned, even our 2002 Saturn VUE FWD, which we also purchased new. To date, we have not spent a dime to perform anything other than routine maintenance. It has never dripped a drop of liquid, has never overheated, and all of its accessory still function as they did in April 2006 when we picked it up.

The ride is very nice, the brakes stop quickly and wear well, and the car handles reasonably well.

Most of the interior is well built, but the carpet seems unusually weak. Seat fabric has held up nicely, as our son has spent about half his life riding around in the back seat of this jewel.

We bought the sport red metallic color with the beige interior. I must say this car is still attractive, considering we spent less than $19,000 for it. It's too bad Chevrolet is going to stop building them next year.

There have been many comparisons between the HHR and the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Personally, I drive a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser base model while at work, and an HHR off duty. The PT Cruiser is a little more fun to drive, but that's where the comparison stops. The Cruiser isn't as fast, isn't as comfortable, and doesn't get near the gas mileage the HHR does. The Cruiser does handle better than the HHR, but its turning radius is like a battleship's by comparison.

The PT has had one minor repair (which totally disabled it) at about 12,000 miles., otherwise, the only trips to the shop have been routine maintenance. Again, NO REPAIRS on the HHR in just over 73,000 miles.

The HHR will store about twice the cargo of a PT Cruiser. It also has a much better stereo and generally has better ergonomics. It feels a lot safer as well.