I think it’s good reliable car. It is built well

I switched from a Jeep Grand Cherokee to a Chevy HHR. I was sick of spending as much as I did on gas, but still needed to cart around film gear for the occasional gig, so this seemed to be the obvious choice. I have fit three big dudes and all the gear we needed into this car and still had good pickup! Speaking of pickup, this car is probably going to get me in trouble. It's zippy as hell! I haven't had a 4-cylinder since I was a teenager. The technology has come a long way since then! It also handles well, so I find myself driving like I'm driving a sports car. I can't imagine how fun the SS version must be. The other surprise is that this car did just fine in this past Michigan winter. I really thought that's when I was going to miss my Jeep the most, but I honestly didn't even notice the lack of four-wheel drive. My wife and I have taken this car on a handful of 3-6 hour road trips. It's treated us well for those. Comfortable-enough seats, lots of cargo space for suitcases, decent sound coming out of the stereo. Not too shabby. As I mentioned in the cons section, the only thing to dis is the hard plastic cargo area. Everything slides around unless you tie it down. I crushed a bag of groceries with a 40lb box of cat litter before learning about the slide factor.

Over the years I have owned and driven full sized trucks, suvs’, and cars, including classic -powerful muscle automobiles. If it's domestic, I've probably driven / owned it. The HHR Panel model is hands down one of the best cars I've ever owned. I travel for work (need to haul tools/supplies everyday), where SAFTEY, dependability, storage, and great gas mileage are a MUST. This wagon has far exceeded my expectations. Not only does it deliver everything I ask, IT IS A PLEASURE TO DRIVE! With more than enough get up and go, for the highway, or aggressive traffic situations. 2 lane highways @ 55 mph she gets 34 avg mpg. With interstate driving at 70 mph is around 29. That is impressive with a load of about 800 lbs. (Maximum load limit is 900 lbs). When I say STABLE SUSPENSION this is why...** Rear suspension has independent torque arms (Not coil springs that sag over time) - the bonus here is you can load the back any way you want, and needn’t worry about having the weight evenly distributed, because the torque arms automatically compensate. These are solid - well built cars. It will be a very sad day indeed, when I'm forced to buy something different. THE HHR PANEL IS A PERFECT FIT !

The car is wonderful plenty of power in town and to pass on the hiway. Its fun to drive easy to park and gets decent gas mileage. Drive to and from work which is about 22 mi each way so compared to my diesel truck it is MUCH cheaper.

Bought an HHR-LT in the fall of 2007, while drooling over an SS prototype. Then in the summer of 2010 got a chance to own one of the last HHR-SSs to be built by the GM Performance Division. Loved my LT but had a problem with the brakes - kept getting heat-warps frequently. But the SS is a whole different animal ... it feels part Trans-Am, with a hint of PT Cruiser thrown into a useful platform that just makes you feel good!