My Experience Imagine, for a minute, that you're an automobile manufacturer who's fallen on hard times. Small cars are gaining market share, Chrysler's PT Cruiser has become a huge hit, and now you're hurting for a "cool" compact wagon of your own. What would you do? Well, here's one idea: you could hire the guy that designed the PT, plant him in your design studio, and have him pen a similarly cuddly body that'll fit on your existing small-car chassis. A brilliant plan, no?
Well, now imagine that you're taking this course of action
five years after the PT Cruiser's release. The fad is over, and PTs are now being sold with rebates--not mark-up--on their window stickers. Logic dictates that it's time to move to Plan B. But, amazingly, this is exactly the strategy GM has pursued with the HHR. They hired the PT's designer, Brian Nesbitt, and came up with a tall wagon that's based on the Cobalt sedan, but stylistically reminiscent of Chevy trucks from the 1950s.
So, is the HHR a desperate, untimely grasp at the PT's coattails? Or will Chevy, in fact, steal Chrysler's target market as the PT continues to age? I spent some time driving the HHR at GM's Auto Show In Motion to find out.
Performance At dealerships, Chevy will sell you an HHR with one of two four-cylinder engines--a base 2.2-liter, or a stronger 2.4-liter. At the auto show, however, only the uplevel 2.4-liter was available to drive. It took only one prod of the throttle to find out why: even with the top-of-the-line engine, the HHR's thrust is adequate at best. The spec sheet says you get 172 horsepower, but through the seat of the pants, it feels more like 140.
Now, to be fair, the HHR's acceleration is smooth and even enough that you won't be sweating in ordinary freeway merges. And since the 2.4-liter engine only adds $650 to the bottom line, it's a worthwhile safety investment. After all, the base 2.2-liter engine
actually makes about 140 horsepower--and therefore, probably feels more like 95. My advice: don't go there.
Still, while the HHR doesn't beat (or, in most cases, even
meet) its tall-wagon rivals for performance, all is not lost under the hood--what the Ecotec lacks in spirit, it makes up for in smoothness. Throttle tip-in is unusually gentle for this class, and the engine emits only a soft sewing-machine hum in light-throttle cruising. Vibration is minimal, too, so you feel only a hint of four-cylinder tingle at idle.
There's just one dent in this engine's refinement: its exhaust note. Even small shoves at the gas pedal elicit a hollow drone from the rear of the car, as if heard through a cardboard tube. If you've driven a Chevy Cobalt, you know what I'm talking about.
The HHR's gas mileage is also similar to the Cobalt's, but here, the similarity is no bad thing. With the 2.4-liter engine, the EPA says to expect 22/30 MPG with manual, and 23/30 MPG with automatic. For comparison, the base PT Cruiser's numbers are 22/29 and 21/26. But since the HHR requires Premium fuel (most rivals do not), you'll feel its thriftiness in your conscience, not your wallet.
Transmission/Clutch How did the Chevy realize those gas savings over its Chrysler rival? Easy. Its transmissions--especially the automatic--operate in
uber-gas-saver mode. When driving at a normal pace, you'll notice the transmission upshifting early and often, keeping the engine as subdued as possible. Unfortunately, this preference for low, low revs also makes the HHR's acceleration feel weak and slushy under light loads.
Still, while its programming may be stodgy, this automatic at least isn't slow-witted. Jab the gas for a burst of speed--the kind you'd need when passing on a two-lane highway--and the transmission quickly perks up and selects a lower gear. But it takes a heavy throttle foot to keep the engine awake, with consequent losses in fuel economy.
Want a little more control over where the tach needle goes? Try the standard 5-speed manual transmission instead. But be aware that this shared Cobalt piece won't transform the HHR into an enthusiast's ride. Its shifter moves with semi-smooth clunks, and the clutch is tuned for ease of use rather than millimeter precision. And since the Cobalt's gearlever hasn't been extended to match the HHR's tall seating, you have to reach down into a pit to shift.
Steering/Handling Like most of its other components, the HHR's suspension and electric-assist steering system are shared with the Chevy Cobalt and Saturn ION. So, after seeing some "tuner" imagery in the HHR's early marketing efforts, I hoped that maybe some handling DNA from the excellent Cobalt SS and ION Red Line would make its way into the HHR. Sadly, no dice. The HHR's moves are pure econocar, through and through.
This impression starts with the HHR's steering, which is much like that of a base Cobalt or ION. GM hasn't quite figured out how to make its electric-assist systems feel natural, so the HHR's wheel twirls with an artificially light, velvety touch, as if someone poured olive oil into the rack. Effort increases modestly at higher speeds, but the wheelrim always feels soft and insulated, and path control is never sharp. I suppose some buyers may perceive the resulting feel as "luxurious."
The HHR's chassis, thankfully, has no such quirks. Toss the HHR into a hard corner, and as you'd expect, it responds like a Cobalt sedan carrying a few suitcases on its roof. Body lean is well-controlled, and while turn-in may be incrementally more deliberate than in the lower-riding Cobalt, the HHR generally feels light on its feet and "easy to drive." The 2LT package's 17-inch wheels and tires help, providing confident, reassuring grip in brisk turns.
That said, I never felt compelled to push the HHR to its limits--like the PT Cruiser, this mild-mannered Chevy hardly encourages such behavior. The HHR holds the road well when pushed, eventually settling into a mellow understeer, but it offers nothing like the glued-down moves of a Mazda 3. And remember, this is with the top-line 2LT's "sport suspension." Lower-tier models may be even less stimulating.
Ride While the HHR's handling wasn't nearly as interesting as I'd hoped, its commuter-friendly suspension tuning pays dividends in ride comfort. The HHR's body motions feel commendably subtle over broken pavement, with minimal harshness and surprisingly little bump-thump from the upsized wheels and tires. Factor in the relatively hushed engine note, and the HHR's cabin could almost be called "tranquil" by the standards of this class.
The only downside, for me, is that the HHR's body isn't quite as rigid as those of the sedans it's based upon. Sharp impacts are sometimes followed by minute trembles in the unibody--sometimes felt through the seats, other times through the steering column. The Mazda 3 hatchback feels notably tighter, but to be fair, most of the HHR's rivals--including the PT Cruiser--exhibit similar traces of flex.
Interior When I drove and reviewed the PT Cruiser, I found that one of the car's greatest strengths was its interior's ability to create a sense of occasion. The car simply felt
special to sit in, thanks largely to its retro cabin detailing and driving position. Does the HHR measure up in this regard?
For the most part, yes. In keeping with current automotive fashion--ironically set by another Chrysler, the 300C--the HHR's beltline is pulled up tight, narrowing the windows to stubby slits when viewed from inside. The short dashboard and up-close windshield make for good forward visibility, but glances to the side are largely blocked by the shoulder-height windowsills and exceedingly chubby A-pillars. You get the feeling that you're driving your own bite-sized tank.
Well, that is, until you eye the soft, cartoony contours of the HHR's dashboard. In contrast to the paramilitary view out, the HHR's cabin styling is nonthreatening to a fault, an amporphous blend of plump semicircles. There are a couple of retro touches, such as the '50s-look gauge cluster and chrome-ringed switchgear, but I imagine most buyers will find the ambiance a bit bland. Personally, I find the dichotomy interesting.
It helps that there's a modicum of substance behind the style. The HHR's interior plastics are mostly hard and pebbly-grained, but they're also solid, low-gloss, and remarkably tight-fitting. As a result, the word "cheap" seldom comes to mind. For best results, though, I'd specify the sand-dune tan color scheme instead of the alternative flat gray.
That's form covered. As far as function goes, the HHR offers plenty of leg- and headroom, and places the driver in a comfortably upright driving position. But when it comes to seat comfort, you'll want to tick some option boxes--specifically, the one that charges you $750 for leather-upholstered chairs. Stick with the standard cloth, and the seats' coarse fabric will likely make you sorry you did.
Ergonomics are a similarly mixed bag elsewhere in the HHR's cabin. On the positive side of the ledger, the HHR features big, clearly-labeled buttons, smooth-acting switchgear, and enormous side mirrors for easy blind-spot coverage. But on the negative side, many controls are mounted too low to use without taking your eyes off the road. This includes the power-window switches, which--for reasons unclear to me--have migrated from the door panels to the dashboard. And in another odd move, the HHR has ditched the Cobalt's console-mounted armrest in favor of two flip-down, seat-mounted units. These block your shifting arm when folded down, and leave your elbow hanging when you flip them out of the way.
One last nit: the HHR's front doors have unusually large, pointy trailing edges that threaten the driver's face during entry and exit.
Consumer Reports will surely make a stink about this.
Practicality Like most compact wagons, the HHR packs a surprising amount of usable space within its modest exterior dimensions. It's a half-inch shorter in length than a Honda Civic sedan, but its 63-cubic-foot cargo capacity is roughly equal to that of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Infiniti FX, or Porsche Cayenne. And unlike those vehicles, the HHR allows you to create a two-tier trunk by slotting a package shelf into the cargo bay walls. The load floor itself is made of wipe-down plastic (covered by a removeable cloth mat), while all of the passenger seats can folded down to create a long, flat load floor.
None of these features are groundbreaking, of course--the PT has offered nearly all of them for years. But the HHR's rear seating does seem slightly more comfortable than the PT's, with a less upright seatback and more shoulder space. The covered storage bins in the HHR's trunk floor are another useful touch.
Storage options are less plentiful up front, however. Neither the HHR's glovebox nor its door map pockets are particularly spacious, and there are no center-console cubbies at all. Most any rival does better in this regard.
Reliability Since the HHR is new for 2006, the leading consumer publication hasn't had time to reach a verdict on its reliability. First-year teething troubles seem plausible, especially since the Cobalt's reliability has been rated "Worse Than Average" by the same publication. But until more data becomes available, your best bet is to read some owners' reviews on this site.
Overall So, as a whole, what does the HHR bring to the crowded "small 'n' tall" wagon segment? Well, besides the styling... not much. Nevertheless, I left GM's auto show with a positive impression of this little car--probably more so than it deserved.
Chalk that up to the HHR's styling. I find the HHR's taut, chunky retro shape highly attractive--much more so than the PT Cruiser's. The Chevy's wider stance, smaller glass area, and edgier angles add up to a look that's similarly endearing, but not as "cute." As a result, I imagine the Chevy will appeal to a broader audience, and almost certainly lure more male buyers than the Chrysler.
Are there any other reasons to consider the HHR? Perhaps. It does offer one of the softest rides in its class, comparable to that of the Suzuki Reno but without whatever stigma attends the Reno's no-name badge. It also boasts better seats and a far better driving position than the Vibe/Matrix twins. And while its cargo area isn't quite as large as some rivals', it does offer considerably more trunk space than the Mazda 3.
But these are small victories, and the HHR's leisurely performance is a significant competitive disadvantage. Nearly every rival is either speedier in standard form (i.e. the Mazda), or offers more-powerful engines as an option (the PT, Vibe, and Matrix). Bottom line: the HHR is a functional, well-rounded wagon competing with several other functional, well-rounded wagons. That makes it a worthy choice if you love the styling, but a midpack player if you don't.
(Oh, and...
Psst! Chevy! Bolt in the Cobalt SS's supercharged engine, Recaro seats, 18-inch wheels, and extra-firm steering and suspension, and you'd have a winner on your hands. You'd also beat Mazda's MazdaSpeed 3 and Dodge's Caliber SRT-4 to the punch.)
Feel free to check out my reviews on some of the HHR's competitors:
Chrysler PT Cruiser Hyundai Elantra GT Kia Spectra5 Mazda 3s Pontiac Vibe Scion xB Suzuki Aerio SX Suzuki Reno
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