Teresa’s View
Chevy has been making “Look At Me” cars for years, so it wasn’t a big surprise that the venerable automaker would reach back into its history to come up with HHR, a nouveau-retro cross between a 1949 Suburban and SSR roadster hot rod.
The name “HHR” is an acronym for “Heritage High Roof,” referring to its most distinctive feature, a tall delivery van-style roofline. The Heritage part is a nod to the old Suburban.
The best part about the HHR’s physique is the amount of configurable interior space it affords. If Chevy had added another letter to the name it would be a “V” for “versatility.” In addition to the volumes of space, the engineers worked overtime to incorporate several clever features including a reconfigurable cargo area that inspired a fun game at our house called “Find the Hidden Cargo Storage Areas.” Parental Hint: One is located under the rear load floor. Two other cargo bins can be found just behind the rear seats.
Bonus: The cargo floor doubles as an adjustable package shelf for picnics or tailgate parties. Since both the floor and seatbacks are made with a durable composite, clean up is a snap.
Other helpful innovations include rust-resistant galvanized-steel body parts and a handy auxiliary glove box with removable liner.
Based on the same platform as the popular Cobalt compact, the HHR drives more like a car than a truck.
It comes in a choice of three trim levels — LS, LT1 and LT2 — and two four-cylinder power plants — a 143-horsepower 2.2-liter or a 172-horsepower 2.4-liter engine. Each is offered with either a standard 5-speed manual transmission or an optional 4-speed automatic transmission. The HHR has been roundly criticized for being a bit underpowered, but then again, the gas mileage is rated at 30 mpg during city driving.
What Is It?: The HHR is an all-new five-passenger, four-door compact crossover. Prices start at $16K. Chevy calls it a compact utility vehicle, but that makes the HHR a CUV.
Gadget Rating: 7 out of 10. An all-in-one audio input jack allows passengers to hook up their iPod to the car’s sound system. Other standard features include air conditioning, cruise control, keyless remote, AM/FM stereo with CD player, plus power door locks, windows and mirrors. Dual-stage front airbags and daytime running lights are standard. Head curtain bags are available. Demerits for poor placement of the window switches and a poorly designed set of front cupholders that are unusable with the armrest in place.
Favorite Gadget You Can’t Use in Washington State: A factory-installed remote vehicle starter system is included with the four-speed automatic. The system warms up or cools down the vehicle and is effective from up to 200 feet away. But remember, it’s illegal in Washington State to leave a running vehicle unattended.