In some ways, every car is a good car. They all serve a function whether it’s getting good gas mileage, hauling a boat, fitting three car seats in the back, having enough cargo space or upgrading a personal image.
Though every car is a good car in its own way, perhaps it’s not a good car for you, specifically. I had to constantly remind myself of this during my last test period because the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS is NMF.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad car. But it’s “not my favorite” mostly because I don’t like the exterior styling. Boxy just isn’t my thing.
So, who is this car for? The enthusiast type who wants a turbocharged engine, standard boost gauge, manual transmission, kitschy exterior design and performance suspension without paying an arm and a leg. The HHR SS definitely does that with a base price of $23,350.
There is also a lot to like about the HHR SS. First and foremost is the slick interior. At a no-cost option you can get a red-and-black interior, which the test vehicle had. It looked really hot with the flashy Victory Red exterior paint.
The SS package and optional performance driver’s seat ($95) made up for some of the plasticky interior surfaces, and the XM Satellite Radio ($200) and the high-performance audio system with seven Pioneer speakers ($295) made up for the boring General Motors audio interface. The one good thing about the audio interface: It is well laid out. Everything is easy to read and easy to reach.
The eight-way power adjustable seats on the SS model provided a comfortable driving position, with great front and rear visibility. Actually, I found the overall around-the-vehicle visibility to be pretty good. Contrary to what you might think, the narrow side windows did not make it difficult to check blind spots.
The design of the center console is pretty open with three cup holders and a couple of uncovered cubby holes to hold your cell phone, change or iPod while driving. The nice thing, however, is the covered storage compartment on the dash above the center stack. It was perfect for storing my garage transponder, I-PASS and iPod when I left the vehicle.
If you can get beyond the odd boxy shape, the compact size and rear cargo area make this an excellent urban utility vehicle. It parks well in tight spaces with a length of 176.5 inches, and the 63.1 cubic-feet of cargo volume with the rear seats folded flat is nothing to sneeze at. I really liked the rear adjustable cargo shelf that serves as a cargo cover and creates a divided space for groceries or flats of flowers.
Aside from the exterior styling, there was one other thing I absolutely did not like about this vehicle: The side-curtain airbags are an option. It is technically possible to do side-curtain airbags cost effectively in a GM vehicle, and in fact, they’re standard in the base $16K Pontiac Vibe. If GM were ever going to share anything across the brands, this should be it. Especially when you consider that the people who want the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and boost gauge in the SS model are probably going to be aggressive drivers. At least the StabiliTrack electronic stability control is standard. It’s the driver-selectable competitive mode that could cause problems.
The Ecotec turbocharged, direct-injected DOHC four-cylinder engine delivers 260 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The engine had a nice kick, though the turbo whine was definitely audible when you punched the accelerator. The nice thing about the power behind the HHR SS is that it is also reasonably environmentally responsible, and EPA fuel ratings ring in at 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.
The test vehicle mated this engine to the standard Getrag five-speed manual transmission with hydraulic clutch system. This too was NMF. The gears were a bit rough, and I often felt like I had to shove the shifter to get it into gear appropriately. The clutch, however, was nice, and didn’t give me fits while spending a couple hours in stop-and-go traffic on the Edens.
Ride and handling of the HHR SS was sporty, gripping corners and accelerating nicely into straight aways. The performance suspension in the SS model definitely gives you a tighter ride, but you’ll definitely feel the bumps and grooves of the road a bit more.
The test week in the HHR SS was void of finger pointers and gawkers because this car does blend in with the regular model. Even though this test vehicle was NMF, I didn’t not like it. If that makes sense. I like the subtlety, sporty ride and utility … if only it were housed in a different package.
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