Nuts & Bolts
2008 Chevrolet HHR SS Turbo Wagon
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Complaint: The HHR is a compact wagon. But it's heavy at 3,100 pounds, making it a bit overwhelming for its base 2.2-liter, 149-horsepower in-line, four-cylinder engine. We recommend upgrading to the 2.4-liter, 175-horsepower, four-cylinder engine or to the turbocharged, two-liter, 260-horsepower four-cylinder engine in the test model.
Ride, acceleration handling: Excellent straight-line ride and handling. Acceptable handling in curves, meaning that the HHR SS will behave well if you approach curves carefully. Good acceleration.
Head-turning quotient: Alluring in the manner of a well-armed small town that is also well-manicured, filled with churches and bereft of bitterness.
Body style/layout: The HHR is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive, compact urban wagon available in five versions -- base LS, Panel LS, upscale LT, Panel LT and sporty SS. The passenger models have four side doors. The Panel versions are two-seaters with windowless rear doors.
Engine/transmission: The tested HHR SS comes with a turbocharged, in-line, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine that develops 260 horsepower at 5,300 revolutions per minute and 260 foot-pounds of torque at 2,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic is optional.
Capacities: There are seats for five. Maximum cargo capacity is 63 cubic feet. The HHR SS can be equipped to tow 1,000 pounds. Fuel capacity is 16 gallons of regular unleaded gasoline.
Mileage: We got 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway.
Safety: Head and side air bags are optional at this writing. Four-wheel antilock brakes, electronic stability and traction control are standard.
Price: Base price on the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS Turbo wagon is $22,710. Dealer invoice price is $21,461. Price as tested is $25,240, including $1,890 in options (four-speed automatic transmission, side and head air bags, premium sound system, and XM Satellite radio) and a $640 destination charge. Note: That destination charge was recently raised from $620 to cover rising fuel costs. Dealer's invoice price as tested is $23,765. Prices sourced from Chevrolet, Edmunds.com and Cars.com, an affiliate of The Washington Post.
Purse-string note: The HHR LT makes more practical sense. Compare with Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Element and Scion xB.
