Does anyone have input on this vehicle? I would love to have a sharp black paneltruck with this look. They are kind of odd birds here in sweden, so i actually havent had a chance to either drive or work with any yet..
I've got one - the regular wagon version. It's the wife's regular daily driver now that I have the Safari. It's a 2006 with the larger 2.4 engine. Plenty of get-up-and-go. The standard 2.2 has enough power as well. Very comfortable, with lots of features for the money. I would say the biggest thing I don't like about it is the extremely wide windshield pillars. When going slow around a corner, it's very easy to 'lose' a pedestrian or bicyclist behind the pillar. It's necessary to shift your head around to make sure you see everything. Ask some more questions here..... http://www.chevyhhr.net/ Good forum...... Marshall
Came -------that close to buying a red HHR panel while back visiting family two summers ago. Loved the looks of it. Decided the rear storage area was too small, the visibility wasn't all that great, the "A" pillars as bad as my present Dodge truck. Still think they are cute. But cute doesn't cut it anymore. My old truck has been paid for for years and I can actually haul stuff in it. What I was going to save in added fuel mileage I would have paid out in more payments and higher insurance. They stopped making them that year also. Okay, that didn't help you a lot!
It's actually roomier than it looks. I've fit quite a bit of stuff into it. Holds a bit more than my previous Focus wagon. Very comfortable for 4 - back seat quite nice.
I've driven them, but don't own one. Surprisingly peppy, comfortable driving position. A pillars are wide, as already mentioned. Put an Ecotec Turbo in one and you would have a screamer!
Yup....HHR SS One of the favorite types of the HHR community is the 'half panel' - regular rear doors, but 'panel' quarters...
This is what i drive today.. The panel is convenient when i ride around with Two-five dawgs, and i can use it at work, hauling arond with my tools, welder etc.. But my cheap, durable Opel isn´t that cool actually....
My parents have one of these and I have logged quite a few miles in it driving my mother places and when we have borrowed it for longer trips. Decent gas mileage for a newer vehicle. If it says anything, my father was a GM dealer and when the government shut us down this is the vehicle he chose to get. It might also be noted that it was because it was a low mileage example that happened to be around at the time. As has been stated, the storage capacity is quite good but if you are used to a larger vehicle you may eventually become bothered by the diminutive passenger and driver space. The A pillars can, literally, be dangerous as mentioned. Entire cars can disappear behind them in a split second. The windshield can be difficult to look out of, hiding traffic lights and causing a subconscious hunching effect as you try to lower your head to look out all the time. One thing to note is this vehicle has electronic steering. Though this is becoming ever more prevalent in vehicles today, older models may suffer from this feature going out. If it goes out it can sometimes actually cost more to fix than the entire cost of a high mileage vehicle, as has been the case with some Cobalts with the same steering system.
It's electric power assist. You'd have just as much trouble steering a non running car with a traditional hydraulic assist.
Oh, man, I thought I was the only one with the hunching effect. I drive a panel at work everyday. Put about 125 miles a day on. Its really comfortable and peppy(mine has the 2.2). Goes thru brakes and front tires, though and I've had to replace leaky struts, its only got 41,000 miles. Its got relatively good capacity for a small vehicle and lots of cubbys. I'd recommend it if you find a decent one with maintainance records. BTW, with the 2.2 being as peppy as it is, the turbo car has got to be a rocket, and my point of reference is an F150 Lightning. Chuck
