Typically GM has subtle differences from one model year to the next, even if it is minimal, so my question is as the title reads, is there a way to tell the different years visually from the exterior?

 

Hub covers/wheels. The 2006 is the only year DRLs were the running lights not the headlights.

 

Some colors were only offered certain years (Dayton Blue 06 only). DRL in the parking lights for 06 only. Other than that, wheel changes. In 08 the SS started, and in 09 all got door mounted window controls.

 

09 and later are Flexfuel. A badge is on the right of the hatch. In 10 the steelies are cout out like the hubcaps.

 

So, to answer the OP's question. Not really.
Most modern cars pretty much stay the same for years until a redesign.

I used to own a number of different 60's - 70's Olds Cutlass' and 442's. From the 68-72 model (5 year models) they had different tail lights every year. Very easy to tell visually what year car it was.
Car makers just don't do that kind of thing any more on the present day cars.

 

Thanks guys, being a car guy, it's one of those things I look for. I know the IROC's had real subtle changes, but every model year had someway to tell them apart.

I presently own a few Novas and the 68-72 Nova's are are the same way. To the average person, the all look the same, but for the guru's there are ways define them in their stock trim from year to year.

 

There were some "exceptions". My best friends dad bough a 71 Cutlass new, it was one of the last 71 off the line and it had 72 taillights because Olds ran out of the 71's and did not want to produce more. I heard the same thing happened with headlight bezels though I never knew of an actual example. The 71's were all chrome and the 72's had black paint on them.

 

Another way to approximate the year of an HHR is to look for the "GM Mark of Excellence" chiclets on the front doors of 2006-2008 models, plus early production 2009's. GM's edict to remove them came down in August of 2009 during the height of the bankruptcy debacle.



Here are the "chiclets" on my '07(Paddy), sorry but silver chiclets on Silverstone Metallic paint isn't a great contrast, and my black '06 has been shorn of of its chiclets a long time ago.

To second CA & taz3, I do miss the days of yearly model changes and styling tweaks. Part of long road trips as a kid always entailed being able to pick out a '54 Whizbang Super Deluxe V-8 just from its taillights before anyone else in the car could. That way I got to call "shotgun" the next time we stopped for gas.

(Memo to self, repaint the calipers over the Holidays. Burned the paint off again.)

 

Yeah, I've heard or read that about the "wrong" year parts in regards to the Cutlass/442 line.
The 71 had chrome headlight bezels, the 72's had the same bezel with black accent paint around the 2 headlight ovals.
The 71 tail lights were actually plastic painted a semi dull silver. The 72's were the same thing but with a semi gloss black added around the lens flat edging.

 

One of my 69 Novas came with a few 70 parts on it as well as a 70 trunk pan. It is a late production car and it was built with the 70 trunk pan. I thought the car was repaired until I did some research to find May built cars began receive some 70 parts, trunk pan, grill, and bumper assembly.