Well as cool as the HHR is (and I do like the car a lot) in might end up getting kicked to the curb if it doesn't perform well in the MPG numbers after my trip.

I've always liked big cars and have always been around big cars. This is my second car and my other car is an Impala. I used to driving my parents Buick's, Caddies and Town Car. If the mileage is no better than my Impala I might need to trade the HHR in for a new Impala or maybe the Buick Lucerne.

Let's hope that all goes well on this trip and the HHR can stay.

 

Had the wife to check her mileage on her 03 Impala with 3.4 v-6 going to and from work one week. one tank of gas, it averaged 30 mpg, mostly Interstate driving, and she says 75mph is normal for her. This was figured with the ole pen and paper method(actual). My HHR gets 31.5 mpg(DIC) with 9000 miles,when driving Interstate, but drops to 28 mpg all around driving. Haven't checked the Pen and Paper method yet, but planning a trip this summer, will then, althought the DIC has shown about what I found when I first bought the car. I haven't seen any improvement in mileage since new and have checked tire pressure, changed oil and all the other good things. Cruise control on the Interstate does cause downshifting into 3rd, at about 4500 rpm going uphill, and sometimes for about a minute if very steep. The HHR is titled at 3155 lbs. a 2.4 4 cylinder is going to have to work to pull that around. Todays V-6's are very effiecient and have plenty of power. I have an Impala, and used to have a Monte Carlo, and now a Gran Am with these series engines. If Chevy put theses Engines in the HHR, I'd say 38 mpg would be normal. But as they say..... Good luck on your trip, enjoy and be careful above all.