hyperv6

Well to say the best vehicle ever is unrealistic.

If you want to say the best most versital performance vehicle for the money, I can go for that.

The best perfromance bargin is the Cobalt SS Turbo. It is like a HHR SS but with more go and less haul. Also depending on you worth the ZR-1 could also be seen as the best performance bargin. Your veiw may vary depending on how much your worth.

As for best ever I could give you a list 50 cars long for different reasons.

HHR 'Black Death'

The HHR SS and her sister cars, the Cobalt SS, Solstice GXP, and Sky Redline, are some of the best pocket performance cars from an American maker. Each has it's own class of appeal.

The HHR SS has utility. It is for guys who have hobbies or do lots of trips to the local Home Depot :) I end up doing both!

The cobalt is a kid racer car in looks and utility. The HHR has something the sisters don't. Mutha F'ing STYLE! I sacraficed the HP and performance of the SKY to get the HHR SS, because it had the 'style' I was looking for. A head turner that doesn't say stuck up!

And the price... I checked seven different cars before I settled on the HHR SS. I looked at the Mini S, an EVO, Gti's, WRX, Sky/solstice, and pretty much every small gas sipping performance car. How much do you have to pay for the performance of an Stage 1 equiped HHR SS from another car makers pocket rocket. A hell of alot more!!

Hands down the HHR SS is the best car I have driven in a long time! It can't climb rocks like my Jeep, and it may not ever be the fastest. But, The HHR SS does everthing really good (except drive good in the winter :) For me one car that can do it all and still be fun to drive!!

And one more thing that is great about it, I whooped up on a 3 series BMW the other day. Nothing is more fun than stomping snobby drivers ego in the ground with an american car that is cheaper and more practical!!

c2vette

Yeah, the thread title was somewhat "tongue-in-cheek" dig at the other post stating the opposite position. A lot of bashing going on which I think gives the wrong impression to someone not familiar with the car. I will say if I had to have just one car, I would be hard pressed to find a bettter one than the HHR SS. I was at the hardware store today and there were 2 brand new HHRs, and another with plates, so four of us randomly in a 30 car parking lot. Also a very nice white LT 2 doors down on our street. I think sales are up less than 10% from last year, but I sure see a lot more around here.

c2vette

Personally I think it measures up pretty well against some past "best cars" (subject to personal opnion of course). Check out the roof antenna on my '55 Silver Dawn (look familiar?).

camaro98z28

So many people at work want one it's crazy.

Jeda13

I wouldn't say the best, but not a bad car. My complaints: Driver's seat needs to go 2" lower for me, 5'11" to have decent visibility, armrests and OMG straps are a must, the fit and finish is sub-par and the cargo capacity could be much increased if they didn't try to make it look so neat and square. There is a lot of wasted space back there that I could use to haul stuff.
It is fun to drive, though I haven't had it out in a month due to the white stuff. While the traction control and anti-lock work great, I need snows to really get anywhere in Buffalo.

Jim

Arne73

I agree it may not be the best 'evar' but it sure is a blast to drive and own. I like the way it looks, love the way it handles and as others have posted, I shopped, compared and selected the HHR SS because it was the best offering in its class. I don't regret it at all.
Jeda13- I hear ya about the seat height, I'm 6'8" and wouls love to drop that sucker to the floor.

C2vette-That's some stable you have there!!

Nebulous1

The design is pretty sweet alright. Outrageous performance vs. fuel economy, good looks, great capacity for vehicle weight and cost. I consider the startup brake issue a critical design flaw, but at least they are finally getting around to fixing it. (I realize most vehicles do not seem to be affected to the point where they are unsafe, but some of them are, and those owners have endured unsafe brakes for far too long prior to GM deciding to quit calling it normal and deciding to fix it.)

Other than the startup brake issue, the HHR SS design is great. However, I don't feel the design hasn't been implemented well, and the corrective service leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I haven't seen the defect numbers to compare them to, but I've never had a vehicle that filled up with water, and then had the dealer and manufacturer balk at replacing the carpet.

I have been buying vehicles produced by German-owned and Japanese-owned companies for a long time. I don't know whether they have different standards, or whether I've just been lucky. But any company who engineers the startup brake issue and calls is normal does not seem to value my safety or my future purchases. Likewise when a brand new vehicle's carpet has been waterlogged due to a manufacturing defect, I don't think carpet replacement is an unreasonable expectation. The fact that GM has fought correcting both of these defects from which my vehicle suffers tells me they don't stand by their product to the extent that I expect. Unfortunately, that means it will be a hell of a long time before I ever consider another GM product.

Not one of my German and Japanese vehicles had a problem as serious as either of the 2 problems my HHR SS has. Maybe mine rolled off the line late Friday afternoon. I could understand it without hard feelings if GM and the dealer would at least try to be responsive about fixing them.

I really hope it doesn't fall apart before too long, because it is a hell of a lot of fun to drive, gets great mileage, and has a lot of capacity.

stranger

LOL You should be ashamed of yourself...... guy was suckin' on his prune and you went and ruined everythin' for him!!

HHR 'Black Death'

The prunes might have been in the glove box, but the driver was a next gen yuppie. Same crap different age