Hi so I am seriously considering the HHR ss and had a few questions.

Narrowed my choices to HHR SS, Cobalt Sedan SS, Mazdaspeed 3 and Caliber SRT4.

Still keep thinking HHR SS is the one, Speed 3 next and then Cobalt. I just really like the practicality of it, and price value....



So,

How reliable is the turbo and engine? as in does the turbo have a lot of strain on the engine where it can't go past 150K without problems? I am thinking of financing this for the next 5 years.

What kind of 0-60 times are you seeing with the stage 1 kit?

Does the hahn tune for 1k or trifecta tune get added to stage 1? and what kind of numbers and 0-60 times are you seeing here? Can you get to 5-5.5?

How do you deal with the comments people have of the HHR SS? the internet is littered with hate words towards the HHR SS, and this is what has me on the fence, I know I shouldn't care...

Does the stage 1 and other performance goodies add to the reliability of the car, or do mods passed stage 1 decline reliability?

Is the visibility really that big of an issue? I hear many reviews complaining about low visibility when turning into a canyon, I'm not very tall about 5'7.

What features does the RPD have? and do you still get auxiliary input?

Are there any young owners out there of the SS, I see the average age is like 30 plus? All my friends are in RSX-S, SI's, GTI's, and cars like this and am wondering about me feeling like the odd ball out, but I've always liked to be different and I know this car with a tune, could probably destroy them all.


How is the comfort on long highway drives?

I aim to be in one within the next 2 months, but had these questions and just need that final push to go ahead and go for it the only thing holding me back is the looks, I am in love with everything else the Price, reviews, power, practicality, space, handling.... but the damn looks, I just don't want to be down the road in 3 years and wondering why I ever bought this car, as it is not a looker... but IMO looks better then the 1st gen Speed 3 Cobalt and all other cars I am considering, of course If I had more money I just get a speed 3 2nd gen or wait for the focus ST, or WRX but I can get into a low mileage one for about 16K and that is the seller for me.

Thanks for any help.

 

From what I hear from SS owners, you won't regret it. If you get a 5speed with a stage 1, upgraded piping, intake, and other small things. you'll be sitting pretty over 325 on the low side, with a trifecta you'd probably get about what Hahn would give you, at less cost. From what I hear, for the SS HHR, Hahn is over-rated, over priced, and under performs..
You'll get people being idiots, or jerks asking "what is that? a PT Cruiser" or people hassling you for driving what looks like a hearse.. That's when you give it a little gas and leave them in your dust. People think because its a 4 banger, and an SUV/PT Cruiser knock off, its slow. I have a non turbo 2.2 with a 5speed, and I get all sorts of looks from people who own these customized rice rockets asking what I've done to mine. I laugh, and say not a thing..

 

The 150k question might be a tough one to answer, mostly because the SS has only been around since '08...probably a very small number of SSes with that kind of mileage. I just went over 35k and I have not had a single problem with my SS yet. I know some SS owners on here have had issues though...Gas Man and sunflowerhippi both come to mind first, and both got rid of their SSes because they couldn't take it anymore.

I've never actually timed my SS since getting the LNF Turbo Upgrade (Stage 1), but it sure FEELS a lot faster (not that it was a slouch before). I'm guessing high 5s easy.

Why should you care about what people say? Only one person's opinion matters...YOURS. I don't mind people criticizing/not liking my car if they're constructive about it, and not mean-spirited. So far, in over two years of owning my SS, I've met one guy and one guy only who clearly was intent on letting me know that he wasn't a big fan of my car and being antagonistic about it. Oh well.

The RPD can act as little more than a digital speedo if you want that, but it also allows you to monitor HP, boost, air-to-fuel ratio, and tire pressure, among many other things. I have it set to the boost gauge 95% of the time. I like mine, but reviews on these tend to be mixed...some lament the lack of storage (the RPD replaces the dash storage bin), some simply don't like the RPD and would rather have the '08 SS A-pillar boost gauge.

I'm 41 but don't look it or feel it (most days). I bought mine when I had just turned 39.

I find it pretty comfortable on long drives. I'm 6' 1", and the only issues I have with visibility come with traffic lights. Nothing too bad otherwise. Warning: though the interior can be made to look nice with minor modding (such as painting your waterfall or adding a Chevrolet script over the glovebox...I did these mods for about $160, and there are several other low cost mods you can do to spice up your interior), and the SS seats are pretty sharp, the interiors on ALL HHR's are awash in cheap plastic. Every review I've read comparing the SS to the rides you've listed mentions that the SS interior is the worst of the bunch, in terms of quality of materials.

The whole "looker" thing really depends on who's doing the looking. Obviously there's a considerable enthusaist segment for this website to even exist, but in the grand scheme of things it's far from huge...this car is clearly in the polarizing, niche category where some really love it, some really hate it, and others aren't at all impacted by its presence. I get a lot of comments on mine, and most of them are positive, for what that's worth.

 

From a practical standpoint - and I own a 2LT, not an SS - I have found nothing in my search for a replacement that offers the combination of minimum size and yet great storage and room for 4 people to easily get in and out of.....
I have never had anyone give me anything but compliments on my car.
It does seem that we've had a few SS problems here and it is worth checking out. My guess is (only a guess) that the problems are tied to driving the hell out of them. I suspect that a well tuned SS taken care of would be a good buy.

 

If you buy an SS you will not be disappointed! The practicality of it is amazing. When you fold the back seats down you can haul a decent amount of cargo. Performance wise, I have a mildly modded C5 Corvette and I've only driven it twice since I bought my SS three months ago. This car is so much fun to drive and it's so smooth and powerful. I thought I'd get a lot of comments about it being an HHR/PT Cruiser and the comments have been minimal. After the modifications I've done, there has been a lot of positive feedback on the car and gets looks often. People always want to talk about it being an SS and they are very surprised that the HHR received the turbo!

This has passed up my old (supercharged) Regal GS's as my favorite all around car!

Brian

 

Mazda speed 3s burn oil rather quickly.

Co worker was sitting in a drive through and started to smoke everyone out. They EAT TURBOS!

Wont even touch on the mopar crap.

 

I love my SS seriously considering another one. About the most fun you can have for under 20k here is a very rare one they only made 218 of these.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/ctd/2631472280.html

 

for wwd it's probably one of the best handling vehicles going. mine is 5sp with stage one. it goes really well. I don't care as much about 0-60 as I do about flinging it around turns. some people think it's the coolest thing ever, some the ugliest-I don't really care. all of my vehicles are weird and different. i mountain bike/snowboard etc, being able to throw as much stuff as you can in these and still enjoy driving is pretty cool. of what you mentioned, the mazda would be my only other consideration. i've had a few over the years and they are always fun to drive. i had an mx5 mazdaspeed-no turbo issues at all, but i can't speak about the 3. i've never found visibility a problem-and mines a half panel.

 

I own an 07 LT. Loved it so much that I boiught a 010 SS. I love that even better. I later bought the Stage 1 kit but have yet to have installed. Also later bought the adaptor clip so I do not have to worry about either crimping or soldering. You will not be disappointed. I bought the cars # 1 for the retro look. # 2 for the versility. And yes, like all cars there are some faults. But there are so many plusses that the faults are not even a issue. Good luck on your choice. Car purchase is always a gamble. Go with your gut feeling.

 

Aside from the juicy drivetrain and performance potential, I bought my SS specifically FOR the looks. Probably a generational thing as I always admired the post WWII "Advanced-Design" Chevy trucks the HHR is styled after and at 55, clearly remember plenty of them still on the road when I was growing up.

From your list, the Dodge is junk and the Cobalt fine if you don't need the utility of wagon. The Mazda is probably OK too (if you like cars that grin back at you ) but I've dusted two local Mazaspeed3's that had been bugging me on the street for a race. The owners didn't seem to be too pleased with that and they stay away from me now....