Hello everybody. I currently drive a Saturn l200. With my tax refund I will have it paid off just so I can get another ride.

I have been wanting to get a hatchback/wagon type vehicle and narrowed it down to just a few. The Mazda 3 hatch, dodge magnun, and HHR are the last 3 in the running. It seems as if I have decided that I want the HHR more rather than the 3 or magnum. Not sure why I have came to that conclusion but I have. I believe it has to do with the amount of customization visually that can be done with the HHR. Will I do anything to it? Probably not but I have some great ideas that I would like to do. The magnum loses as it tends to snow around here in the winter and I need this to be my daily driver come hell or high water.

As for when I will purchase an HHR is up in the air. It could be in the next few weeks or could be months from now. Im very picky about what I am wanting. I want to get an HHR with the LT2 package with leather seats and sunroof. There is one locally that I love but It is black paint with black interior and with summer getting up to upper 90s and three digits in the summer this wont happen.

I have found a few within a few hours but the miles are creeping up on them or they are a few years older than I an wanting, prefer a 2010 or 11 if possible.


As for the question. I know a few people that I have talked to about them say that visibility is bad in them. I didnt notice anything in the short test drive I have done but does anybody have any experience with poor visibility.

Poor visibility ranged from the roofline out the front being low to not being able to see out the rear.

Thanks for any information that one would like to give.

 

to the forum lsf_21!

About the only "visibility" issue I have is with traffic lights, in the HHR as with my Challenger too, pulling up at some traffic lights will have you doing the "HHR Scrunch" unless you invest a few dollars in a prismatic traffic light viewer.

Here's a link to the one lots of us use......

http://www.lightinsight.com/

As far as buying a black one, we have a black '06 and the A/C will keep a side of beef frozen(slight exaggeration)at the height of a Carolina summer's day.

 

Im just not sure about the black on black

I have had 2 previous cars (94 saturn sc1 and 94 olds cutlass) that both had black leather that got brutally hot in the summer. Neither had tinted windows which from what I can tell with my current car makes a huge difference.


So far the leader in the clubhouse is a white 2011 HHR LT2 with 35000 miles. Listed price is 14,900. Only problem is its a few hours away.

 

Do your research and check the Carfax on it, even though Carfax isn't perfect by any means, you won't be going into any deal blind.

Judging by the year and the mileage, you'll probably find that the unit is an ex-rental or fleet vehicle, nothing wrong with that except that some options may be missing like remote start.

 

http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...BABDB9AS556628

doesnt appear to be a rental. Does look to be a single owner. Says 2 but looks like the 2nd was a dealer.

 

its also a 2010 not 2011... one in town is a 2011.

 

Looks like owner 2 was an individual since there was a title issued, my concern would be why they dumped it after 3 months and 5,000 miles, sends up a red flag in my mind.

 

If you are looking for a cargo mover with decent mileage, the HHR is all good. I've moved a whole house with it. (Excepting couches and such) The visibility thing, for me anyway, is mostly the wide pillars in the car. Lots of blind spots. You need to use the generous mirrors. When I had my old '06 2LT, it felt custom enough without any changes. If you like the car, you like the car, yes? Go look at one and put the rear seats down. Open the lift gate and consider it for a moment. With lots of snow, you might want to look at what chain options are available for the HHR. I used chains, but I'm not sure I should have. Spike-Spiders would probably be the best choice. Best of luck.

 

I thought this as well. Will definitely be questioned if I do decide to look at it.

I cant believe how many 2010-2011s I find for sale used. I just wish more had the specifics that I want.


I have never had a problem getting around in a FWD car in the snow we have around here. I dont have to go around to many hills to get from home to work.

 

You'll find that quite a few of the 2010's and 2011's are ex-rentals/fleet units, the HHR was the darling of Enterprise and Avis and they sell them off at 33-35,000 miles like clockwork.

Nothing "wrong" with one of them, many folks here drive ex-rentals/fleet HHR's, you just get some odd option combos, and no remote start capability.