2008 Chevy HHR worth considering?

[amateurbob]

I have come across a 2008 HHR with the 2.2 ecotec. It is from Florida, has a 100k miles, and on paper it has been decently maintained. They are asking 2900$ for it. I have read the transmission is not that great but the Internet has been known to not always tell the truth.

Should l test drive and consider it or hard pass?

 

[dishdude]

It's basically a Cobalt, they were decent cars. Should have the 4T45E which was decent. If it's clean and doesn't need much, $2,900 sounds right. I don't think you'll do better under $3k

 

[wings&wheels]

Drive one first.

I've had so many rentals, that most of them blend but two stick out; this and a Fiat 500x. The Fiat because it was fun and I liked it, or wanted to, despite the dislocated trim and ill fitting panels at ~300 miles. The HHR because it was one of the worst vehicles I ever drove to that point. Bland in all areas except appearance, poor visibility and a wallowy ride....odd seating position that feels like you are sitting miles back from the windshield.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I don't think you can go wrong for the price. I always thought the HHR was kind of neat looking and a good value for the money.

 

[fantastic]

Over 200k on the 2.2L Ecotec in the 2002 Saturn I gave my niece. Bought it with 128k 8 years ago (2018), gave it to her at 150k, & now it's over 200k. I believe them to be just as good as a Honda engine of the era. Burned a quart every 2-3k but that seems to be a GM feature.

 

[amateurbob]

Over 200k on the 2.2L Ecotec in the 2002 Saturn I gave my niece. Bought it with 128k 8 years ago (2018), gave it to her at 150k, & now it's over 200k. I believe them to be just as good as a Honda engine of the era. Burned a quart every 2-3k but that seems to be a GM feature.

To tell you the truth l was expecting more people telling me not too even think about it. Even @wings&wheels didn't say it was garbage, just uncomfortable and annoying.
I am at minimum going to test drive it.

 

[Intelligent Molecule]

I had one for a week as a rental once. What I remember about it was the cheap build quality and poor visibility.

 

[Kira]

One odd question popped into my head.
Is this car geared for pooping around town or might it be long legged?

 

[fsdork]

My former employer had one in panel van configuration as an on-site service vehicle. My experience was limited to moving it in and out of the bay it was stored in overnight. It felt like a coffin, but that probably had a lot to do with the lack of rear windows.

 

[97prizm]

My former employer had one in panel van configuration as an on-site service vehicle. My experience was limited to moving it in and out of the bay it was stored in overnight. It felt like a coffin, but that probably had a lot to do with the lack of rear windows.

Those are really rare. GM didn't build many in that configuration.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

Our family owned two Cobalts at one time or another. One is still on the road at about 150K miles, The other got totalled. Only thing I told and noticed that the Opel derived engine had relatively expensive parts. On the other hand, the chassis, engine, transmission were all pretty reliable.

Previously I had driven a few HHRs as rental cars for work in urban environments with no issues.

 

[The_Jeff]

I had an 07 for a few years. It was adequate. Didn't have to do any engine work, thank goodness. End links, brakes, and broken springs were the highlights. And two dead factory speakers! AC was good, having slits for windows helped it. Definitely felt cheap but so what.

Being 6' tall and the first car in line with overhead traffic lights sucks as you have to crane your neck down to see them through the stupid little windscreen.

 

[Rmay635703]

I have come across a 2008 HHR with the 2.2 ecotec. It is from Florida, has a 100k miles, and on paper it has been decently maintained. They are asking 2900$ for it. I have read the transmission is not that great but the Internet has been known to not always tell the truth.

Should l test drive and consider it or hard pass?

If I could find an HHR like that but with a manual transmission I would definitely buy, I’ve been running my rusted out 2010 Cobalt into the ground and would replace with another

Looks like dealers are still smoking crack, trying to get the price it sold for new

 

[Lawnman23]

I bought a 2008 HHR LS 2.2/5-speed in 2008 brand new for $15k. Essentially the cheapest no-frills option.

Mileage and cargo capacity were great, everything else was just meh, at best.

Definitely test drive it, you will either like it or hate it.

 

[GMBoy]

If I could find an HHR like that but with a manual transmission I would definitely buy, I’ve been running my rusted out 2010 Cobalt into the ground and would replace with another

Looks like dealers are still smoking crack, trying to get the price it sold for new
View attachment 341178

That is an SS and totally different animal mechanically and also somewhat rare. They had both a supercharged and turbo ones depending on year - and they were very fast little cars. That price is about right for that one being a clean SS.

 

[Lawnman23]

That is an SS and totally different animal mechanically and also somewhat rare. They had both a supercharged and turbo ones depending on year - and they were very fast little cars. That price is about right for that one being a clean SS.

The HHR SS was only ever available with the 2.0 LNF turbo engine.

The Cobalt SS had either a supercharged 2.0 LSJ or a turbo 2.0 LNF, depending on year. Technically it was also offered with the NA 2.4 LE5 engine as well.

 

[Huskyguy68]

meh....this is a hard one . If you read up online , they were hit and miss as far as reliability and issues. They were built cheap on a cheap economy car platform.
They had a variety of water leaks. Repairpal seems to think they are reliable, but they still have their issues with engine, transmission...electrical glitches, poor visibility.
Some owners may have lucked out and got a reliable vehicle (or at least they were very good owners) , but if you go on Reddit and do a search, many owners have issues or say to not buy a used HHR.

Definitely not built to last such as a Toyota Corolla or Camry or even an older Mazda/Subaru.
I'm not totally hating on the HHRs...I actually was secretly wanting to buy one new when they first came out. Even more so when the turbo HHR came out! I ended up buying a two door 2004 Honda Si manual that I kept till 2015! Super reliable vehicle.

But as the years rolled by , I kept watching the HHR YouTube vids, scrolled the HHR forums, Reddit, blah blah.....the HHr seemed to me to be too problematic, and I was spoiled by my Honda Civic and other Japanese vehicles I owned before and after.
Something to keep in mind...how many 2005-2011 HHrs do you see driven around your city ? In my city , Vancouver Canada with a nearly 3.5Million metro population, the HHR is rarely ever seen anywhere....it is a unicorn. Old hondas/toyotas/Nissans/Subarus/ are a dime a dozen. The HHR was built to compete with the PT Cruiser (another rare unicorn/rolling junk) and I believe they were built much like the previous disposable GM vehicles such as the Cavalier/Sunfire/Fiero. Or the Dodge Neons, Stratus etc. Vehicles built for affordability for young drivers or people who just wanted A to B transportation. Vehicles that end up in junkyards after only 10 years or maybe less.

I'd say do your HHR road tests, even go to a used car lot if you find one for sale. Watch HHR YouTube videos, etc. In the end, if the vehicle makes you smile whenever you see it/drive it, and despite whatever flaws, buy it , live and learn. Might be a fine little compact , might be a little money pit.
- https://www.carparts.com/blog/chevr...WaF3lb4IB_YYexeMp39EIrKmtzfRLlu2QeAVDcpEsNPh9

-- https://www.autoevolution.com/chevrolet/hhr/


having told you all this, I might still one day buy a well looked after HHR if the price was right . What do I know???? lol.

 

[amateurbob]

Update: l went and test drove it. Pros, the power train... Great condition.

Cons: everything else. Looked like the second owner was a kid, no ac, needed motor mounts, brakes, and almost the entire front end and a few other things.

Given the circumstances l would only take it for free as a project vehicle.

 

[Blinker]

If it’s got a 2.2 Ecotec and it’s been maintained decently, I’d buy it. Currently got 230,000 miles on a ‘08 G5 with the 2.2 eco and it’s been dead reliable.