<img src="http://www.chevyhhr.net/news/hhr21.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="5" vspace="2">GETTING THE FIRST RIDE: A crossover to freedom
Mom picks safe, affordable Chevy HHR for daughter

When we first looked at cars at the Detroit auto show last year, it was fun. Like window shopping. I was enjoying the time with my daughter -- she was dreaming of freedom.

I set out to see what was safe. Comfortable. Affordable. She set out to find an escape vehicle.

Following the show and the Free Press story about looking for a first car for Molly, then 15, I got a ton of advice: Buy a junker; she'll crash it in 3 weeks. Buy a used Volvo. She should buy her own car. Wait six months. Give her my car and get myself a new one. Get her a Ford. Get a Chrysler. Get a Chevy. You'd better buy American.

Motor City readers aren't shy with advice when it comes to cars.

My husband and I debated. Actually, he debated. I was pretty convinced. I had seen too many friends pour hundreds of dollars into used cars -- $100 here, $600 there. I don't like surprises -- particularly of the monetary kind.

I know the best protection is a safe driver. We believe Molly is and we did everything to get her the experience she needed.

But I wanted as much insurance as possible. I wanted safety. I wanted air bags everywhere. I wanted OnStar for at least the first year.

I combed safety ratings, rollover ratings and prices. I quickly got down to the new Chevrolet HHR crossover. I liked its different look -- easy to spot.

I liked that it sits up a bit, but not too high to be a rollover risk. And frankly, I liked the price. The car has a manageable monthly payment and a solid warranty. It gives peace of mind.

With Molly's 16th birthday on Oct. 21, I wanted to surprise her with it. She hoped she'd be driving something, but we had her thinking it would be her dad's car.

With work being crazy busy and the normal craze of tracking two teenagers, I had next to zero time to go from showroom to showroom.

Enter the Internet.

Cauley Chevrolet in West Bloomfield is not far from my house. I've passed it and toured the lot a bit. I shot an e-mail and soon salesman Jeff Cideko wrote back. I quickly learned that Cideko, with Cauley for 18 years, is as patient, flexible and accommodating as they come. I also learned that with e-mail, he has customers he has never met face to face.

The HHR, it seems, is quite popular. The right color didn't have the right options. The OnStar model didn't have the side curtain air bags. But he kept trying until he found the keeper: A 2006, amethyst (grayish purple) HHR with side-curtain air bags, antilock brakes, OnStar and a bonus, a sunroof. Sold!

The morning of her birthday she woke up and we handed her the keys. We were first in line at the Secretary of State's office. But the best memory was going to the dealership and having Cideko walk Molly through everything. He was terrific.

Never addressing me, he addressed just Molly as if to let her know what an awesome responsibility -- and gift -- she was getting.

Her calls about the car are priceless.

The first time she got gas she said, "Thirty bucks! That's crazy, mom!"

And when she ran out of birthday gas cards, she didn't know how to pay with cash. Then there's her fear of car washes -- she's not ready to tackle that maneuver. But the best are her cell phone text messages that read: "I'm here..."

That's a requirement.

Molly said recently, "Mom, I'm ready to not have to do that." I reminded her that it's not about her. It's about me -- I'm not ready.

Molly loves her car and loves the freedom it affords. She has taken on the responsibility as maturely as we could have hoped.

But nothing prepared me for the first time she pulled away without me in the seat next to her. Horrifying is too soft a word.

The greatest sound in my life is no longer birds chirping in the morning or a child's laughter. It's the sound of her car pulling into the driveway. Another safe day.

That sound is my new bedtime lullaby.

****

Molly's HHR

Model: 2006 Chevrolet HHR LT

Price: $22,152

Buy or lease? We bought so that it gets Molly through college and for her freshman year, we have an extra car as her sister learns to drive.

OnStar: Our salesman, Jeff Cideko, walked us through it, and then the OnStar operator walked Molly through it. If her air bag ever goes off, 911 is called immediately. If she has a problem, help is a button away.

Phone: Onboard hands-free phone for 1 year -- only Mom has the number. As her friend said, "Oh my gosh! Your mom is coming out of the radio!"

The rest: Side curtain air bags, antilock brakes, sunroof, remote starter and iPod jack.

The rules: It's been 3 months, and Molly is doing great. She makes curfew. Only two friends in the car at one time. Her recent report card showed a 3.8 grade point average. She buys her own gas (most of the time) and she chauffeurs her younger sister with a smile (most of the time).

The ditch: She found her first one, just a gentle slide in the snow a few blocks from home. No damage to her or the car, but it gave her a good sense of what it feels like to be out of control.

Fingers crossed: She's a lucky girl, but so are we.

February 9, 2006

Email this Print this BY LAURA VARON
Contact LAURA VARON BROWN at 313-222-5002 or lvaron@freepress.com.

Hell, when I was 16, I was driving a old beat up 1980 3/4 ton chevy pickup that I actually had to fully replace the engine block and rebuild the engine by myself. That was the only way I was getting something to drive. I even had to replace the transmission, in which found one at a junkyard. I was just a poor country boy growing up on a farm....Sure wish I had parents like this growing up.

Hell, when I was 16, I was driving a old beat up 1980 3/4 ton chevy pickup that I actually had to fully replace the engine block and rebuild the engine by myself. That was the only way I was getting something to drive. I even had to replace the transmission, in which found one at a junkyard. I was just a poor country boy growing up on a farm....Sure wish I had parents like this growing up.
Agreed... must be nice. I got to drive my grandma's "hand-me-down" '72 Buick Electra 225 (deuce & a quarter) Bu-hog w/455 CID. Luckily gas $$$ was about .60 cents gal back then. :eek:
I wanted to mod that 225 so bad but who the heck makes cool aftermarket parts for a Bu-Hog 4dr Boat. :roll: At least I had a ride.

Sometimes ya do the best with what ya got! :D

today's kids are spoiled rotten.

Oh and i found it interesting that they said the on star vehicle did not have the side airbags. I didn't think you could get on star without the side air curtains.


eddie

When I was 16, I had been driving for 7-years.
My first "car" was a 1950 Willy's Jeep I learned to drive off-road when I was 9.
Drove it every summer after that at my dad's place in the desert.
Started driving it to school when I was 15 (illegally!)
Boy, a lot of memories from that old Jeep...

# 06, Can you add a source at the bottom of this?

Source? Meaning author? If so, yes I have added that info.

She's a lucky girl. My first car was a 56 BelAir 4 door sedan that I bought myself from a neighbor. Of course back then the only safety equipment was......nothing...LOL.

I hope she enjoys her new HHR and experiences only good things from it.

She's a lucky girl. My first car was a 56 BelAir 4 door sedan that I bought myself from a neighbor. Of course back then the only safety equipment was......nothing...LOL.

I hope she enjoys her new HHR and experiences only good things from it.

Hey Dan; how much did you pay for your BelAir back then?

Hey Dan; how much did you pay for your BelAir back then?

A whopping $400.00 :D

And making $1.25 an hour it took me a while to save up for the purchase.

Still looking for my first car. :( And my first girlfriend. :nate is crying: My parents are afraid I'll do something dumb, Like kill someone while driving too fast, OR get a girl pregnant, Or, Get a girl pregnant in my car... Overprotective asses. Thankfully, I turn 18 in 15 days... :cool:

I finally bought my HHR yesterday! I got a Silver one, LT package. So far I am very pleased with it. :nuts: It is a 2006 model, automatic transmission. Happy cruising.

I finally bought my HHR yesterday! I got a Silver one, LT package. So far I am very pleased with it. :nuts: It is a 2006 model, automatic transmission. Happy cruising.
Congratulations ! I have had mine for almost three months and I still get excited everytime I drive it.:lol:

Boy...how things have changed. I got my first car in 1971 and it was a 1958 Chevy BelAir, 4 door...you know the ones that were famous for the rusted out part above the headlights. I worked at the local Burger Chef (remember those?) for $1.10 an hour and it took me a whole year to save up the $100 to buy a car. My folks didn't believe in "giving" us a car...you wanna drive, you pay for the car, insurance, gas, maintenance. In fact, my dad was so into me learning how everything worked that when it needed new tires (there goes a bunch more money) that when we got them, he taught me how to break them down by hand at home. Imagine a girl at 17 learning how to do that, but I did. :eek:

My second car about a year later was another 58 Chevrolet...but it was an Impala...same problem with the rust though. It bought the farm pretty early and in the beginning of my senior year, I bought a 60 Chev Impala 2 door...white with red interior...you know the one with the fins in the back. That thing had way more power than I ever imagined and I kinda tricked it out for the 70's. Remember the long synthetic fur? Well...the das was cracked so I glued that to my dash. Geez...I look back now and wonder what I was thinking. :eek:

Gas was cheap then (23.9 per gallon for premium) and I thought I had the world by it's tail. That is until I got my first ticket in that car. Now what really happened and what I told my parents was 2 different things.

Story to parents: I was driving up Conifer Blvd and cop pulled me over for speeding (75 in a 30 :eek: ) Mom called motor vehicle when I showed her the ticket and told them I was a good driver. DMV told her morgue is full of good drivers. :red:

True Story: I was coming home from school. Guy I used to date said his car would beat mine in a heartbeat. Deb says...I don't think so and the race was on. I said...bring it on....and we started at 70th & Broadway and it was a straight stretch until about 76th...and I beat his a$$. Unfortunately, there was a State Patrol car there and he pulled me over (I was lead car) and said, I could give you a ticket for drag racing...but I won't. Thank you Mr. Policeman :bow:

It wasn't until years later...like 10 years after the fact that I told my folks the truth and they were like :wtf: Since that was my senior year in high school, I collected everything. I still have my Senior Memories book and my end of the money order is still in the book 35 years later. BTW...fine was $25 for doing 45 over speed limit. I was a lot luckier then, than I would be now. :nuts:

What a great story Deb. My first car was a 57 Pontiac. Weighed a ton and took a 40 acre field to stop it. After it ran for awhile, it wouldn't start for about an hour. I got caught for drag racing but the cop who saw me went straight to my dad. When I got home, my Dad was waiting for me. Took my keys for a month. Traded if for a 56 Chev. 2 dr sedan 265 engine, powerglide tranny. I pumped gas and washed cars to make my money to dress it up. Wish I still had it. It was aquamarine and white. Put baby moons on it with wide white wall tires, put carpet in it, new seat covers, small air filter, hollywood muffler, etc. Ah.....the good old days.

What a great story Deb. My first car was a 57 Pontiac. Weighed a ton and took a 40 acre field to stop it. After it ran for awhile, it wouldn't start for about an hour. I got caught for drag racing but the cop who saw me went straight to my dad. When I got home, my Dad was waiting for me. Took my keys for a month. Traded if for a 56 Chev. 2 dr sedan 265 engine, powerglide tranny. I pumped gas and washed cars to make my money to dress it up. Wish I still had it. It was aquamarine and white. Put baby moons on it with wide white wall tires, put carpet in it, new seat covers, small air filter, hollywood muffler, etc. Ah.....the good old days.

Good story KY...I can relate. Don't you just wait for the boom to drop?

My first car was a '69 Mustang.

I paid $250 and drove it until it fell apart.

It had a 302 with 3-speed, had a bashed in door and a week after I bought it I was smacked in the rear quarter. I didn't care though it was mine and it was a blast!

My first car was a 82 Olds Delta 88 Royal Broughm Sedan. I loved that car! I bought it when I was 18. At 16 the idea of having my own car was a joke! :lol: My olds was like driving a large couch. It was a blue-green color with blue interior. V8 engine that could haul butt big time. :steering: My HHR is my second brand new car and the first I've bought all on my own. :eek: :hhr: :banana: Kids today are totally spoiled and lucky. I grew up poor and didn't have things handed to me. I've had to work for it all. But, that made me who I am and I'm okay with that. :D :twothumbs

OK. My first car when i was 18......:poke: a 1961 Corvair 700 4dr Sedan, Automatic transmission. I had to caddy many days to get insurance gas and registration money. Dad did give me this car, but he was the Auto shop teacher at the High School. He built this car out of 2 wrecks. Cut 2 in half and made one, and they were given to him by a junk yard. A class project that I got to drive.:thumb: . Well I actually blew the engine up(locked it up) one night. I had to take it out and find another one and rebuild it and reinstall it. I learned the hard way how important it was to take care of your car then. But I did learn how to do a lot of things on cars. (Also my brothers were given 1, a 1968 Chevelle, 2, a 1968 Camaro. My sister was given a 1980 Citation.) So this car just wasn't cutting it, so, my search for another one.:eek: . A 1963 2 door Corvair Monza Coupe, Standard Shift, 4 speed. Drove this for about a year then found a nice original 1963 Chevy II SS convertible(Wish I had it back). This was a 6 cylinder automatic. Sweet ride til a guy rear ended it and about totalled it. Next ride?:twothumbs A 1964 Impala SS. This originally had the 409 in it, but when I bought it, it had the old 283 2 barrel, 4 speed rock crusher with a 4:10 gear. This thing ran great for a worn out 283. Also this was a beautiful car.(Wish I had it back) :banana: Then during my stint with Uncle Sam, I purchased a family car, a 1969 4 dr Belair.:roll: While in Germany in the Army I did purchase a 1965 Opel Admiral, a 4 dr 4 speed 6 cylinder sedan. Some of these had Chevy 283's and 327's. A GM Product, I left it in Germany.:guns: Then in about 1974 before getting out of the Army, I purchased my first of 4 1972 Monte Carlo's.:p: These were 350 automatic cruising cars. A Red one first, drove this one to Colorado Springs, Co. in 1974 and had it when I Deros'd out of the Army in 1975. I bought a Gold one after that, then a green one and finally a Blue one. The wife drove the Gold one and I bought, first a 1974 Chevy window van, then a 1975 1 ton Chevy Van. Then in 1978 I purchased my first brand new vehicle, a Beuville Van. This was a vacation, towing vehicle. Would tow my Monte Carlo to the dragstrips on the weekends. Did this for a couple years. Then I finally moved away to another County due to slack in work. I was a line mechanic in a Dealership in Charleston, WV:thumbsdow In 1982 I sold the Gold Monte Carlo, and bought the wife a 1979 Nova. She drove that for awhile then bought a 1982 I think Cavalier, in 1984. The next year she divorced me and left me with no vehicle for about a year. I was living where I worked as an Airport manager at the local Airport. Didn't need a car, although the Airport had an old Deputies car as a courtesy car that I would drive. Finally :nono: I had enough money saved to get me another car. I found a 1975 Monte Carlo. I drove that thing for a couple years. Then in 1986 I bought a 1985 Monte Carlo SS, and after getting remarried, new wife, in 1988 we bought a 1987 Chevy Celebrity. In 1990 I started working EMS and in 1995 I bought my second new car, We bought my wife a 1996 Monte Carlo. In 1996 I bought myself a used 1994 Astro AWD. In 1999 I bought my third new Vehicle, a 1999 Astro. In 2004 we bought the wife another car a 2003 Impala, and gave the Monte Carlo to the Daughter as a Graduation Gift. This brings me up to now, three kids and 2 grand kids later, I bought my HHR in Febuary of this year(2006):steering: , and the Daughter finally traded her Monte for a Grand Am(She broke the mold):censored: this month. I enjoy my HHR and as of today have 6800 miles on it in 3 months, still smells new, no smoking allowed. The XM trial subscription ran out, renewed that. Be careful, they will bill you 3 months if you don't tell them different. I have upgraded so far minor things, the HHR third light decal, the Chevrolet Decals on the grill, and have fixed the problem on the rear wiper arm. As far as other things to do, anything that improves gas mileage and extends the life of the vehicle, I'm in favor of. I do have to fight my wife for the funds to modify, but I'm working on her, and if I ask questions, this gives me fuel to justify my purchases. I work 2 jobs to help pay for my HHR, I'm a full-time Paramedic and work part-time in a Medical Command Center. Sorry for the long story, but I'm an older guy, so....:one: