First off I want to aplogize if I'm repeating a post that already covers this subject but I didn't see anyway to search for it.

I'm thinking about buying an 08 HHR but have heard it does not do to well in the snow. I live in Michigan and that is an important aspect I need to consider. I have done some reading and it looks like the stock tires are not the greatest.

I was wondering what anyones experience has been with the HHR and it's stock tires in the snow.

I live in Buffalo NY and just went through the first winter with my HHR using the stock Firestone's. My car also has traction control and anti-lock brakes. I had zero problems getting through the winter and this year we had a higher than normal snowfall total. By next witner my car will have approximately 35-40K miles so I will probably replace them with Goodyear Fortrera's (or the equivalent if I can't find the them in the right size). I doubt that I will go to the trouble of putting snow tires on.

I'm in Michigan also, between Detroit and Flint. My 2006 HHR has seen two winters, the last being with heavy snow as you know and I didn't have any issues getting around at all. If other traffic was moving, so was I.

i went from a gmc sierra 4x4 to my hhr,, hesitated at first, but i had no problem getting around in the snow.....

I live just north of Buffalo NY in Lockport. With the 2.4L and a 5-speed, it was hard to get going in the snow with the factory tires. I bought a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks and everything changed. It has great winter traction. This was also the story on our minivans, the stock tires were somewhat OK, but the Blizzaks made them great in the snow.

Steve

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m66/trip_j/welcomes/welcome-1-1.gif


Here's the longest running of the "Snow Handling" thread........

http://chevyhhr.net/forums/showthread.php?t=353

Hi, I live in the British Columbia Rocky Mountains between two ski hills. It is no 4x4 but with a little caution at no time this winter was there a problem, having said that, the stock tires could be better. Most of my commute is short and I am not on the highway a lot, if I was a road warrior everyday a 4x4 or all wheel drive would obviously be superior.:smile:

Getting around in the snow with the stock Firestones was decent, if you took your time. I replaced the stock tires with Yokohama AS430s and snow and wet traction improved drastically.

The stock tires on the 2LT (17") firestones suck in the snow, especially after a few miles. They were acceptable on mine for the first couple winters, but I got fed up with them this past winter. with 23K miles they looked fine but any semblance of snow traction was gone. Replaced them with BFgoodrich Traction T/A and it does great in the snow now.

So this being my 1st post and all this is good info to know. I just traded in my 1999 F-250 with the 7.3l powerstroke in it for a 2006 LS. It's an amazing thing to see my MPG go from 14-16 to over 25mpg on a bad day. I am already impressed and have only had the car for about a week. I can totally see myself replacing the stock tires with possibly th Blizzaks before next winter. The day I traded my truck in parts of Anchorage received up to 2ft of snow that day. I love the look of this vehicle and it has plenty of room for the family. Also I think my wife might ban me from these forums..... too many awesome ideas for making the car "mine". :-)

The day I traded my truck in parts of Anchorage received up to 2ft of snow that day.

Whoa!!! Alaska!!! Yeah, I guess I'd opt for snows for Alaskan winter driving. :D

Having just come through a very mild New England winter with my 07 LS, I found snow driving to be horrible! While my HHR does not have ABS/TC, I am comparing it to other cars I have driven without those features, as well as those that had. I've had powerfull V8 rear drivers that were much better. Snappy acceleration and light weight do not a winter vehicle make!! The stock tires are garbage, but I doubt snows would make that much difference. I love this car, but next winter it will be garaged, and I will look toward geting a cheap older vehicle for winter. This wil cut down mileage by 4-5 months too!

I've got a '92 Subaru Loyale that I bought for $600 that I drive thru the winter. It's a 5-speed with push button 4WD and 13" all-season tires. It's great in the snow!! Never worry about salt, potholes, getting stuck. It's rusty but trusty!! Not much to look at but is ANY car in the dead of winter?? I just got my HHR LS but if what I'm reading in the other posts is true about HHRs and snow, it looks like I'm gonna keep the Soob going for a while longer.

goatcheez

Guys its just tires. The HHR is by no means light-weight. With decent all-weather or snow tires it is as good as any other FWD car in snow. Actually one of the worst FWD cars in snow I have owned was my 2003 Accord... until I junked the OEM tires. Then it was great in the snow.

I hate driving my HHR through the winter not because of traction (which has not been a problem) but for all the salt and crap that gets on and in the car. I think the "winter-beater" car idea makes the most sense and I'm planning to get me one before the snow flies next year.