Here is my first impression considering I am thinking about buying a 2009.

White with Black Leather interior...Nice
New 2.4L E-85 engine.... Rated 29mpg. w/auto trans. Not exactly a power house from 0 to 50 mph. Cruised at 60mph very well.
Started cold and was quiet and smooth right from the get go. Last time I tested was 2007 and the engine was noisy at cold start up.
Auto trans was quiet and smooth.
Steering was excellent. Easy to steer and good response.
Seats were very comfortable with good lumbar support and great adjustment with the power seat.
Body fit and finish looked good
It rode quiet and smooth as well as very tight. No rattles, sqeaks or any other noises. A good solid little rig.
Obsevered the new window switches (moved to the outer door arm rests)
A little akward as they set rearward a bit but better overall.
Better cabin lighting. Moved dome light position.
Added a square rubberized drink or what ever holder where the old window switches were. Left the cup holders by the emergency brake as they were.
New 16" chrome wheels with the chrome package. I thought they looked OK but thats a matter of personal opinion. I know for a fact the vehicle rides a little softer with the 16" wheels and tires.
I was impressed, so I let ther wife drive and she gave it a thumbs UP.

The only thing I didn't like was the "gear position display" on the auto transmission. It is next to impossible to make out what gear you are in during daylight hours. It may be that it was that way in 2008 but it ain't worth a Dam the way it is now.
But all in all I am now one step closer to ordering one.

 

I noticed that for 2009 the 2.2 liter powerplant now has VVT like the 2.4, and HP is up by 5 to 155 at the sacrifice of torque which is down by 5 to 150.

 

Also according to the Vehicle ordering guide updated 8/25/08 they will be adding the Brite Exhaust Tip to the New LE8 2.2L engine.
If so, thats a nice little addition.

 

.... and I thought I noticed mpg was improved.

Is that bright exhaust tip flared whereas the former 2.2 litre tip was straight pipe? If so it is probably to reduce engine back pressure - improved performance.

 

I was filling up today at an MFA station that carries E85. A woman and her daughter pulled up to the same pump in a new Avenger with a Flex-Fuel badge on it. I told her she was lucky to be filling up for $2.91 a gallon where I was paying $3.41. She replied that they bought the car for that reason, but it burns through the fuel like crazy compared to her last car.

 

A litre of E85 contains less energy than a litre of gas - that's why it's cheaper. So, expect fewer miles per gallon, more litres/100 km, more visits to the pumps, shorter range ........

 

E85 will cause an approximate 25 - 30% drop in mpg. So to be the SAME value as a gallon of gasoline it needs to cost 25 - 30% less. 2.91 is only 15% lower than 3.41. She's paying more per mile to run her car on E85 than she would be to run it on gasoline.

 

The E-85 rating for the HHR is 15 city 21 hwy with the 2.4L. Cheaper to run reg gas.

 

Plus, she probably got rid of a perfectly good car that may have been paid off. Sometimes the economics of the situation are difficult to grasp...