2008 HHR SS automatic
Member
Joined: 11-25-2009
Posts: 81
From: Blue Bell, PA
'08 Auto here. Much fun.
Don't need a stick for fun....just a turbo. I've had a GN, Syclone, and now Typhoon and they are plenty fun with an auto! So is the SS. Wife does a lot of stop and go, so it fits us well.
Don't need a stick for fun....just a turbo. I've had a GN, Syclone, and now Typhoon and they are plenty fun with an auto! So is the SS. Wife does a lot of stop and go, so it fits us well.
Senior Member
Joined: 02-16-2008
Posts: 108
From: Sagamore Hills, Ohio
Although I do not have an SS, I am very pleased with my 07 LT. Perhaps an SS maybe in the future. I also have 8 Corvairs. I especially like my Greenbriers. They are fun cars that were ahead of their time, but the public still preferred the many choices of the pony car.
Senior Member
Joined: 02-20-2008
Posts: 476
From: Oceanside, CA
09 VR SS auto with 11k miles here... Fantastic car with great power! Have not had any problems... And the "competition mode" is a blast! Enjoy! 
Last edited by sargechris; Jan 28, 2010 at 08:32 AM. Reason: more info
Joined: 05-27-2008
Posts: 1
From: chicago
i've had my ss automatic for almost 2 years, i just came back from mexico and i put about 4800 miles on it round trip i have a total of 36000 miles on it and the tranny works fine. I had no problem going up and down the mountains in mexico and over there thats pretty much everywhere you go. i just purchased a stage 1 kit and im having the dealer install it today, i can't wait.
Senior Member
Joined: 09-14-2009
Posts: 262
From: Vancouver Island, BC
Hmmm! Does that include most of the big dollar cars now coming with the Semi Auto? Not many gated shifter in the new Ferraris any more.
North Americans love Auto trannys as driving on the interstate is not any fun shifting. Also it gets in the way of texting and setting the GPS.
To be honest I have owned both and for the week end pleasure driving a manual is great but urban stop and go or if you are tired that D on the shifter is your best friend.
Also if you go to sell it is a much larger market to sell the vehicle in unless it is a Vette. I know when I sold my last manual I had many who loved the car but walked away when they saw the shifter.
North Americans love Auto trannys as driving on the interstate is not any fun shifting. Also it gets in the way of texting and setting the GPS.
To be honest I have owned both and for the week end pleasure driving a manual is great but urban stop and go or if you are tired that D on the shifter is your best friend.
Also if you go to sell it is a much larger market to sell the vehicle in unless it is a Vette. I know when I sold my last manual I had many who loved the car but walked away when they saw the shifter.
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/0...e-stick-shift/
Manual trannies are generally lighter and more reliable. Given the same specs for the HHR SS, for example, you will get better performance from a manual tranny, never mind that they actually drop a bunch of HP in the SS which even further hurts performance!
about the texting! Yes, it may harm cell-phone use!!!I've read that soon a manual tranny in the USA will be an anti-theft device as less and less thieves will be able to drive a manual!
Senior Member
Joined: 07-05-2008
Posts: 5,464
From: Akron Ohio
It already is a Anti Teft device as theft of manual tranny cars has dropped.
I don't know what it is but some people just have the idea that things are just as they were. There was a time a Manual was more reliable and lighter but not any more. Just as time has proven the 4 cylinder can give us good power the auto and semi auto has proved to be more reliable and in more and more cases faster shifting.
In F1 they are all using semi auto trannys as well in many high end performance cars. Not only are they more reliable but they can shift faster than any human can with no loss of power.
While we may not get the small advantage in the HHR we also do not have to worry about failing clutches, slave cylinders and having someone do an expensive clutch change as most of us can not change a FWD clutch at home.
To this point I have seen many problems with shifters and clutches on the 5 speed vs automatics in the HHR. So at this point the Auto looks to be taking the reliability lead so far. Also the fact there are twice as many automatics should mean we even have more chances to fail but so far are not.
The fact is there is nothing wrong with either tranny. I just tire of the macho thing some have about manuals. If you like them drive them but there is no need to trash an auto when they perform very well and prove in the long run to be of more value in most vehicles.
I see all the 4 speed and 5 speed Fiero guys having issues now with failed clutches and shift linkage. Even broken clutch pedals as these cars get older. None are cheap to fix. few wipe out the auto or have any issue with them. Many Fiero is parked in a junk yard in fair condition because a clutch change is more than the cars worth.
The only tranny I had fail was in my Chevelle SS. The center ripped out of the disc. Also my shifter loved to go into 2 gears at the same time. A new clutch and shifter fixed it. Also I lost a clutc pedal as the arm broke off the pedal. I was lucky the local dealer just happend to have one because at the time there were no repo pedals.
There is no shame in either. Just buy what you like and be fair to the other. There is no wrong answer here as they both as pluses and negitives about them.
I don't know what it is but some people just have the idea that things are just as they were. There was a time a Manual was more reliable and lighter but not any more. Just as time has proven the 4 cylinder can give us good power the auto and semi auto has proved to be more reliable and in more and more cases faster shifting.
In F1 they are all using semi auto trannys as well in many high end performance cars. Not only are they more reliable but they can shift faster than any human can with no loss of power.
While we may not get the small advantage in the HHR we also do not have to worry about failing clutches, slave cylinders and having someone do an expensive clutch change as most of us can not change a FWD clutch at home.
To this point I have seen many problems with shifters and clutches on the 5 speed vs automatics in the HHR. So at this point the Auto looks to be taking the reliability lead so far. Also the fact there are twice as many automatics should mean we even have more chances to fail but so far are not.
The fact is there is nothing wrong with either tranny. I just tire of the macho thing some have about manuals. If you like them drive them but there is no need to trash an auto when they perform very well and prove in the long run to be of more value in most vehicles.
I see all the 4 speed and 5 speed Fiero guys having issues now with failed clutches and shift linkage. Even broken clutch pedals as these cars get older. None are cheap to fix. few wipe out the auto or have any issue with them. Many Fiero is parked in a junk yard in fair condition because a clutch change is more than the cars worth.
The only tranny I had fail was in my Chevelle SS. The center ripped out of the disc. Also my shifter loved to go into 2 gears at the same time. A new clutch and shifter fixed it. Also I lost a clutc pedal as the arm broke off the pedal. I was lucky the local dealer just happend to have one because at the time there were no repo pedals.
There is no shame in either. Just buy what you like and be fair to the other. There is no wrong answer here as they both as pluses and negitives about them.
Senior Member
Joined: 11-15-2008
Posts: 1,599
From: Newburgh, NY
If my HHR SS was a lone transporter, I would probably have went with the auto as well. It provides alot of exhiliarating driving while maintaining the "fun" experience in traffic situations (the 5 speed is NOT fun in bumper to bumper traffic).
Guess what? Corvettes, funny cars and dragsters come with automatic transmissions too!
