I have been driving daily in the weather Michigan can toss at it and still rolling on the stock Mich pilot all season tires. I hear that snow tires make it drive like a 4x4 but I havent had the need to drop the cash yet

 

Strict snow tires make all the difference, my Cobalt SS/SC handled the snow amazingly last year with them, I commute 80 miles daily for work alone.

Fun!-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcQuvISK3xg

However my HHR is stored, I bought a Cavalier for beater duty. I must admit I'd love to drive the HHR, I miss the hell out of it, but my door seams already had some minor bubbling and I hate seeing the paint on my fun car go to hell over the salt usage, so abrasive. This also has given me the downtime for mods! The coilovers also has weight in this decision, I do not have another setup to swap on it, nor would the effort to raise it be worth such add expense of snow rim/tire setup.

 

DD with 11800mi, had it since June of 08. Been in limp mode for the past 3 days, ordered a new MAF sensor tonight. Hopefully it does the trick or I'm taking it back to the dealer to check the stage connections which they soldered and possibly a re-flash. Not sure what else to do, runs great for a few minutes after start up, then goes limp. Haven't had the CEL checked, but every other time it has been P0101.

 

Daily driver here in the Snow Belt. No issues and it drives like a tank. I have even had where I have pushed snow when it is deep enough with the front bumper.

I would recomend taking the crap pilots off for winter. You can buy winter tires if you like but they are not required. I use just all season Goodyears and have yet to have an issue other trying to get around others in the snow.

As for future Value. Well I see this car going the path of the Monte Carlo SS. It will retain more Value than a normal SS but it is not a car you will retire on like a Shelby. With nre and more powerful cars coming in the future this will be the best HHR collector car but you will never get rich on it. Too many people including myself have put away cars and not used them only to find a limited increase in value. That is why I drive and enjoy this car. Once it is worn out I will buy something as neat and more powerfu in the future.

 

What part? My wife's parents live in Cayucos, just north of Morro Bay...greatest part of the state in my opinion.

 

I DD mine. Around 44K on my 08. The only thing I've ever had to replace was the battery. The only white stuff it's ever seen was beach sand and it wasn't driven in it.

 

DD 61K and pretty well modded

 

I bought mine for my business...so I'll be driving it all year around. This will be my first winter with it...not sure how well a lowered HHR SS will do in the snow..hope all goes well!

 

Should leave a smooth road behind you with the Nose/blade that low. I was skimming it last year, and I'm not lowered.

 

a bit further south than that. I was born and raised in Lompoc, right next to Vandenberg AFB.