Auto start is a nice feature, I had it on my mark VIII , I kinda miss it.
Get the 5 speed, Add an arm rest - (check my gallery ) And then you can control the turbo to perform per your driving habbits.

 

I commute with mine 70+ miles each day. Get a radar/laser detector.

 

A warning for those with long commutes: My commute is mostly interstate. The only problem is that the road is an old concrete highway and the joints are horrendous along with lots of semi-patched potholes. It is bone-jarring to drive the SS over these bad joints, and I think it has contributed to my dash making noise. Fortunately they are supposed to be starting reconstruction of the road next spring. Over most asphalt roads, the SS rides very smooth and quiet.

 

Use mine for a 120 mile daily commute. Mostly interstate and then offroading through atlanta's city streets. Originally I was getting 28mpg, but now Im at a consistent 26mpg after owning the car 1.5 years. Over 40k miles now and still enjoy the ridge.

Primary issue has been the wheel sensors -- they keep nulling randomly. Took it to the dealer 5x and never got it resolved. Now I'm out of the warranty coverage. The other issue is that the front hood has a few scracthes from rocks....grrr!

As a barometer for you, I got a fully loaded automatic for around 21.9k. Really wish I had the manual, but the auto is fun and kept the wife happy. If you get the auto with the stage 1 you'll likely need to wait for the parts to arrive.

 

Let me guess.... 295.

I couldn't drive my Lincoln Town Car (my cash for clunkers car I traded for the SS) in the right lane because it would bound up and down over the joints and bottom the suspension because they were at harmonic frequency of the suspension.

 

bobkatz, if you're looking for ultimate performance, don't overlook the limited slip differential option. Not saying you need it or want it, but you don't want to find out about it after plunking your hard earned $$ down and wished you had it. It is available as a factory option. If you order an HHR SS new or used, it is RPO code G85. If you are looking at a preowned and not sure about its abilities, check the silver sticker inside of the glove compartment door. If G85 is listed within the RPO codes, it is equipped as such. I know this because when I was shopping for my HHR, I was looking for a very low mileage vehicle with specific attributes (5-speed, LSD, sunroof, Vic Red or Blk color) and I was willing to wait until I could find what I was looking for (then they came out with AA5, but I still got my HHR SS for cheap). I would have liked the rear window delete, but at the end of the day, I saved a good 3 to 4 grand settling for black windows on black paint. At least I got my SS and was able to afford the GM Turbo Upgrade and had leftover to put back into home maintenance. This little "wish" served my family well.

 

I went to both dealers today and both offered me $8500 trade in for my 08 LS, low miles, showroom condition, etc... I laughed and said no thanks, they offered to rollover any amount i had outstanding into the SS and i could finance everything together... Again no thanks. One dealer was trying hard to make it work but in the end our numbers were to far off.

Basically my LS lost 50% of it's value in 18 months! So i asked the dealer what would my SS be worth in 18 months, 50% also? If i was trading up to a corvette or camaro i could except the loss in a tradein but to tradein for the same body style i couldn't do it.

I really liked the SS, the auto was ok, the 5 speed is killer and with the stage one kit it would be an incredible car.

 

Try selling your vehicle privately. You'll get a lot more for it! Then you can get the SS (get the manual tranny!!)

 

Right now, there is a great amount of LS' flooding the market from rental agencies wishing to liquidate HHR LS models. They procured in large quantities with the anticipation that this model would fulfill multiple vehicle classifications (in which it did). Best thing to do (IMO) is to bide your time, wait until the pricing comes back into reason (both on the upside for the LS and the leveling and/or downside for the SS) and look to make my move at that time in the future. The release of the Orlando will separate the enthusiast (HHR) from the appliance buyer (Orlando).

Both have their place in the market place. I just think that the HHR will make a deeper mark in automotive history than the Orlando.

 

do it it makes the drive to work alot better. and if i have a bad day i can always blow away a mustang gt and makes it all better