Potentiontial Buyer questions?? HHR SS, my first choice. Need that final Push.
10-05-2011, 03:44 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2009
Location: High Bridge
Posts: 388
Aside from the juicy drivetrain and performance potential, I bought my SS specifically FOR the looks. Probably a generational thing as I always admired the post WWII "Advanced-Design" Chevy trucks the HHR is styled after and at 55, clearly remember plenty of them still on the road when I was growing up.
From your list, the Dodge is junk and the Cobalt fine if you don't need the utility of wagon. The Mazda is probably OK too (if you like cars that grin back at you
) but I've dusted two local Mazaspeed3's that had been bugging me on the street for a race. The owners didn't seem to be too pleased with that and they stay away from me now....
From your list, the Dodge is junk and the Cobalt fine if you don't need the utility of wagon. The Mazda is probably OK too (if you like cars that grin back at you
) but I've dusted two local Mazaspeed3's that had been bugging me on the street for a race. The owners didn't seem to be too pleased with that and they stay away from me now....Yeah, I liked the look of the HHR as well (specifically the SS)...but one thing I like about all HHRs is that you can go hot-rod or retro or somewhere in between very easily, depending on your tastes. Not many models are as flexible in how they can be modded.
10-05-2011, 04:43 PM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
Hi so I am seriously considering the HHR ss and had a few questions.
Narrowed my choices to HHR SS, Cobalt Sedan SS, Mazdaspeed 3 and Caliber SRT4.
Still keep thinking HHR SS is the one, Speed 3 next and then Cobalt. I just really like the practicality of it, and price value....
So,
How reliable is the turbo and engine? as in does the turbo have a lot of strain on the engine where it can't go past 150K without problems? I am thinking of financing this for the next 5 years.
What kind of 0-60 times are you seeing with the stage 1 kit?
Does the hahn tune for 1k or trifecta tune get added to stage 1? and what kind of numbers and 0-60 times are you seeing here? Can you get to 5-5.5?
How do you deal with the comments people have of the HHR SS? the internet is littered with hate words towards the HHR SS, and this is what has me on the fence, I know I shouldn't care...
Does the stage 1 and other performance goodies add to the reliability of the car, or do mods passed stage 1 decline reliability?
Is the visibility really that big of an issue? I hear many reviews complaining about low visibility when turning into a canyon, I'm not very tall about 5'7.
What features does the RPD have? and do you still get auxiliary input?
Are there any young owners out there of the SS, I see the average age is like 30 plus? All my friends are in RSX-S, SI's, GTI's, and cars like this and am wondering about me feeling like the odd ball out, but I've always liked to be different and I know this car with a tune, could probably destroy them all.
How is the comfort on long highway drives?
I aim to be in one within the next 2 months, but had these questions and just need that final push to go ahead and go for it the only thing holding me back is the looks, I am in love with everything else the Price, reviews, power, practicality, space, handling.... but the damn looks, I just don't want to be down the road in 3 years and wondering why I ever bought this car, as it is not a looker... but IMO looks better then the 1st gen Speed 3 Cobalt and all other cars I am considering, of course If I had more money I just get a speed 3 2nd gen or wait for the focus ST, or WRX but I can get into a low mileage one for about 16K and that is the seller for me.
Thanks for any help.
Narrowed my choices to HHR SS, Cobalt Sedan SS, Mazdaspeed 3 and Caliber SRT4.
Still keep thinking HHR SS is the one, Speed 3 next and then Cobalt. I just really like the practicality of it, and price value....
So,
How reliable is the turbo and engine? as in does the turbo have a lot of strain on the engine where it can't go past 150K without problems? I am thinking of financing this for the next 5 years.
What kind of 0-60 times are you seeing with the stage 1 kit?
Does the hahn tune for 1k or trifecta tune get added to stage 1? and what kind of numbers and 0-60 times are you seeing here? Can you get to 5-5.5?
How do you deal with the comments people have of the HHR SS? the internet is littered with hate words towards the HHR SS, and this is what has me on the fence, I know I shouldn't care...
Does the stage 1 and other performance goodies add to the reliability of the car, or do mods passed stage 1 decline reliability?
Is the visibility really that big of an issue? I hear many reviews complaining about low visibility when turning into a canyon, I'm not very tall about 5'7.
What features does the RPD have? and do you still get auxiliary input?
Are there any young owners out there of the SS, I see the average age is like 30 plus? All my friends are in RSX-S, SI's, GTI's, and cars like this and am wondering about me feeling like the odd ball out, but I've always liked to be different and I know this car with a tune, could probably destroy them all.
How is the comfort on long highway drives?
I aim to be in one within the next 2 months, but had these questions and just need that final push to go ahead and go for it the only thing holding me back is the looks, I am in love with everything else the Price, reviews, power, practicality, space, handling.... but the damn looks, I just don't want to be down the road in 3 years and wondering why I ever bought this car, as it is not a looker... but IMO looks better then the 1st gen Speed 3 Cobalt and all other cars I am considering, of course If I had more money I just get a speed 3 2nd gen or wait for the focus ST, or WRX but I can get into a low mileage one for about 16K and that is the seller for me.
Thanks for any help.
Engines have proven very reliable. Yes some have had issues but often the issues are due to some dealers not have a well trained tech to work on the turbo engines. From what I have seen many have over 100,000 with no or few issues. Not sure if anyone has cleared 150,000 yet but I see no reason this would be an issue. ALso not GM has a 5 year 100,000 drivetrain warranty.
The GM turbo upgrade kit is a must no matter what tranny. I does not hurt the engine or void any warranties. The aftermarkets are good too and can be added but you will void the warranty. Unless you are racing the GM kit is all you need for daily drives. I think the 0-60 some are seeing are high 5 seconds.
As for what other say I ignore it as many people on the web are idiots that have never drive or even sat in one. Often hate is because they got dusted my one of us. I have one Honda guy I drove away from with a load in the back of the car. I just waved bye to him. As for styling it is subjective, I feel the Mazda 3 was killed with the new nose. It looks like something from Pixar more than Mazda. To me it looks silly but should that matter to someone who owns one?....No! If you like it that is all that matters.
The Factory tune does not chang reliability as it is still in the safe limits. Now some aftermarket items can degrade the life of some things but that is the nature of performance. More power means you often need stronger parts or they will break. Just depends on the tune and how much power you have.
5'7" you should be fine. The car has blind spots but after driving a few days and learning to use the mirrors it is not an issue. THe price you pay for styling but nothing you can get over.
As for car of HHR. the HHR will haul a hell of a lot more than most of the cars you named. Also the SS resale has been doing better than average. Many areas you can touch them for less than $18K anymore as the price has gone up since they stopped production.
FOr the money it is a good bang for the buck. Also it is different than most cars out there.
I was not a HHR fan. I did not hate them but I really did not care one way or the other on them. After driving the first SS I was hooked. I have driven the GTI and Mazda 3 and they are good cars but I love the engine and suspension tuning in my car better and after just moving the car hauls in more ways than one well.
When I bought it I felt like I was taking a risk and today 3 years later I could not be happier.
Last edited by hyperv6; 10-05-2011 at 06:16 PM.
10-05-2011, 05:06 PM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-23-2008
Location: Peoria, AZ
Posts: 1,148
And Me!!! LOL I told the dealer that it wasn't a matter of if the car was going to break down on me, but a matter of when. I really liked it but it was falling apart. 
The 150k question might be a tough one to answer, mostly because the SS has only been around since '08...probably a very small number of SSes with that kind of mileage. I just went over 35k and I have not had a single problem with my SS yet. I know some SS owners on here have had issues though...Gas Man and sunflowerhippi both come to mind first, and both got rid of their SSes because they couldn't take it anymore.
I've never actually timed my SS since getting the LNF Turbo Upgrade (Stage 1), but it sure FEELS a lot faster (not that it was a slouch before). I'm guessing high 5s easy.
Why should you care about what people say? Only one person's opinion matters...YOURS. I don't mind people criticizing/not liking my car if they're constructive about it, and not mean-spirited. So far, in over two years of owning my SS, I've met one guy and one guy only who clearly was intent on letting me know that he wasn't a big fan of my car and being antagonistic about it. Oh well.
The RPD can act as little more than a digital speedo if you want that, but it also allows you to monitor HP, boost, air-to-fuel ratio, and tire pressure, among many other things. I have it set to the boost gauge 95% of the time. I like mine, but reviews on these tend to be mixed...some lament the lack of storage (the RPD replaces the dash storage bin), some simply don't like the RPD and would rather have the '08 SS A-pillar boost gauge.
I'm 41 but don't look it or feel it (most days). I bought mine when I had just turned 39.
I find it pretty comfortable on long drives. I'm 6' 1", and the only issues I have with visibility come with traffic lights. Nothing too bad otherwise. Warning: though the interior can be made to look nice with minor modding (such as painting your waterfall or adding a Chevrolet script over the glovebox...I did these mods for about $160, and there are several other low cost mods you can do to spice up your interior), and the SS seats are pretty sharp, the interiors on ALL HHR's are awash in cheap plastic. Every review I've read comparing the SS to the rides you've listed mentions that the SS interior is the worst of the bunch, in terms of quality of materials.
The whole "looker" thing really depends on who's doing the looking. Obviously there's a considerable enthusaist segment for this website to even exist, but in the grand scheme of things it's far from huge...this car is clearly in the polarizing, niche category where some really love it, some really hate it, and others aren't at all impacted by its presence. I get a lot of comments on mine, and most of them are positive, for what that's worth.
I've never actually timed my SS since getting the LNF Turbo Upgrade (Stage 1), but it sure FEELS a lot faster (not that it was a slouch before). I'm guessing high 5s easy.
Why should you care about what people say? Only one person's opinion matters...YOURS. I don't mind people criticizing/not liking my car if they're constructive about it, and not mean-spirited. So far, in over two years of owning my SS, I've met one guy and one guy only who clearly was intent on letting me know that he wasn't a big fan of my car and being antagonistic about it. Oh well.
The RPD can act as little more than a digital speedo if you want that, but it also allows you to monitor HP, boost, air-to-fuel ratio, and tire pressure, among many other things. I have it set to the boost gauge 95% of the time. I like mine, but reviews on these tend to be mixed...some lament the lack of storage (the RPD replaces the dash storage bin), some simply don't like the RPD and would rather have the '08 SS A-pillar boost gauge.
I'm 41 but don't look it or feel it (most days). I bought mine when I had just turned 39.
I find it pretty comfortable on long drives. I'm 6' 1", and the only issues I have with visibility come with traffic lights. Nothing too bad otherwise. Warning: though the interior can be made to look nice with minor modding (such as painting your waterfall or adding a Chevrolet script over the glovebox...I did these mods for about $160, and there are several other low cost mods you can do to spice up your interior), and the SS seats are pretty sharp, the interiors on ALL HHR's are awash in cheap plastic. Every review I've read comparing the SS to the rides you've listed mentions that the SS interior is the worst of the bunch, in terms of quality of materials.
The whole "looker" thing really depends on who's doing the looking. Obviously there's a considerable enthusaist segment for this website to even exist, but in the grand scheme of things it's far from huge...this car is clearly in the polarizing, niche category where some really love it, some really hate it, and others aren't at all impacted by its presence. I get a lot of comments on mine, and most of them are positive, for what that's worth.
10-06-2011, 08:29 AM
#15
Member
Join Date: 12-13-2009
Location: Ontario,Canada
Posts: 77
I traded in an 08' MS3 for my 10' SS and I regret it every day. Before the MS3 I had an NSRT-4 which was also an awesome car. The MS3 had known turbo issues but Mazda has fixed the issue (leaking turbo seals) and also bumped up the warranty to 7 yrs 150k kms on the turbo itself. So no issue there. Hands down the best car I have owned so far.
I really dont like the SS and will be trading it in come spring. The HHR is just to dull performance wise for me, the suspension is kinda lame, the gearing sucks, the interior is horrible (all hard surface plastics), the sight lines are brutal and the styling, well thats in the eye of the beholder. It is very practical as it can haul a lot of cargo. It is pretty good on gas also.
Have you thought about the GTI? It is by far the best car in this class. Easy to mod also. The CSRT-4 is a great car also, a few of my friends have had them and they are bullet proof and mod very well. you can get low to mid 12's out of them but after that it takes a ton of work, the pcm and the throttle plate and fuelling are hard to work with after that point.
I will be buying a new GTI in the spring if I choose the FWD turbo route again as they are getting a bump in hp from 200 to 230 in the non "R" model or a new Mustang V6 with the performance package if I go the RWD route.
PM me if you have any questions about any of the cars I have mentioned. I am pretty well versed in them.
I really dont like the SS and will be trading it in come spring. The HHR is just to dull performance wise for me, the suspension is kinda lame, the gearing sucks, the interior is horrible (all hard surface plastics), the sight lines are brutal and the styling, well thats in the eye of the beholder. It is very practical as it can haul a lot of cargo. It is pretty good on gas also.
Have you thought about the GTI? It is by far the best car in this class. Easy to mod also. The CSRT-4 is a great car also, a few of my friends have had them and they are bullet proof and mod very well. you can get low to mid 12's out of them but after that it takes a ton of work, the pcm and the throttle plate and fuelling are hard to work with after that point.
I will be buying a new GTI in the spring if I choose the FWD turbo route again as they are getting a bump in hp from 200 to 230 in the non "R" model or a new Mustang V6 with the performance package if I go the RWD route.
PM me if you have any questions about any of the cars I have mentioned. I am pretty well versed in them.
10-06-2011, 09:14 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-06-2010
Location: Pottstown, PA
Posts: 3,777
Okay. Caliber useless as a 4 door car. The trunk is tiny and pointless and back seats can't fit kids legs, just a statement.
Speed 3... I'm on a tuner forum and they have one of the highest issues around, burn oil and yeah. I love the smiley face though.
Cobalt vs HHR is really just straight looks, and what style car do you want.
How reliable is the turbo and engine? as in does the turbo have a lot of strain on the engine where it can't go past 150K without problems? I am thinking of financing this for the next 5 years.
Um... as previous reply said. I am bad to ask that. My SS was the anti-christ and it is now gone. Wish it was blown up, but... however when it worked omg did I love the little thing. hehe :)
How do you deal with the comments people have of the HHR SS? the internet is littered with hate words towards the HHR SS, and this is what has me on the fence, I know I shouldn't care...
I got more love with the HHR SS then my friends cobalt SS, the GTO, and the mustang. Won best female Ride stockk at a local show. Not something saw everyday, but very love or hate. People were kinda in aww once ya told them about it.
Is the visibility really that big of an issue? I hear many reviews complaining about low visibility when turning into a canyon, I'm not very tall about 5'7.
I am 5'7 as well. No major problems at all. Okay once I did almost kill a motorcycle but that was me just not seeing him through the a pillar blind spot. You learn fast. My xb has worse C pillar blind spots.
Are there any young owners out there of the SS, I see the average age is like 30 plus? All my friends are in RSX-S, SI's, GTI's, and cars like this and am wondering about me feeling like the odd ball out, but I've always liked to be different and I know this car with a tune, could probably destroy them all.
Bought at 23, now 25. I'm a nanny for a living, great way for me to throw kids into a fun proformence based car. I saw it how you just said. Throw a tune on and school them for fun. hehe
How is the comfort on long highway drives?
Drove twice to OH, 8 hours each way to pick up cats. I was fine, and I have a very bad back from 2 car accidents. My guy though is not a huge fan of the seats, he has very very large sholders and did not fit into the seats all that well.
Hope that helps.
Speed 3... I'm on a tuner forum and they have one of the highest issues around, burn oil and yeah. I love the smiley face though.
Cobalt vs HHR is really just straight looks, and what style car do you want.
How reliable is the turbo and engine? as in does the turbo have a lot of strain on the engine where it can't go past 150K without problems? I am thinking of financing this for the next 5 years.
Um... as previous reply said. I am bad to ask that. My SS was the anti-christ and it is now gone. Wish it was blown up, but... however when it worked omg did I love the little thing. hehe :)
How do you deal with the comments people have of the HHR SS? the internet is littered with hate words towards the HHR SS, and this is what has me on the fence, I know I shouldn't care...
I got more love with the HHR SS then my friends cobalt SS, the GTO, and the mustang. Won best female Ride stockk at a local show. Not something saw everyday, but very love or hate. People were kinda in aww once ya told them about it.
Is the visibility really that big of an issue? I hear many reviews complaining about low visibility when turning into a canyon, I'm not very tall about 5'7.
I am 5'7 as well. No major problems at all. Okay once I did almost kill a motorcycle but that was me just not seeing him through the a pillar blind spot. You learn fast. My xb has worse C pillar blind spots.
Are there any young owners out there of the SS, I see the average age is like 30 plus? All my friends are in RSX-S, SI's, GTI's, and cars like this and am wondering about me feeling like the odd ball out, but I've always liked to be different and I know this car with a tune, could probably destroy them all.
Bought at 23, now 25. I'm a nanny for a living, great way for me to throw kids into a fun proformence based car. I saw it how you just said. Throw a tune on and school them for fun. hehe
How is the comfort on long highway drives?
Drove twice to OH, 8 hours each way to pick up cats. I was fine, and I have a very bad back from 2 car accidents. My guy though is not a huge fan of the seats, he has very very large sholders and did not fit into the seats all that well.
Hope that helps.
10-06-2011, 07:24 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
As for the the other cars. the Caliber the quality is nothing great. It has better seats and that is about it. I had two coworkers with 2 SRT 4's and they dumped them after 2 years with no sadness.
The GTI is a cool car and I love the looks of them. I also have a co worker with one and quality was also a major quality issue. He would not tell us what it was but he was stuck in a VW Chrysler mini van for a month and a half. I assume tranny or engine issue?
Mazda 3 I have have a friend and old time racer with one. He likes it. It seems like a good car but I find it much slower than mine with the upgrade and handling is similar. Interior has less plastic but still feels cheap. The new nose killed the car for me but that is subjective.
I have 4 Cobalt SS and 3 HHR SS at work that co workers have each one is solid behind their cars and so far none of us have had any major issues with the cars. I blew a Intake tube but it was a bad plastic weld and it blew the MAP out of the tube. 23 PSI will do that if it was a early made tube. It was good to know the GM Performance engineer that I spoke to had the tube in Detroit and they checked it out to find it was a early made part and that it just was not welded well. They had already corrected the issue. It was nice to know they followed up.
Might note the Turbo Eco is coming and it will be updated with better tuning yet. It will be used in many of the new GM cars including the Cadillac ATS. You might want to get this book.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-88958728/
It will tell you what all this engine can handle and how to do it. It will suprise you what it will take. I work for a company involved in racing and John Lingenfelter the famed racer and engine builder was doing a lot of work with these. He was driving a 7 sec Sonoma with a Ecotec engine in it. They were getting to near 1500 HP before they would crack the stock heads. He was hoping to get to 2000HP with a race head but he switched to a TT V6 in his Cobalt that ended up taking his life. He had built some of the fastest road cars [back in 1989 he built and drove the 273 MPH street legal TT Sledgehammer Calloway Corvette He also had a TT LS V8 GMC Street AWD Sonoma that would run 9 sec 1/4 miles in street trim] in the world and he loved this engine as much as anything he had worked on in years.
The fact is there are no perfect cars in this class.
The GTI is a cool car and I love the looks of them. I also have a co worker with one and quality was also a major quality issue. He would not tell us what it was but he was stuck in a VW Chrysler mini van for a month and a half. I assume tranny or engine issue?
Mazda 3 I have have a friend and old time racer with one. He likes it. It seems like a good car but I find it much slower than mine with the upgrade and handling is similar. Interior has less plastic but still feels cheap. The new nose killed the car for me but that is subjective.
I have 4 Cobalt SS and 3 HHR SS at work that co workers have each one is solid behind their cars and so far none of us have had any major issues with the cars. I blew a Intake tube but it was a bad plastic weld and it blew the MAP out of the tube. 23 PSI will do that if it was a early made tube. It was good to know the GM Performance engineer that I spoke to had the tube in Detroit and they checked it out to find it was a early made part and that it just was not welded well. They had already corrected the issue. It was nice to know they followed up.
Might note the Turbo Eco is coming and it will be updated with better tuning yet. It will be used in many of the new GM cars including the Cadillac ATS. You might want to get this book.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-88958728/
It will tell you what all this engine can handle and how to do it. It will suprise you what it will take. I work for a company involved in racing and John Lingenfelter the famed racer and engine builder was doing a lot of work with these. He was driving a 7 sec Sonoma with a Ecotec engine in it. They were getting to near 1500 HP before they would crack the stock heads. He was hoping to get to 2000HP with a race head but he switched to a TT V6 in his Cobalt that ended up taking his life. He had built some of the fastest road cars [back in 1989 he built and drove the 273 MPH street legal TT Sledgehammer Calloway Corvette He also had a TT LS V8 GMC Street AWD Sonoma that would run 9 sec 1/4 miles in street trim] in the world and he loved this engine as much as anything he had worked on in years.
The fact is there are no perfect cars in this class.
10-06-2011, 09:03 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-30-2011
Location: Flint, MI
Posts: 101
I got my SS with 72k on it back in march and am up to 85k on it with no problems. The previous owner was anal about keeping service notes in the manual, and he didn't report an issues either. It's had the stage 1 on since it was a few months old.
I haven't see another car with the combo of power and cargo ability that rivals it. At 6' 4" I have to give a full car length between me and stop lights just to see the damn thing, but otherwise visibility is good, really. Make sure you adjust your mirrors right (NOT looking at the side of your own car) and you'll be fine.
It really is scary fast when you put the hammer down.
As far as looks go, I left an 08 Lancer for my HHR, and while the lancer got lots of looks, I never had people come up to me at a gas station and complement my car, but that's happened several times with the HHR. It seems to be polarizing. People either love it or hate it. I myself am fairly neutral, I don't think it's the prettiest thing in the world, but what other compact will get 4 grown adults and their luggage comfortably, be able to pull 33 highway mpg, and top out around 160mph? Who cares if it's a little homely...I mean...DAMN
I think Sis, GTIs, and Ralliarts might all be prettier, but none can haul more stuff faster.
I haven't see another car with the combo of power and cargo ability that rivals it. At 6' 4" I have to give a full car length between me and stop lights just to see the damn thing, but otherwise visibility is good, really. Make sure you adjust your mirrors right (NOT looking at the side of your own car) and you'll be fine.
It really is scary fast when you put the hammer down.
As far as looks go, I left an 08 Lancer for my HHR, and while the lancer got lots of looks, I never had people come up to me at a gas station and complement my car, but that's happened several times with the HHR. It seems to be polarizing. People either love it or hate it. I myself am fairly neutral, I don't think it's the prettiest thing in the world, but what other compact will get 4 grown adults and their luggage comfortably, be able to pull 33 highway mpg, and top out around 160mph? Who cares if it's a little homely...I mean...DAMN
I think Sis, GTIs, and Ralliarts might all be prettier, but none can haul more stuff faster.
10-06-2011, 09:55 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-13-2008
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 480
BAng for the buck, grin factor and the hauling capability aside, it's not a bad ride. I LOVE the Turbo. There when you need it, not when you don't. Can't stand my wife's Honda anymore because when I stab the go pedal down, I've come to expect a little umph. Tires were expensive to replace but the Goodyear GT's allready outperform the old Michelins in a heartbeat.
Buy it. You'll have a blast.
Jim
Buy it. You'll have a blast.
Jim