Hey guys i am new here and currently makeing a list of possible vehicles i will buy late this year or next year and after doing some research and some reveiws the ss is on my list. I currently drive a subaru forester xt (04). Before you laugh that boxy subaru can make some serious power ( motor is the same as an 04 sti) its big enough for my dogs ( a 12 pond weiner dog and a 60 pound doberman) and is reliable as ever my first forester lasted almost 300,000 miles ( with abuse)anyways the reason for this post is i would like to hear you guys weigh in and tell me what you think about my list and the good and bad of some of the vehicles on the list

1. subaru outback xt - 250 hp turbo allwheeldrive good sleeper but pricey new (32 k)good cargo room

2. Chevy HHR SS 260 FWD compact wagon decent room not sure about chevy reliablity (been burned in the past) heard alot of glowing reveiws fuel economy ? not sure yet can it fit my dogs ? not sure yet

3. Mazdaspeed 3 also read alot of good reveiws on this car260 hp small hatch not sure if it would work for me and my dogs and my wife, and who knows if we start having kids lol good handling ( how does it do in the snow)
fuel economy (not sure)

civic si- great handling vehicle little short on power but great fuel economy rock hard reliablity but definitly would be a problem if we have kids sorta boy racer image ( im 30 years old now)

anyways let me know your thoughts I live in northern Virginia and i commute to DC wich is about 80 miles round tripwich is why fuel economy is a factor

 

I have had my HHR SS for a few weeks now and I find it to be quite roomy for a small SUV Crossover. I have a 90lb American Bulldog that has plenty of room in the back seat. I just lay down a sheet to protect the seats and she spends the first couple minutes bouncing back and forth between the windows to see what is going on outside and then eventually lays down.

As far has fuel economy goes I have been getting an average of about 22 - 23MPG and that has all been city driving back and forth to work. I haven't taken it on the highway yet. Over all it is a step up from my S10 SS which got about 16 - 17MPG average

Overall I find the car to be a very good performer, good gas mileage, decent room, has lots of nice options, and reasonably affordable.

 

wow, kinda looks like my list when i was shopping, except that subaru didn't make my list as i knew i couldn't afford it, instead it was a wrx hatch with very few options. the MS3 is a great car, not as much utility room as the HHR if i remember correctly (aka luggage or dogs lol). the outback has a serious price disadvantage, but if you've got the money to burn, don't let that be your main factor. i don't have much hands on experience with the new subarus, so i can't help you there. the Si is actually IMO the only honda i would buy, aside from an S2000. if you're worried about room for kids (eventually), the 4-door would make a good choice, but you lose space for dogs with either option, 2- or 4-door versus others on your list. as far as economy goes, i have seen as high as 32mpg on the freeway, and i usually am between 20-22 strictly in town. reliability, we don't have a whole lot to go on, but piecing together info we seem to be okay. chassis reliability has stood up so far with all other year and trim HHRs (aside from the brakes on some, you can find info on that around the boards here), and the engine seems to be doing fine in the Solstice GXP and Sky Redline. unfortunately we can't say much for this engine AND transmission combo, as it is not used anywhere else, so we will see this combo's reliability unfold as we go.

my opinion, if your primary concern is room for the dogs, go HHR or Outback (that's the Legacy Outback, yes?). if the dogs aren't a HUGE issue, i'd say HHR or MS3 (really a choice in styling preference). economy, i think all of the cars on your list do well, but if the dogs don't really matter, or don't mind them on the back seat, maybe the Si 4-door, as i believe it's a little better on gas than th rest of the choices.

a side note, i absolutely LOVE my HHR SS, and if given the option of a free MS3, HHR SS, Civic Si 4-dr, Caliber SRT-4, Subaru WRX hatch, or any other comparable car like these, i'd take the SS all day, every day.

 

Out of those choices I would go with the SS mainly because the Subaru is pricey, the Mazda, in my research and opinion is nearly the same to the SS but the SS seems to have more cargo room with all of the seats up.

IMO, if you were in my area and you had the Civic, you would be in the ricer boy scene whether you wanted to or not. A big reason I didn't go that route.

I would advise you to look at all four, take test drives, get a feel for them all and see what one fits you best. When I was looking at cars, I test drove a Dodge Nitro, Magnum, Scion xB, WRX, and a GTI. I hated the Nitro and the Magnum, the WRX was awesome but just didn't fit my cargo needs, and the same with the GTI. The Scion was IMO a great car. The ONLY reason the SS won over the Scion was the performance. I had an xB done up with $8,000 worth of mods (brought the price to the same as the SS) so the only thing that made me go SS over xB was the HP/handling and things like that.

I would highly advise you to check out the cars that interest you, and maybe even add on the WRX wagon and Scion xB. Do what research you can online about MPG, ownership cost, problems people have had, things like that, but make sure you test drive all the cars you are considering before making a final decision. Hope this helps.

And as a last note, I have had my SS for over a month now and I have never wished I got something else. It fits and works for me, make sure the car you get does the same.

 

Not enough room. I racked the seat all the way back and was still uncomfortable. I'm only 6 ft, but I like leg room and there is none here. It also needs a telescoping wheel which it does not have. Drives pretty nice, but I can't get comfortable in the car.
Reliability? The thing has forged pistons and rods, stainless steel crank, sodium filled valves and and a 5/100K warranty. Coupled with how well this thing corners, fits me, and gets great mileage is why I bought mine!
The HHR SS replaced a MAZDA5 I had for a daily driver. I was disapointed by the mileage on the 5. I couldn't get over 24 MPG on the hwy I drove a MazdaSpeed3 when the lease expired on the 5 and I was not that impressed. It has the Mazda zoom-zoom, but it was a handful when launched. All that said it was the #2 choice.
Drives nice, poor egress into the c o c kpit, but pretty comfortable once you get there. Absolutely no room in back, so I didn't even consider this one. If you think the Civic SI is right for you, buy a Solstice instead.

 

[QUOTE=bobiroc;269613]I have had my HHR SS for a few weeks now and I find it to be quite roomy for a small SUV Crossover. I have a 90lb American Bulldog that has plenty of room in the back seat. I just lay down a sheet to protect the seats and she spends the first couple minutes bouncing back and forth between the windows to see what is going on outside and then eventually lays down.

thanks for your coment i wouldnt be puting lady ( my dobie) in the back seat she would be in the cargo area like in my fxt

 

hmm ill put the scion on my list I have heard good things about their cargo room but i would like some oomph

 

WOW just came back from being at 2 dealerships mazda dealer was gonna give white mazdaspeed 3 with leather for 24 grand chevy dealership only had a black auto SS and they want 26 ( what the hell) I prefer stick anyways, and my freind said subaru has a certified preowned 07 outback xt for 25 I wish i was ready to buy right now but i have a couple months

 

LOL.....
I Paid 23200 for my Loaded Victory Red HHR SS Auto........I like this car more every day! And I gave up a 40+ mpg VW Jetta TDI DSG that was Chipped to buy this!

 

When I was car shopping I was torn between the MS3 and HHR SS. If you compare them on Edmunds they're pretty much the same with only very minor differences in my opinion. I really wanted the Mazda because I really don't like how cheap the Chevy interiors look (the plastic), but since we have one baby and another one soon to be on the way, I decided on the HHR because of the roominess. I mean, if my 6' tall husband can fit in the back seat with the car salesman (who was also tall) in the front passenger and be comfortable, then there's enough room. That was the moment that sold me on the HHR. I previously had a Mazda3 sedan and after comparing it to the MS3 the leg room is exactly the same and there just wasn't enough room, just the hatch gave it a bit more cargo space. We just took our first long trip to Vegas last weekend and it was extremely comfortable with plenty of room for bags, a playpen and stroller.