For the most part, Yes.

 

We rented an HHR in '06 while visiting Yosemite NP. It had the 2.2. Our '06 HHR is a 2LT and has the 2.4. There is enough of a difference that I would not want the 2.2

I love the sunroof. This is the second car we've had with a sunroof (technically it is called a "moon roof"). Our first was a '99 Cadillac Catera. Our 2016 Buick Encore also has a moon roof.

 

Have sunroofs ever been NOT problematic? I would stay 2009 up because the 2.2L turned VVT and both got internal upgrades.

 

That's been my experience, but I had a '77 Seville and loved the sunroof/moonroof.

I kinda expected a universal preference for the 2.4 engine, didn't know about the improvements after 2009. That new a car might be too much $. A year or so ago, it was hard to find HHR's for less than say $8K, most were $10K.

Right now there's 3 on Craigslist here. A 2006 2.2 engine manual trans HHR with 130k mi, no ac and the engine was torn apart when the timing chain skipped a tooth and the valves etc rebuilt by somebody (I'd rather have a car that wasn't messed with) for $2500.
Another parts one that looks like it ran into a tree for $1500.
And for $2000 a 2008 2.4 engine LT that has bad ac, auto trans, 98K mi, $650 in back taxes and another $300 to get legal so that's $3000 for one with no ac.
Those are all easy to say no to. My Sienna works great so I'm watching Craigslist and not in a particular hurry. I would only buy a 2.2 if it was ultra cheap (like $600-800) and had a good powertrain but was cheap because it needed all the door handles replaced. In Hawaii, because so many people don't have space to park an extra car you will see cars sell cheaper than in most other places, it's a buyer's market.

 

The factory installed AC in all HHRs.

Sounds odd that the purchaser would have to pay back taxes. What value is added by taxation?

 

By "no a/c" I meant that the a/c didn't work.

Here in Hawaii the yearly registration is about $375 for my 3950 lb Sienna. The seller of the HHR mentioned the vehicle owed $672 in back taxes. That means the owner didn't register it for about two years. So if you buy that car, you need to pay the $672, and then you've only covered the past and since you pay in advance you'll have to give them another $325 roughly for the next year. The owner could have avoided all this by surrendering his plates when they expired two years ago. If you're military you'll pay only $20 a year. Then if I buy a car from a military owner, when I go to switch the title over to me, instead of the usual $10 or so I'll have to pay the registration for the rest of the year, which could be a $325 surprise if it was just registered before I bought it. There's a lot of cars that sit for say 10 years here and then even though they're in great shape are only parts cars because $4000 is due to get them current. It's because they don't want people just chancing it and not being part of paying for the roads, at least that's what we're told.