Quick Hit – 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS…Didn’t Know This Was A Thing!

Always a skeptc when it comes to adding “SS” to a car name (like “GT”).  Sometimes they are badass like the Camaro SS and of course, the Aussie-Chevrolet SS, and sometimes they are just badges – like the Cobalt SS.  Was doing a search for 10 year old unicorns with low miles and came across this 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS.  On a lark I opened this page and was intrigued by the the retro wagon look, burnt orange color, low price and low miles.  Wondered about the SS part, especially since CarMax has it listed as 0 hp and 0 torque, and searched for reviews.   Pleasantly surprised they are almost all positive.  Check these out; Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road and Track, and even Popular Mechanics.   The HHR had a five year production run but the SS was only sold from 2008-2010.  Yes, there were hundreds of thousands of base HHR’s sold, but the SS only represented a small percentage of sales (5%?).  Me thinks it was Chevrolet’s answer to the PT Cruiser that sold for 10 years.

The engine is the 2.0 liter turbo with 260hp, shared with the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky before they went belly up, and the suspension has been tuned to handle far better than a vanilla HHR.  Even has a boost gauge in the A-pillar like the kids have!  The mid-six second 0-60 mph time ain’t that impressive and yet the reviewers all seem to dig this box.  So do I.  I’m trying to resist calling my son in Portland and asking him to go get it for me.  If none of you do in the next 24 hours I just might.  Make a nice little commuter vehicle for me!

The car sold for about $24,000 in 2008.  There are 59 of these on Car Guru right now, almost all cheaper, and almost all have tons of miles.  Only one has less miles at this price.  Oddly, it’s an hour away from me.  But it wouldnt have the coveted MaxCare warranty to keep this 11 year old car in free repairs until it’s a 16 year old car.  That’s special.

Check this out – it’s a one-owner car and was originally sold in Florida, spent some time in California, and is now in Washington.  If I bring it to the East Coast it will have done its own One Lap of America.  Find it here in Tacoma, Washington.  If the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred (to me!).