Hi, most people would have PT there instead of tucson.anyway i am planning to trade in my 05 malibu for a new HHR or a Hyundai Tucson. i checked out both cars in nearby dealerships and liked both of them for the fuel economy etc. but HHR was more stylish and Tucson people claim its more fuel efficient i want your opinion on what to do.
The Scion XB blows the HHR and PT cruiser out of the water. Yes, it isnt as stylish but the interior room has no match. The engine is 1.7 verse a 2.4 but in a 4 cylinder it doesnt make much difference. For $15,350 out the door with all standard options you cant beat it. One last thing the salesmen do not haggle you.
The Scion XB blows the HHR and PT cruiser out of the water.
That's crazy talk. I've looked at all three and the Scion XB is the least appealing of the lot unless you care about nothing other than cargo room. First off, the XB is ugly as sin. Second, it's no bargain when you take into account that there's no discounting - every schmoe who buys one ends up paying full MSRP. The XB and base HHR are almost identically equipped and can be had for about the same price "out the door" (since you can negotiate with the Chevy dealer).
But what I find really unappealing about the XB (other than the fact that I would be embarrassed to be seen in one) is that all the options are dealer-installed, useless and very expensive. Does anyone really want a purple shift knob or pink lights around the cupholders? I'd much rather have a sunroof (which isn't even available on the Sci).
Also, a lot of folks need to drive outside the city and the XB is a one trick pony, city-only type of car. Try taking the XB for a spin on the expressway sometime. Not only is it mega-loud, it gets blown around by crosswinds like a plastic shopping bag and its highway MPG rating is dreadful when you take into account the lack of power.
I've seen B's on the interstate--one was tailgating me on the interstate yesterday--bouncing up and down with every undulation in the road. Not a pleasant ride.
Dealerships are independent from the automotive company. They have no real control over how customers are treated EXCEPT financial awards and such for earning customer approval.
The HHR is worlds better looking and (especially with the 2.4L) has much better acceleration than the Tuscon.
The Tuscon has a better warranty. I don't find it appealing in the least, but I'm not the one buying. The optional V6 is a dog, though (0-60 in 10.7 seconds is far too slow).
If I were buying, I'd go for the HHR in a heartbeat.
Comparing the Scion to the HHR is like comparing a Toyota Echo to a Camry. The HHR is a much more substantial car.
The difference in power is very substantial, especially if you get the optional 2.4L. Even with the 2.2L you get much more torque which will make a huge difference in startoff and passing power. 0-60 times don't tell the whole story by any means, but the Scion xB with automatic is in the mid-10 second range and the HHR 2.2L is 9.4, the HHR 2.4L is 8.5 seconds.
A much more formidable Japanese competitor would be the Honda Element. I've never owned an American car before and will admit I love the Element, but I find the HHR much better looking.
Take stock in Armoral, with the Element you would need it. With all the plastic on it. Majority of the people that own Honda Elements are the ones that couldnt wait on the XB's to come in. Will agree that the Scion could have done a better job with insullating the noise through the firewall area but after all we are'nt talking BMW, Mercedes, or Infiniti.
I have to admit that I haven't driven the XB, but my first reaction when I first saw one was relief that it wasn't mine. It may well be a fine vehicle, but to me it is just too bone ugly to be allowed to live, at least in my driveway. Besides, what would the neighbors say? :P
Actually, for '06 Honda has introduced the option of painted body panels on the Element. I personally still think the ones with black panels have more character.
But the HHR is definitely the looker of the bunch.
Anyone have any experience selling a brand new car won in a contest. Have a 2006 HHR 2LT coming and want to know how to go about marketing it so it can be sold right off the dealer's parking lot. Anyone with any ideas?
Well I finally gave up on getting an HHR after 2 bad experiences at Chevy Dealerships and bad memories of trying to buy an Envoy. I went to a Chrysler dealership and walked away the owner of a 300 Touring Edition for 27500. Less than the invoice price of this car and I didn't even have to haggle with the salesperson. There was a $1,000 Chrysler rebate plus the Salesperson took off an additional $1500 after stepping away for a few minutes. Getting an HHR should have been this easy, it wwould have save me $6000. Oh well at least I got a nice car that will hopefully be with me for at least as long as my Nissan was.
If you have a Carmax near you, that'd be the easiest and quickest way to offload it. Another option would be asking the dealer what he'd give you for it.
Ebay is also a good idea, but there is a certain amount of hassle involved in dealing with potential buyers that aren't nearby. If you have an AutoTrader publication or similar, that's also a good way to go about it.
A good friend of mine won a Jeep Wrangler from Premiere magazine a few months ago. He tried selling it himself thru the newspaper and after a month he sold it to Carmax. He didn't get quite as much as he wanted, but at least got rid of it.
Someone in my office building just got a gray HHR LT. I parked near it today and spend ten minutes walking around it. These things are really great looking. I think it will age very well.
When I told the Sales person at the dealer that there'd be discounts before the end of the year he shook his head. lol. Wish I had waited instead of jumping up to the 300. Oh well at least I got a good price on a good car.
I got a $1500 discount off the sticker price just by doing the email price quote inquiry on the Chevy website. I took the email from the dealer offering the discount to a dealer closer to my home town and they matched the discount with no questions asked. The dealer closest to me -- from whom I did NOT buy -- initially offered a $1000 discount (by the salesman) that changed to $500 when I spoke to the sales manager. The website itself doesn't indicate a discount at this time, but email responses for my price quotes did.
"i double dare any perspective HHR buyer to drive the HHR and VIBE back to back and absolutely seriously doubt you will differ from my opinion. "
I triple dog dare any perspective HHR or VIBE buyer to test drive a Mazda 5, you'll be glad you did, especially those of you with children. It doesn't however get 30mpg in the city, it's 26mpg city/31hgwy with a 5spd transmission. I stopped into a local starbucks the other day and parked next to an HHR. I felt kind of uneasy with all the attention the 5 was bringing. The HHR owner walked out with his cup o joe and gave a my 5 a nice little glance before he drove off .
I dont know if you need some pat on the back for your Mazda 5 mini van purchase so here goes, PAT PAT PAT. Now go away to the MAZDA 5 forum where you belong. And the only reason any HHR owner would look at a MINIVAN parked next to it would be to see if the Van door dinged the HHR. Sorry but to say the Mazda 5 gets more looks than the HHR is simply ridiculuos.
Ha! At first I thought you were being completely serious, but then you threw in that line about how you parked your minivan next to an HHR and you were getting swooned with attention. Ya man, I know what that's like - my neighbor has the same problem with his beige Town and Country (it's a REAL looker).
So anyway, when is your next appearance at the Chuckle Hut?
lol, you guys are too easy. For you HHR owners, do you have any blindspot issues? The windows seem squareish and small with somewhat large pillars. Overall I like the look of the HHR, from the side, it looks like a miniturized hummer. I saw a nice looking blue mettalic the other day with chrome wheels which looked nice. I'd like to get some nice chrome wheels, but the prices makes me cringe. ~$1000.00 for a set of 17" standard issues, I can't imagine what people are paying for the 22s".
whipped: around these parts they either rent them (no kidding) or steal them !! I saw a late model Blazer 2 door yesterday with at least 22" "blings" on the thing. Talk about a rollover just waiting to happen !!LOL
I think it is perfectly legitimate to remind people that there are other ways of looking at things - in that size, for that many people, a Mazda5 is nice - it is much smaller than the usual minivan, and is a vehicle that "dares" to think outside the box - like the HHR and xB. Is that bad?
The alternate point of view is that the HHR is only about style, and not function, and that leaves me wondering why.
I am willing to consider all the "two box" vehicles out there. I happen to think the HHR is a great buy with a wide dealer network. On the other hand, the Mazda5 will seat six people, in a pinch.
I understand the Mazda 5 is a fine auto, so is the xb and the civic and the vibe and the etc etc etc. But this is an HHR forum not an every small car that is nice forum. And posts that triple dog dare someone to like the HHR better than their Mazda 5 are simply stupid. If I wanted a Mazda or any other car I can figure that out for myself. I looked at all the options and picked the HHR. If someone is happy with another car thats fine I just dont need to here about it the HHR forum.
Funny what people will say when they have regrets or second guess themselves after a purchase. A Mazda 5, you have got to be kidding me. I don't own an HHR, but it is rather obvious that there is no comparison in the looks of the two vehicles.
Has anyone had their oil changed yet? I have 1500 miles on mine and the oil life is still at 91%. So far the only gripe I have is that the arm rest is to small.
What you people fail to realize is that I was replying to weatherman3s post about how he so called "double dared" anyone looking at an HHR to test drive a Pontiac Vibe and then decide. In other words poking fun at his response. I merely threw in another vehicle to test drive. Come on people get a sense of humor.
I won this car in a contest sponsored by Chevy and was featured on the Tonight Show but as yet I don't have the car. Am waiting!! It is being shipped to a dealer near me. I was just asking others what kind of luck they have had selling a vehicle like this that they might have won in a contest. Sorry, I can't tell you more than that and apparently even if I had the info I'm not allowed to do selling on this site. But thanks for your interest.
I won a car and considered selling it but kept it for almost a year. It had a few thousand miles on it because it had been kept by the dealer rather than sold and had been turned to a radio station for a contest prize in exchagne for advertising. I think that if you try to sell it to dealer without ever having it registered in your name it might be worth more since it would still be a new car rather than used since it had been titled. But some dealers rather than seeing an opportunity for another vehicle that's somewhat in demand would see it as a second profit opportunity to underpay you and then sell it and make a second profit.
You might need to ask in this forum: mirth, "Any Questions for a Car Dealer?" #14669, 18 Nov 2005 12:49 pm Got a question for a car dealer. rroyce10 in that group is a dealer of several brands. Others are salesmen and might not be as knowledgable of your options here. see if rroyce10 can help you either online or through his email since this may be somewhat more personal in nature. His email may be in his profile (click on the poster name in blue to get profile).
My last recommendation is to contact a good accountant with some knowledge of taxes on how to handle the tax due. Someone recommended their accountant to me and he saved me 100s times his fee for doing taxes for me that year! It's a whole different world.
Thanks for the tips, especially about the accountant. Am still waiting for car to arrive at dealer. Won this back in Sept., but I think I'm on their back burner.
4 months and 6500 Miles now, had the oil done about 1000 ago, oil life still read over 50%, but being a mechanic I felt uneasy letting it go any further. I haven't gotten the manual yet, but I understand there's a recommended procedure for changing the oil in the Ecotec, so I let the dealership do the change until I can gather more information to be on the safe side. Still averaging between 26 and 29 mpg per tank combined driving, and customer service at Chevrolet has been spectacular. For the notorious highway mirror wind whistle, they replaced the entire drivers side mirror assembly.We went over the car with a fine tooth comb, and everywhere the paint has been rubbed by a door or the hood inside the jambs they retouched the paint and adjusted every little detail. And I mentioned I thought I heard an occasional crackling noise in the pass front speaker, and they ordered one and replaced it no questions asked!
Have HHR 2.4 litre automatic, have used regular gas since day one. Have almost 6,000 miles now, no problem with using regular, am getting 27 town 35 highway, with handicap scooter in back all the time.
I live in Mexico. I'm about to order HHR. I was wondering does the drivers seat seem a bit high and tilts forward or is it me. Also, do anyone Know how easy it is to change the languages on the insturment panel?
dog: since the HHR is built in Mexico I would think that they would have addressed the "language barrier" from the git-go. Try learning a little English that only applies to the message center graphics.From your post tho you seem to be very well versed in English.If you order a car there does it actually come from a local dealer or from a USA dealer across the border? I wonder if the HHR will even be sold in Mexico or must it be "imported" back from the US. Ironic if so.
They HHR may very well come with a language selector like several other GM cars which have Spanish, French, and a couple other languages in which to choose from.
Comments
That's crazy talk. I've looked at all three and the Scion XB is the least appealing of the lot unless you care about nothing other than cargo room. First off, the XB is ugly as sin. Second, it's no bargain when you take into account that there's no discounting - every schmoe who buys one ends up paying full MSRP. The XB and base HHR are almost identically equipped and can be had for about the same price "out the door" (since you can negotiate with the Chevy dealer).
But what I find really unappealing about the XB (other than the fact that I would be embarrassed to be seen in one) is that all the options are dealer-installed, useless and very expensive. Does anyone really want a purple shift knob or pink lights around the cupholders? I'd much rather have a sunroof (which isn't even available on the Sci).
Also, a lot of folks need to drive outside the city and the XB is a one trick pony, city-only type of car. Try taking the XB for a spin on the expressway sometime. Not only is it mega-loud, it gets blown around by crosswinds like a plastic shopping bag and its highway MPG rating is dreadful when you take into account the lack of power.
BTW, did I mention how ugly the XB is?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The Tuscon has a better warranty. I don't find it appealing in the least, but I'm not the one buying. The optional V6 is a dog, though (0-60 in 10.7 seconds is far too slow).
If I were buying, I'd go for the HHR in a heartbeat.
The difference in power is very substantial, especially if you get the optional 2.4L. Even with the 2.2L you get much more torque which will make a huge difference in startoff and passing power. 0-60 times don't tell the whole story by any means, but the Scion xB with automatic is in the mid-10 second range and the HHR 2.2L is 9.4, the HHR 2.4L is 8.5 seconds.
A much more formidable Japanese competitor would be the Honda Element. I've never owned an American car before and will admit I love the Element, but I find the HHR much better looking.
But the HHR is definitely the looker of the bunch.
http://www.brushedaluminum.com/bu_catalog_detail.cfm?prod=3998
Ebay is also a good idea, but there is a certain amount of hassle involved in dealing with potential buyers that aren't nearby. If you have an AutoTrader publication or similar, that's also a good way to go about it.
A good friend of mine won a Jeep Wrangler from Premiere magazine a few months ago. He tried selling it himself thru the newspaper and after a month he sold it to Carmax. He didn't get quite as much as he wanted, but at least got rid of it.
Good luck!
http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/11/news/fortune500/gm_discount.reut/index.htm
When I told the Sales person at the dealer that there'd be discounts before the end of the year he shook his head. lol. Wish I had waited instead of jumping up to the 300. Oh well at least I got a good price on a good car.
I triple dog dare any perspective HHR or VIBE buyer to test drive a Mazda 5, you'll be glad you did, especially those of you with children. It doesn't however get 30mpg in the city, it's 26mpg city/31hgwy with a 5spd transmission. I stopped into a local starbucks the other day and parked next to an HHR. I felt kind of uneasy with all the attention the 5 was bringing. The HHR owner walked out with his cup o joe and gave a my 5 a nice little glance before he drove off .
Now go away to the MAZDA 5 forum where you belong. And the only reason any HHR owner would look at a MINIVAN parked next to it would be to see if the Van door dinged the HHR. Sorry but to say the Mazda 5 gets more looks than the HHR is simply ridiculuos.
So anyway, when is your next appearance at the Chuckle Hut?
believer
The alternate point of view is that the HHR is only about style, and not function, and that leaves me wondering why.
I am willing to consider all the "two box" vehicles out there. I happen to think the HHR is a great buy with a wide dealer network. On the other hand, the Mazda5 will seat six people, in a pinch.
1500 miles so far say 30% city 70% Hwy 29 MPG.
Sorry!
You might need to ask in this forum:
mirth, "Any Questions for a Car Dealer?" #14669, 18 Nov 2005 12:49 pm
Got a question for a car dealer. rroyce10 in that group is a dealer of several brands. Others are salesmen and might not be as knowledgable of your options here. see if rroyce10 can help you either online or through his email since this may be somewhat more personal in nature. His email may be in his profile (click on the poster name in blue to get profile).
My last recommendation is to contact a good accountant with some knowledge of taxes on how to handle the tax due. Someone recommended their accountant to me and he saved me 100s times his fee for doing taxes for me that year! It's a whole different world.
My email is in my profile.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Loren
believer
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,