Chevrolet HHR

beliver

re: All this talk about the EPA mileage babble. It seems I saw an article (Consumer's Report) that stated they found that the EPA "estimates" on MPG across the board for all vehicles was inflated as much as 15 to 20 % and in some case even more. It figures !!

believer

62vetteefp

"They've got me on max overtime and running every one I can make," Lori
Queen, GM's vehicle line executive for small cars, told Automotive News.

Confident that the Chevrolet HHR is a hit, General Motors plans a
robust 2006-model production of 100,000 units.

Read the above in the newspaper. Average age of 49.

HHR's average transaction price in August was
$20,199.

mihhr

Okay, here's the deal.

There are two themes I keep seeing here. 1) mpg, and 2) PTCruiser.

I bought mine because my aging 4WD got lousy milage and was beginning to need expensive maintenance.

The HHR caught my eye and as a bonus claims pretty good milage and has the capacity to haul the training materials I use and deliver to clients.

The milage part is working out well for me. About 23 in mixed driving and 27 in predominantly highway with some town stuff.

As far as being mistaken for a PT... Almost every time I stop, somebody comes over to look in the windows and all around. I get asked questions at red lights and in parking lots. There seems to be a lot of interest and a lot of people who don't confuse it with a PT or VW Beetle or anything else.

It works for me! In 3 years, I will probably got something else, or maybe not. I like having a car/suv that is a little out of the mainstream. :shades:

jkinzel

Does it come in a diesel? My guess is no. And 23/27 MPG seems very poor for a 2.2L or even a 2.4L engine. This car has caught my eye and Im intrested in it, but the milage issue is turning me away and back to the VW, Honda and Toyota as my choices for my next car.

woody68rs

I had to laugh, we get a ton of people asking if it's Chevy's PT Cruiser, so we got custom tags...

No confusion here!!!
And combined driving, we're averaging 24mpg(not on the driver info center), which is much better than the 02 Mazda MPV we got rid of for it.

62vetteefp

EPA is 22/30.

Toyota and Honda make nothing like it.

Does anything come in a diesel in this country anymore?

Only VW has a comparable vehicle and it does have a diesel. The gas version gets 23/29 which is comparable to the HHR. Of course VW only has 115hp/112tq. The HHR has only 172/162. Whooops, HHR bests it in power, torque and MPG. How did that happen???

micweb

I went to check out the HHR this weekend and liked what I saw. The initial reaction I had from sitting in it (there wasn't time for a test drive) was, hey, this is a station wagon! I don't know what the PT Cruiser does (higher seating?) but it struck me (I owned one for a year) as a mini-SUV, or van-let, but the HHR somehow looks lower from the outside and on the inside the seating feels a lot more "car-like." Does this make sense? Any comments from owners?

I thought the dashboard rocked - after the photos, I was expecting something a little plain or cheap, but I really liked it in person. It is definitely PT Cruiser quality (which is high, but I can't comment on the redesign, since I haven't seen it yet).

The backseat doesn't seem as wide, nor does there seem to be as much leg room, as on the PT. I think the width is an optical illusion due to the lower window height and lower seat height. I think there may be less leg room due to the lower seating. I know I got the PT Cruiser I had before, due mainly to the ability to put a backward facing baby seat behind the driver seat, something we couldn't do on our Neon or other small cars.

The trunk is bigger, but the package tray is weird. Well, there is no cargo cover per se. You have to take out the "floor" and move it up to midlevel to create some privacy for cargo. I don't know why the shelf doesn't fit at the top of the seat (maybe it wouldn't fit at that point?). I like the PT system better - there is a package shelf at seat-top height, but you can move it down halfway. On the HHR, you can only move it from bottom to halfway up. This means gym bags on top of the shelf will be a thief magnet, and grocery bags will be sunbaked. I bet GM will address this issue within the year, probably with a "venetian blind" roll top cargo cover like on the xB - the rolltops don't look as good as hard covers, but stow better when you need floor to bottom storage space. There is a good amount of storage below the "floor" of the HHR.

Overall I think GM has a winner, and I am glad to see the market niche (van-lets?) expand. I do think the current seating configuration (more passenger car height than SUV height) makes the HHR more closely related to classic station wagons than SUV's and vans. But is this a bad thing? I don't think so!

jnt

I agree that the HHR is a good hit for GM just like the Equinox. In fact, last month, GM sold about 5000 HHRs (great for new vehicle) and 10,000 Equinoxes. Today, with the gas price around 3$ per gallon, many people will trade in their heavier truck based SUV for CUV (HHR) or car based SUV (Equinox) just to save money. In addition, these are relatively good looking vehicles and they are being priced reasonably too. Too bad that GM do not have decent new cars to slow down their annual market share slide.

jt

jnt

From what I've been reading, Chinese cars are not of acceptable quality for export yet. I'd rather have a car assembled in Mexico any day of the week - unless it's a VW. Of course, it doesn't matter where those are built. They're unreliable because they're Volkswagens.

There are two categories of Chinese cars: one made by the joint ventures such as (GM-Shanghai Motors, VW-Shanghai Motors,..) and the home grown Chinese automakers like Cherry.

The Chinese cars made by JV (Joint Venture) are basically the same cars that GM, VW are making in the US or Europe. They are high quality cars im general. In fact, GM has said that their Buick Regals made in China has the same ppm (part per million) number that the one made in Canada. Honda also mentioned that their Chinese Accord has lower defects than the one made in the good old US of A. The Western companies has poured billion of dollars into Chinese factories. So the outcomes are predictable.

The homegrown Chinese companies have a lot of catch up to do. Give them 10 years, they will be there for you.

The only thing that stop GM, Honda, VW,... from sending these well made cars back to their own countries is cost: it is now cost more to make cars in China and ship them out. The reasons are many:

1. China has lousy infractructure for massive auto export (cost more for electricity, lack of reliable su[[lies, lack of ships for carry cars (mostly owned by Koreans and Japanese and they fill these things with Hyundais, Toyotas.)

2.. Cost about $1000.00 to ship a car from China to US

3. Low cost Chinesse Labor advantage (about $1000.00) is offset by items 1 and 2

4. China has great internal demand for cars. So most of the JVs are busy making cars for this market

Like anything else about China: it is not if but when they ship their cars over here in volumes like stuffs we are buying from Walmart. And the Western car companies are probably the first to do so. That will be the end of the NAFTA auto industry

jt

poncho167

Good luck in finding a Honda or Toyota of this size that gets as good of mileage as this vehicle, especially when some people are getting into the 30's mpg on the highway. See consumer rating at the top of the page for owner experiences and mileage.

I don't have the article anymore, but I believe it was Car & Driver who had an all-around driving test of the Cobalt at 28.6 mpg, slightly more than the 28.2 mpg of the Corolla.

poncho167

GM has a big line-up of descent, excellent cars, for many years. They still have to get their marketing together to get more interest from consumers. The perception of quality from decades past for the American automakers has been tough to overcome, and the reality is that now-a-days there is no longer a gap between foreign and domestic automobiles in quality.

For the most part Korean cars have overcome their perception of quality problems with the Sonata out-ranking the Camery and others in initial quality. Volkswagon is now the one sinking in the American market with its poor perception of quality from recent years.

smaria

Good luck in finding a Honda or Toyota of this size that gets as good of mileage as this vehicle, especially when some people are getting into the 30's mpg on the highway.

I agree...the reported gas mileage numbers I've seen on this forum are generally pretty good for a vehicle this size (with a curb weight of roughly 3200 pounds). There's no Honda that directly compares in size/configuration to the HHR...it's bigger than a sedan but smaller than Honda's CRV.

I was cross-shopping the HHR and the Mazda5 (taller 3-row 6-seater but only slightly heavier). The Mazda5 is rated 21/26 in Auto (22/27 in manual) and the best MPG's reported on Edmunds are approaching 30 MPG. I ended up buying the Mazda5 and I've been getting 25 MPG so far. Smaller cars can get better gas mileage, but the HHR and the Mazda5 aren't small sedans...the larger size of these cars adds weight and wind resistance.

micweb

autoweek.com review this week, check it out

kimschoon

HHR= Heritage High Roof

jkinzel

I stopped by my local Chevy dealer today and took a look at the HHR. I have to say, it's very nice and it does have my attention. The wife likes it, so I guess that's a big selling point, but the mileage issue still bothers me.
I still have about 3 to 9 months before Im going to buy a new car, I'll just have to do a lot of shopping, thinking and see what transpires in the auto world.
I will add the HHR to my list of potential candidates. :confuse:

parky129

I traded my 2004 Aveo in on the HHR, I was getting an average of 29MPG US on Aveo everyday driving. Small Korean (GM) Car, but an excellent vehicle with no problems. With 2006 HHR 2.4 automatic I get 28+ MPG US same driving conditions. Both cars had the same transmission type and were driven the same way cruise control, speed limits,no jack rabbit starts. I think that the miles per gallon are close enough that the larger HHR is a safer car and certainly a more comfortable one. And the HHR s an American car 85% american content 15% Mexican.

poncho167

Interesting statistics, but I would bet the Aveo would widen the gap between the two on the highway.

m1miata

The HHR MPG is impressive. I assume mainly freeway if it was 28 MPG. The Aveo
( Daewoo ) is less than impressive gas mileage. I was thinking it was just your car, then I looked up the MPG and yeah, not all that good. My Corolla, with an automatic got 36 to as high as 40 MPG. Those little Aveos, I would think would get more like 40+ MPG and not the listed 34, and in your case less. I guess GM owns all of Daewoo automotive - or do they? And GM does not honor a Daewoo warranty? Well it is off topic anyway. On topic, it looks like the HHR is best bought with the automatic for gas mileage, unlike the PT which has better gearing for the stick for gas mileage. In this case, it is advantage HHR since more people buy automatics. I prefer stick, though when in traffic, I sometimes question my choice. Dang stop signs, and traffic!

Loren

parky129

Exact same driving conditions both cars, we go to garage sales in the same towns on the same days each week, Same speeds, same gas. The Aveo got as much as 44 MPG on highway, traveling from Florida. Haven't gone back, but will this fall and post mileage on return trip. The basically 1-2 Mpg difference in vehicles (in Town) is a small price to pay for the greater load capacity and comfort.The HHR is a larger and more powerful vehicle and has much greater creature comfort. Would have bought HHR if it was available when we purchased Aveo.The Aveo, although a Fine car, isn't of the caliber of the HHR which is a higher priced vehicle. For the money you can't beat the Aveo.But I prefer the HHR.

skibry1

The Getrag tranny was the first item that grabbed my attention!
Years ago,while researching my First new car plunge,I came
across a transmisson designed in Germany assembled in Italy
and sold in the Alero. Of course the closest one was over 1K
miles away and dealer would'nt bring it unless I bought it...I
could'nt buy it w/o trying it! Oh well,his lose. I was kind of excited
about playing with a 5 spd with that type of heritage. All I've seen
are the autos anyone with a left-leg flexor?

juice5280

I've been looking for a vehicle to replace my gas guzzling 95'Suburban. The top two cars on my list are the HHR and the Mazda5. I'm curious on what was the deciding factor in your decision?

ray80

I've yet to see one on dealers lot, and have seen very few when doing dealer searchs, anywhere.

jkinzel

Our local dealer (Western Washington near Tacoma) has one blue, fully loaded HHR they use for a demo. I have not seen any on the road or at other dealers.
I was given a proclamation the other day and we are down to two cars to choose from. The HHR or the VW Beetle TDI
I know, apples and oranges but the reasons follow:
HHR: Nice looking, fair/good mileage, comfortable, very nice inside, built in USA (well some of it is) and more than enough room for our needs.
Beetle: Comfortable, Nice looking in its own way :shades: , Extremely good mileage, nice interior and my wife and I don’t like enough people to justify the extra seating of the HHR.

beliver

jkinzel: From the posts I've read here and elsewhere VW has a huge problem with reliability AND poor customer service. I have two business associates that have them in the family and they both say "VW, never again" ! But you cannot please everybody I guess.

believer

jkinzel

From the posts I've read here and elsewhere VW has a huge problem with reliability AND poor customer service. I have two business associates that have them in the family and they both say "VW, never again"

Believer: I have read this also, but my neighbor has a 2002 VW Jetta TDI with close to 120k miles and never a problem. Luck of the draw maybe.
Im still in the homework stage so the HHR is still a strong second.

gogophers1

Of course the closest one was over 1K
miles away and dealer would'nt bring it unless I bought it...I
could'nt buy it w/o trying it!

IMO, this is the reason that domestic manufacturers never sell many sticks. The dealers never stock them. Like you, I would never buy a manual equipped vehicle without driving it first. Unlike comparing two cars with automatics, the difference between two different cars with manual trannies can be night and day. There are many factors that come into play: the linkage, the clutch, etc. There is no difference between two automatics as far as I'm concerned (you don't shift one vs. you don't shift the other).

I've driven a few manuals that have been sheer torture (grabby clutches, heavy clutches, clutches with extremely long travel, imprecise linkages, balky linkages, etc., etc., etc.). And you don't know it until you drive it. Dealers will tell you it's no problem if you want a stick, they'll order it for you. But what sane person wants to take that risk? You could be sentencing yourself to years of driving misery.

I too have been having a heck of a time finding a stick HHR in the Minneapolis area. I went to two different large volume Chevy dealers in the SW metro last Tuesday and between them, they had one HHR - an automatic for the masses, of course.

Domestic dealers are very cautious when ordering vehicles for their inventory. In the recent past, only staid folks have considered domestics. And dealers order for the folks that have come in the past not the folks that might come in the future - which is why their new car lots look a lot like Avis terminals - seas of drab colored, similarly equipped sedans and SUVs. Unfortunately for them, not all of us are satisfied with having to select from 5 different flavors of vanilla. But that's par for the course. No wonder it's been so difficult for the domestic manufacturers to woo folks from their imports. The manufacturers are trying to bring new people into the fold and their dealers are trying to keep old ones from leaving. Quite the conundrum...

wilson8

Beware of the New Beetle. I have a 2000 that I am getting ready to trade in for a HHR. My girlfriend has a '03 and tried to warn me as I am a Beetle girl at heart. (We have 2 restored 71 Supers) I didn't take her advice and every day since. She warned me on mutliple problems that she had with hers and how it spent more time (brand new) in the shop then on the street. She moved on to a '05 Honda Accord. First, the Airbag light, then the trunk lights, then the passenger window went down and never came back up, NOW my driver side window, my brake lights won't go off and the Beetle has taken on a life of its own. So, the black bug has to go!!! I decided on the HHR for a couple of reasons, CHEVY name (we have a Subrb. that we love and has been good to us!), gas mileage, drive of the vehicle (can whip in and out of traffic) and price point. I will stick with my old Supers-they are more reliable and getting ready to special order my HHR with a stick.
Best of luck to you all.

k2scouter

Hello All,
I will be picking up my new HHR on Monday (less than 48 hrs.) I can't wait. While searching for a new Vehicle (I'm getting rid of a Gas Guzzler 99' Merc Mountaineer AWD V8) I found this forum. Thanks for all the postings. I was able to get alot of information and i was a better shopper cause of your posts.

Regards,
k2

labrat6

I notice a lot of discussion on mileage numbers for this vehicle. I have a LT1 with automatic but only 1500 miles on it. On my first trip it averaged 28 mpg both on freeway and mountain driving. This was with 3 adults and gear for 12 days. I believe this will improve with time. I figure my average the old way, gallons used divided into the miles driven not by the onboard computer. Since this model has only been available for a short time, I find it hard to believe anyone has put that many miles on one yet to really establish a good base line. Lets give it a little time and some miles before becomming to critical. By the way, I got rid of a 2001 Echo and it never came close to the advertised mileage.

micweb

According to Consumer Reports surveys, the New Beetle reliability has improved considerably in '04 and '05. 2000 was known for electrical problems.

m1miata

Wow, that is something. Three people in the car, loaded up for a trip and you get 28 MPG, even with some hills to climb. That is something! Keep that car, you won't find another one like it anywhere. At least not in its class. I would have guessed something under 25, depending on how much was hills. More like 21 to 23 MPG is what my bet would be. Can I assume you have the 2.4 liter engine?

My best mileage car was a 1998 Corolla, which got up to 40 MPG, and with hills or a strong head wind could drop down into 34 MPG. With three adults and gear, I don't know what it would have done. My guess is less than 30 and closer to 28 MPG. That is with a 1.8 liter engine. The car was rated at 36 MPG, I think, and got 36 to 38 most of the time on freeways. I now have a PT, which uses more gas than any car I have owned the last few decades It gets 20 to just under 30 MPG. Driven really hard, it is 20, with other readings in the 24 to 26.5 range in more normal driving. That is not too bad compared to SUVs, but I got spoiled by other cars I guess. Even the V6 cars got around the same or more MPG as the PT. I did a test run one day, and babied the car and got something like 29.68, I think it was. Going up hills, one person, driving California speeds, with two thirds freeway closer to level, I get around 23 MPG. At now over 3,000 miles on the odometer, the engine should be lose enough to get some pretty accurate readings. I think, judging with all the reading taken, I will average 23 or 24 MPG if it is a mix of one third in town and two thirds highway, with only a few hills.
And I have a stick. The automatic PTs get really poor gas mileage. With the HHR it is the automatic which scores the best. Since it is a different type of vehicle, I am happy enough with the mileage. The 2.4 and a stick, in the PT is fun. If I was going with an automatic though, I would test drive an HHR. And I hate the new interior on the 2006 PT. I got the 2005, and would not consider the 2006. They screwed with the exterior too.

Loren

62vetteefp

Seems like the PT should be doing better. The Torrent AWD we are driving is a much heavier vehicle and we are getting 21 MPG average with almost 7000 miles in 3 months. We drive about 80 on the expressway and a lot of the miles were driving to Virginia through the mountains with 2 kids and alot of luggage. But a lot of the driving is in town .

towit

[IMO, this is the reason that domestic manufacturers never sell many sticks. The dealers never stock them. Like you, I would never buy a manual equipped vehicle without driving it first.]

And of course you probably can't get a tachometer with your manual transmission. For GM that's a vanity item, like a sun roof.. Only available with a fully loaded car with an automatic transmission.

62vetteefp

I believe all GM cars/trucks have tachs. Which GM car are you referrinig to?

http://www.chevrolet.com/hhr/photogallery/ The HHR has one.

http://www.chevrolet.com/cobalt/photogallery/ Even the base Cobalt has one.

I think all trucks have them.

poncho167

In years past most of the inexpensive models didn't have a tach. I didn't miss it on my base 1988 Leman's (Daewoo). I thought it should have one, but I got used to it knowing when to shift based on speed. My 1992 S10 p/u doesn't have one and it's a Tahoe model upgrade. The S10 does have a shift point light if you forget to shift to remind you. I don't really think a vehicle needs one once you learn how it drives, but it is nice to have. Now-a-days even the base Chevy Aveo has one, go figure.

62vetteefp

Say thanks to Japanese competition and interior stying. As you know with American cars the only ones pretty much to get tachs were "sporty" models. Tachs cost extra money and are really not needed unless you have a manual and even then no one really looks at the tach under normal situations. With the competetion and emphasis on interiors even the base LaCrosse gets one.

iloveecotec

If you wanted to beef up your HHR, would it be better to get the 2.2 or the 2.4L? Obviously the 2.4L has more power but I know the 2.2 already has a lot of performance parts out (although I have no idea if they would fit in the HHR).

charlotte7

I've been having a hard time finding a local dealership with an HHR on the lot long enough for me to test drive, but yesterday afternoon I stopped at Henna Chevrolet and test drove their base-model orange HHR with the 2.2L engine with a stick shift. I'd want an automatic, but I drive a standard MX-6 now and I figured that it would be a useful experience to drive the standard first, since it would theoretically have more power than the auto. I took it around a neighborhood and up and down our largest freeway a few miles.

GOOD things I liked about the HHR: The styling, in person, is simply great. I loved the way it looked, the retro-looking gauges, and the exterior--to me, aesthetically, the car is a winner. It had great cargo room, and the seats folded down easily. I personally like the plastic on the back of the seats for easy cleanup, I thought the driver's seat was comfortable, and the rear seats weren't bad, either. Yes, there's a lot of hard, grey plastic on the interior, but the HHR is a pretty inexpensive car, and I thought that for the price, it was decently appointed inside. People in my area (Central Texas) are buying them about as fast as they come in, so there's obviously doing well!

BAD things that I didn't like included two very important, potentially deal-breaking things for me. 1) The rear windshield is tiny, tiny, tiny, and the pillars on the back of the car make for some serious blind spots. I felt like it was very difficult--almost frighteningly so--to see out of, and the overall "chopped and dropped" look that's so appealing on the outside made the inside seem faintly claustrophobic to me.

2) The 2.2L engine is pathetically underpowered even in a stick shift, The car I drove could barely get out of it's own way even when I tried really winding it up. (Yes, I know I could just get the 2.4 L engine, but I personally don't want to pay for premium gas for a 4-cylinder engine. I didn't mind putting premium gas in my '95 Z-28, but that had four more cylinders and 285 hp--and I'm glad I'm not paying for gas for it anymore, either!) Also, the engine was extremely noisy. It sounded like a small cloud of whining, angry hornets under the hood. I've never had any other kind of economy car that sounded that way, not even the '94 stripper stick-shift Tercel I had that had less than 100 horsepower. I can *hear* the engine in other vehicles I've driven/drive, but they don't have the high-pitched, very audible whine that the HHR did. I didn't like that at all.

I'm not averse to going back and driving another automatic 2.2L one later this fall, as I'm probably not going to buy anything until December, but I have to say this initial drive moves the HHR further down my list. It's still not a bad vehicle for the price, though, overall.

Charlotte

vanman1

I think if they added VVT to the 2.2L it would have some extra grunt for off the line. Hope GM does that soon. Not sure why the 2.4 has it and the 2.2 doesn't.

62vetteefp

$$$$$ or perhaps the 2.2 is an older design?

woody68rs

We now have over 4400 miles on our 2LT with auto trans. With myself and my wife, and our 2 kids we are still averaging between 28 and 29 mpg highway, and 23-24 overall. We've had it since July 29, it's been from Ohio to Florida and back, and other than a small whistle from the drivers side mirror at highway speeds (which is being taken care of by our dealer) and a few spots we've noticed where the hood and doors rub the paint when they're shut (which Chevrolet is looking into), we still completely love ours!

poncho167

Consumer guide reports that the HHR will get a supercharged engine from the Cobalt sometime next year.

micweb

The 2.2 is their world enginee, co-developed with Saab and Opel (both GM companies). I was impressed enough by what I read about it to buy a 2003 Cavalier, and it lived up to its press.

The only problem in the HHR is the sheer weight of the HHR. The power to weight ratio makes this high performance engine come off like a low performance engine.

Other reviewers, btw, have said the HHR has a much smoother, more sophisticated engine than the PT Cruiser - but Chrysler makes good engines, and I found the Neon 2.0 and PT Cruiser 2.4 to both be good engines.

Basically, all these engines are designed to be worked hard if you want performance, and then they, and the car they are in, can sound a little rough around the edges.

bobw3

Which one? Mazda5 can carry 6, but otherwise they're about the same except for the looks.

micweb

My take is that the Focus wagon, the most boring, will be the most reliable due to the fact it's been in production longer. I have actually considered the same choice as you.

The Focus has "upright seating" so you are saving space there, and a big storage area in the trunk portion. Of course you can also fold the rear seats down.

The HHR is mostly about style, but should be pretty bullet proof - in a year (Consumer Reports discusses the merits of first year car ownership in a recent article). Not that Chevy is bad, but first year on any maker is a little problematic - even for the Japanese.

The Mazda5 is appealing to me because you can get it with a stick and a 2.3 engine. It also seats 6, but if you fold down the last row of seats (which you need to do to get any real storage space) it then holds only 4 because it is two rows of bucket seats, not one row plus a bench seat. So with "realistic" storage (and your last row passengers out of the way of a rear impact) the HHR and Focus wagon actually seat one more passenger each than the Mazda5 (2+3).

Also consider the PT Cruiser, which has a great repair record and is cheap to buy these days.

My one gripe with the Focus Wagon is its pricing. Kind of high expensive relative to the ZX3, for example, although it has some more equipement (all the Wagons have a relatively high degree of standard equipment).

You may not like the size (from the outside) but also look at the Scion xB. I tried setting the driver's seat to my position, then sat behind the driver's seat on the back seat, and it had more rear seat room than anything except the PT Cruiser, and with all the head room, felt spacious. Trunk isn't very big, though.

62vetteefp

but first year on any maker is a little problematic - even for the Japanese.

First year on LaCrosse shows it at #4 in the JD Power ISQ2 survey fro premium midsize. Century was #1 with Impala and Grand Prix tieing for 2nd. Camry and Accord were somewhere below.

micweb

The JD Powers surveys usually come in the mail a couple of months after purchase. Consumer Reports surveys annually across all years, so more of their respondents have owned their cars a lot longer, and the get a more accurate picture of defects. (IMHO)

That having been said, you are right that Buicks have been getting great quality scores.

charlotte7

I had narrowed my choices down to these three cars plus the Toyota Matrix. I still haven't made a final decision.

PT Cruisers apparently get appalling gas mileage. You might want to check the PT Cruiser forums on here for more details on that.

I'm still sorta interested in the Mazda5, but right now there's a total recall and sales freeze on the 5. Seems there's a problem with the heat shield and the exhaust somehow that has caused some 5s to catch fire. I'm sure Mazda will fix it, but you're going to have the same first-year troubles with the 5 as the HHR, I fear.

imidazol97

>Consumer Reports surveys annually across all years,

But they only get surveys from subscribers who did receive a questionnaire and out of those only the ones who did return them. The JDP survey is a random sampling; the CR survey is a convenience sampling. CR is more like the local TV station picking a topic for a phone-in survey about a hot topic of the day--if it interests you pro or con on the car you are more likely to return the survey.

There is information to glean from the CR survey results, but they don't share how many of each car they actually have data on. I believe there is a CR discussion on Edmunds.

62vetteefp

micweb, the JD Power IQS2 is an initial snapshot after 3 months of ownership. It measures things that go wrong right away in the vehicle.

they also do a 3 year dependibility study and the Century is the current champ for the 2nd year.