Chevy HHR blends history with styling and technology

When you see a Chevrolet HHR on the road, the little crossover immediately catches your eye. With styling cues borrowed from the 1949 Suburban, this little chariot evokes a look that is immediately retro and contemporary. I know that sounds contradictory, but perhaps therein lies the beauty of this vehicle -- one of many daring styles from the recent stable of General Motors (think Chevy SSR, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky).

GM was recently toppled from its position as world's largest automaker by the folks at Toyota. We'll see how long that distinction stays with the Japanese automaker. However it should be noted that GM has made great strides with quality over the last 20 years, and in the last 20 months they have really come out of the box with exciting designs. If cars were shoes, Toyota's closet would be the sensible flats and GM would be chock full of the stilettos and platforms.

Of course when it comes to cars, beauty is only skin deep, but when you step inside the HHR you'll be immediately impressed with how roomy it is (HHR stands for “heritage high roof”). Small looking on the outside, but roomy on the inside, it's that contradiction again.

Drivers will find nice retro instruments, a handy in-dash cubby for stashing CDs and a large steering wheel with a snazzy Chevy bowtie that evokes the days before power steering. To fully let you know that this is not a 1940s car there's an Ipod hook up also.

Based on a platform that includes Chevy's front-wheel drive Cobalt and bolted together in Mexico, the base HHR comes equipped with a twin-cam 2.2-liter inline four-cylinder engine that produces 143 horsepower and 150 pounds-feet of torque. It is mated to a standard long throw five-speed manual transmission.

Our test car came equipped with the more powerful of two available engines, a 2.4-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder that makes 172 horsepower and 162 poundsfeet of torque. It was mated to an optional four-speed automatic transmission.

In the back there is plenty of room for a small family to store a stroller along with a few bags of groceries - meaning this is a car that could reasonably replace a minivan with small families.

Although classified as a crossover, the ride of the HHR is less SUV-like; this vehicle has a soft, smooth ride, with a surprisingly quiet passenger compartment for a small car. Prices for a base model hover around $16,000, while fully equipped models will top out at right around 20,000. With its fun retro styling, economical gas mileage (30 mpg on the highway), and roomy cabin, the HHR deserves a look by anyone seeking a fun ride this summer.