To be blunt, the Chevy HHR was an imitation PT Cruiser built on a platform shared with the Cobalt, the Saturn Ion, and the Pontiac G5.  The HHR stood for Heritage High Roof.  It had a lot of potential: Chevy’s take on what was a very popular model.  Sadly, the PT Cruiser’s magic wore off, and the HHR was destined to become an obscure historical footnote.  Ironically, it probably hastened the demise of the PT Cruiser.

The 2010 Chevy HHR SS is a retro-styled Wagon, and the highest of five trim levels.  It has a 2.0 liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 260 horsepower and 260 foot-pounds of torque.  It has 18-inch polished alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed manual transmission.  It is rated at 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

The HHR SS comes with a leather-wrapped, tilt-only steering wheel that houses audio and cruise controls, a 6-way sport power driver’s seat with height adjustment, a passenger sport seat that folds flat, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, premium cloth upholstery, full-power accessories, keyless entry, 12-volt power outlets in the front and rear seat, a power sunroof, a rear spoiler, rear wiper, and rear defogger, automatic headlights, foglights, and a trip computer.  The audio system has 6 speakers, AM/FM/satellite radio, a CD/MP3 player, a USB/iPod input, and an audio jack.

The HHR also comes with side curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, antilock brakes, and the GM OnStar emergency communication system.  In government tests, the HHR received perfect scores of 5 stars in front and side impact protection.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, who deducts points for the absence of a side front airbags, only gave the HHR its second-best rating of “acceptable” for side impacts, while giving it their highest rating of “good” for front-offset impacts.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The HHR is a small step away from having a great interior.  The design is very nicely done, and the controls and gauges are easy to use and understand.  The only quibble is the use of too many cheaper materials.  There is plenty of cabin space, though.  There is more than enough headroom and legroom in both the front and rear seats, and the seats themselves are comfortable.

There are 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats, and a total of 63.1 cubic feet if you fold the rear seat and the front passenger seat down.  They are also designed to give a totally flat cargo surface.

The drive and ride are pure sport wagon.  The steering and suspension are adjusted for sport, which means they are both very tight.  They give responsive steering and a car that holds the road very nicely, even while navigating tight, curvy roads.  The turbocharged engine has enough kick in it to make driving a lot of fun.  The ride is a bit stiff, but you probably won’t care.

The verdict: this is an underrated and fun car in its sport trim.  Its market value may be less than its intrinsic worth, making it a good buy if you can get it cheap.

The Chevy Impala seems like it has been around forever.  The first Impala rolled off of the line in 1958.  For years, it was an iconic image, but it eventually became just another sedan in a sea of many popular models, and Chevy discontinued it after the 1985 model year.  It would come back as the Impala SS from 1994-1996, and finally it was revived as a full-fledged member of the lineup in 2000.  It is now in its ninth generation.

The 2010 Chevy Impala LTZ is the highest of three trim levels.  It is a large family sedan and it seats six.  It has a 3.9 liter, V6 Flex-fuel engine that produces 230 horsepower.  It has 18-inch alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 4-speed automatic transmission.  It is rated at 17 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

The Impala LTZ comes with a leather-covered, tilt-only steering wheel, an 8-way heated power driver’s seat with lumbar and height adjustment, a 6-way power passenger seat, a split-folding rear seat, leather upholstery, cruise control, full power accessories, universal remote garage door opener, 2-zone air conditioning, simulated wood trim on the dash, doors, and console, rear defogger, foglights, and a trip computer.  The audio system has 8 Bose speakers, AM/FM/satellite radio, a CD/MP3 player an audio jack, and Bluetooth.

The Impala also comes with stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, antilock brakes, and the OnStar emergency communication system.  In government tests, the Impala got perfect ratings of 5 stars on front impact and side impact front passenger, and 4 stars on side impact rear passenger.  However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Impala its top rating of “good” for side impacts, but only its second-best rating of “acceptable” for front-offset tests.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

On some cars, the trim level doesn’t make a lot of difference.  With the Impala, though, stepping up to the LTZ is almost like getting a totally different car.  The interior is very nice at this level.  The design is unpretentious and the materials are mostly high-quality.  There is plenty of both headroom and legroom in the Impala, and the back seat might remind you of days when cars were bigger than they are now.  There is also over 18 cubic feet of trunk space.

The drive and the ride are both predicated on the Impala’s description as a “Family Car.”  In other words, it is tweaked for comfort and made to be driven safely and in a straight line.  We chose the best of the three engines, and that is enough for decent acceleration and smooth operation at highway speeds.

The steering is comfortably numb, and the suspension allows for ample body roll.  This, of course, gives a great ride that is one of the best in its class.

The verdict: a nice, conservative car for a nice, conservative driver and his or her family.