Chevrolet HHR SUV North American content

[Keith L]

I have been trying to determine the NA content on this vehicle.  My wife wants either one of these or a PT cruser.  The cruser has only 37% NA content, and I am hoping this Chevy is better.  I know it is made in Mexico, and I can't help that.

I have been to three dealers and looked at 4 cars.  All the dealers have removed the stickers to put their own dealer applied accesory price sticker in the same window.  And the sales folks don't seem to really care.

So thanks in advance if anyone here knows.

[Keith L]

I just got a call from a salesman!!  North American content is 85%, with engine/transmission etc. made in the USA.  Better than a PT Cruser.

Thanks!

[str8shooter48]

I just got a call from a salesman!!  North American content is 85%, with engine/transmission etc. made in the USA.  Better than a PT Cruser.

Thanks!

Keith I wish more people in this country thought like you. I try to buy American when I can. Lets keep Americans working. Our way of life is being undermined by all these foriegn countries flooding the markets with their junk.

[Keith L]

This one is hard for me.  When ever possible I like to support American labor and capitol.  GM is American in origin, but multinational,  and in this case has higher by far American content than the German owned company's offering, the PT Cruser.  

Both cars are assembled in Mexico.  Where workers are paid poverty wages and the country turns a blind eye to toxic waste dumping and all sorts of other abuses we have long since stopped here.

The other side of the scale is my wife wants one of them.  While neither would be my choice she has some control over my life, and I know one will be in my driveway.  I am pleased that the Chevy will be putting some Americans to work.

[Keith Lewis]

Not sure this helps; but, I am a retired GM engineer so I obviously bought the HHR. It is somewhat more usable than the PT as the load area with the seats folded is quite long and flat. The vehicle is new to me and has less than 3000 miles. I just drove it from Arizona to Washington state and 98% of the trip was with the A/C on and running 70 to 80 mph with and average mileage so far of 30.5mpg. I have talked to two PT owners who just traded them in on the HHR and they were both more satisfied with the new vehicle.

[Keith L]

Thanks Keith for your comments.  I may just wind up with one.

I can't find any information on the web about this, but I assume this vehicle is front wheel drive.  Am I right?

[Keith Lewis]

Correct; vehicle is front wheel drive only. It is made on the Chevrolet Cobalt platform just like the PT Cruiser is made on the Neon platform. There are two four cylinder engines available. My recommendation is to buy the LT trim package which gets the larger engine and 17 inch wheels which improves the handling as well as getting a slightly stiffer suspension package. The 2.2L engine is around 130HP and the 2.4L engine is 178HP. We bought the LT with the 2.4 and 17 inch wheels. I am quite pleased with the acceleration and on-road feel of the package. I was a development engineer for GM and did a fair amount of vehicle evaluation so this is not just a questionable opinion.

[howdy doody]

I liked the outside of the HHR a lot, but liked the PT Cruiser inside better. I test drove the PT first and then the HHR. To me the PT cruiser was more powerful for getting up to speed. We went backand drove the PT again. I liked the price on the PT and bought it. We have nearly 10000 miles on it now and fuel miles on a trip do about 32 mpg. It is the engine without the turbo. Itgoes up hills really well. The auto trans works great.
We have been happy with it so far, pretty good fit and finish.

[Keith L]

As you can see from my original post the PT Cruser is out of the question.  Assembled in Mexico with only 37% North American content one will never sit in my garage.  It could be gold plated, given to me free, and include a puppy and I still wouldn't be able to get over so little NA content.

If we get an HHT it will have the 17 inch wheels and the larger engine.  I dressed one up on the iternet the way I wanted one and it was $22,000.  I will have to scale it back a little I guess.  I want to wait and see what the rebate and interest numbers look like then make up my mind.  Thanks.

[Keith Lewis]

As a retired engineer from General Motors Truck Engineering; I appreciate the concern for North American content. I know the HHR is also assembled in Mexico but at least the North American content of the parts is respectable. Unfortunately too many people who purchase vehicles look at price first and quality second and American content last if at all. I understand that the Japanese have done great things with the vehicle industry that we helped them establish after the war while our own industries were still working with pre-war machinery and equipment. Unfortunately China now is pushing most of our production out of the country as our public buys mostly on price. My HHR just returned from a trip from Arizona to Washington state and return with A/C on most of the trip and running at 75 to 80mph my total trip mileage was 30.7. We had two people and the back of the vehicle loaded with camping gear and such. I just had enough room to see out the back window with the rear seats folded flat. I think you will be pleased with the HHR and I would recommend the 17inch wheels and the larger engine (both require the LT package I believe). I had no trouble staying with traffic even in the mountains.

[Keith L]

My plans may be moved up a little.  My wife smacked a deer on the way home night before last and I am waiting to hear from the insurance adjuster as to the status of her Explorer.  A few weeks ago in New Hamshire I saw what happens when a car hits a bull moose, and this is much less thank God.  That one had fatalities both Moose and Human.  My wife's incident is likely to just be annoying.

[Keith Lewis]

I was two cars behind a chevy S-10 pickup that hit a small elk bull. Small enough that I could drag it off the road with some effort. It totalled the S-10 (moved the front of the roof back about a foot, shattered the windshield and went over the top of the truck. The two young Indian people were covered with glass and blood but actually unhurt. The Indian girl that was a passenger had been in a vehicle that hit an elk two weeks prior to that. Unfortunately the elk was left on the side of the road by the State Police and just rotted to a pile of bones.  If I had been in my Pickup I would have asked the owner of the pickup if I could have the elk. In Arizona if you hit and kill one you can take it. Noone else can unless it is directed by the owner of the vehicle. A lot of good meat went to waste. I have the whistle devices on my vehicles and so far have not hit any elk or deer. Not sure they work but so far things look good. I did have a large bull elk standing by the side of the road looking around a tree staring up the road at my car so I think he heard the whistles. I got mine at Walmart.