When I say rich, I don't mean expensive. Altogether, my well-appointed LT tester arrived with a window sticker of $26,865
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| Altogether, my well-appointed LT tester arrived with a window sticker of $26,865, from a base price of $18,995. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
(plus $995 for destination fees), from a base price of $18,995. That base car, by the way, features cloth seats, the driver's including six-way manual adjustment (four-way for the front passenger) while the rear seatbacks and front-passenger seatback fold forward, air conditioning, power windows and locks with remote access, plus power mirrors, a six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system, 16-inch steel wheels, the latter connected to an almost fully independent suspension system.
Why do I say almost fully independent? Well, the front setup includes independent struts with an anti-roll bar, but the
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| Take-off, with the base 2.2-litre engine and four-speed automatic, is not overly snappy, but it accelerates in a smooth and progressive manner, with fairly precise shift points. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
torsion beam suspension with anti-roll bar in the rear is semi-independent. It's the same setup in the top-line LT, so I can attest to it riding unusually smooth over bumps and irregular pavement, while tracking quite well through the corners. Of course, the optional 17-inch aluminum wheels might help when pushing the HHR more aggressively, but they also should theoretically hinder ride quality.
In the same way I'm betting the five-speed manual that comes standard with either LS or LT drivetrain packages allows for more spirited acceleration, but I wasn't put off with the four-speed automatic included with my test HHR, even with its base 2.2-litre engine. Take-off is not overly snappy, but it accelerates in a smooth and progressive manner, with fairly precise shift points.
