My Stealthy Gas Sipper
This $4 a gallon gas thing is out of control. As much as I miss my oh-so-luxurious and stupidly-fast BMW X5, I'm not at all missing the 14 mpg and the requirement to use Premium fuel.
Last year, I chose to move into a small, simpler little truck. I use the term "truck" loosely, as it's really more of a station wagon. Chevy actually classifies it as a car. It just looks like a 30's delivery truck.
My sparkling white Chevrolet HHR is as cute as a button, and is equipped with more than just the bare necessities. I did opt for the XM radio (can't miss Thom Hartmann you know) and leather interior, as well as the sunroof. Otherwise, it's got a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine with less than half of the horsepower of my über-sexy X5.
There's a nice area behind the back seats for cargo storage, and with the seats folded down, I can fit tons of junk from Costco. I've moved filing cabinets, hauled my dog around in his kennel, put in bikes and bags of groceries galore.
Did I mention the gas mileage? In my own usage, I'm averaging 24 mpg in combined city and highway mileage. I can use regular gas, too, so that's saving me at least 20¢ per gallon.
But here's the kicker: if I'm willing to drive 55 on the highway, I can achieve between 36 and 38 mpg. That's amazing to me, especially since the window sticker rated it at 28 mpg highway.
So if you're struggling trying to find an attractive, fun and fuel efficient car with some room to put a few things, consider the Chevrolet HHR.
