Chevy HHR vs. Chrysler PT Cruiser

When it comes to motivation for the HHR and PT Cruiser, it’s all about four-cylinder, dual overhead cam engines with varying degrees of power.

Under the hood of the 2006 Chevrolet HHR is a 2.2-liter engine that puts out 143 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 155 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. In comparison, the base 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser, displacing 2.4-liters, offers 150 horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 165 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. Both are mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission, with four-speed automatics being optional.

Power-hungry drivers can equip their HHRs with an optional 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, good for 172 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 162 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm. Chrysler trumps Chevy with two optional turbocharged engines that quiet the HHR’s available 172 horses. The lesser of these blown PT Cruiser engines is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that offers 180 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 210 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,800 rpm. Even more punch comes from yet another version of the turbocharged 2.4-liter engine that’s offered on the PT Cruiser GT, with ratings of 220 horsepower at 5,100 and 245 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,800.

Regardless of how many horses you buy from the factory, the PT Cruiser tips the scales at about 3,100 lbs. (add about 80 lbs. for the automatic transmission). Chevrolet has not yet released an official curb weight for the 2006 HHR, though with an extra 7.4 inches of length we can expect it to be at least as heavy, if not heavier.