Hot Hatch Comparison: 2009 Dodge Caliber SRT4 vs. 2009 Chevrolet HHR SS

With comparisons between the new Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger just getting under way, those looking for budget performance still have somewhere to turn from both companies courtesy of their latest “hot hatch” offerings. Volkswagen essentially invented the hot hatch segment with the GTI, but as of late Japanese companies such as Subaru and Mazda have perfected the recipe. Chevrolet and Dodge looked to break up the import party, however, by offering factory-tuned versions of their compact hatchbacks, the HHR and Caliber, respectively. For the 2008 model year, the Chevrolet HHR SS and Dodge Caliber SRT4 were introduced, and as both cars enter their sophomore model year, we aim to find out if they can handle what the competition has to throw at them.

The point of both vehicles is to beat the competition, and both cars compete against some pretty heavy hitters among performance vehicles. Besides the VW GTI and Mazda Mazdaspeed3, the Dodge and Chevy are also cross-shopped against cars like the Subaru WRX (as well as the more potent WRX STI) and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Except for the latter two, all of these cars represent great budget performance with starting MSRPs under $26,000. In base form, the 2009 HHR SS starts at $25,535 and the 2009 Caliber SRT4 at $25,470, but with options and the requisite destination charge our vehicles ended up with as-tested prices of $27.770 and $27,395, respectively.

Exterior & Styling

There isn’t always much you can do to spice up the looks of an economy hatchback, but both cars manage to improve the looks of the car to match what’s under the hood. Taking substantially different routes to their designs, the Caliber uses sharp edges to match Dodge’s identity while the HHR uses a retro-inspired design that borrows heavily from the 1949 model Chevrolet Suburban. One ace that the HHR SS has up its sleeve though is the option to get it in a panel van layout with no side windows behind the front doors (starting at $25,855). Compared to the regular models, the HHR SS and Caliber SRT4 both get more aggressive front fascias to accommodate the large intercoolers, sportier side sills, lower rear fascia with bigger exhaust outlets, and, of course, larger and wider wheels to finish off the new look and to accommodate the larger brakes. Both of our test vehicles came in their respective shades of red with the Caliber coming in the optional ($225) Inferno Red Crystal Peal Coat and the HHR coming in Chevrolet’s Victory Red.

The bigger wheels, lower ground effects and widely flared wheel arches gave the HHR SS a much more aggressive look, so it was an easy choice for our winner of this category. Toss in the ability to come as a hot rod panel van and this is one hot hatch.

Interior Features

Inside, both cars feature the same basic interior layout as their more economical counterparts, but certain aspects were improved to add to the overall sporty experience. The most noticeable difference to the performance cars are the heavily bolstered front bucket seats that are surprisingly comfortable to ride in. Unlike the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo’s Recaro bucket seats which are basically racecar seats, the seats in the Caliber SRT4 and HHR SS aren’t too firm but hold the front occupants in place during cornering maneuvers. Dodge’s seats also add SRT embroidery to the seat backs, but the HHR SS adds a stylish two-tone leather accent to the seats and door panels in addition to having SS logos embroidered into the seat backs. A unique white-faced, three-pod gauge cluster welcomes drivers of the Caliber SRT4, while the HHR SS gets its own four gauge cluster prominently displaying the speedometer and tachometer in chrome trim. As far as options go, our test HHR SS came with the upgraded Pioneer premium speaker system ($295), while the Caliber had more useful interior goodies such as uconnect nav and phone part of the ($1,485) Secutrity Package and a tire pressure monitoring system part of the ($215) SRT Option Group II Package.

One of the coolest things about the HHR SS is the optional ($295) reconfigurable performance display that mounts on the A-pillar. The innovative touch-screen can display important information such as turbo boost, g-force and engine horsepower and is able to control vital systems such as traction control, launch control and competition mode. The personalized display can even set shift lights for individual gears. The Caliber SRT4 incorporates most of these into the car’s trip computer and features a separate analog boost gauge mounted to the A-pillar.

With a more attractive and colorful cabin, the HHR SS easily had our choice for the best interior of these two cars, but the optional reconfigurable performance display made piloting Chevy’s hot hatch even more enjoyable.

Performance & Handling

The hot in hot hatch comes via turbocharged inline-4 engines in both cars. The HHR SS uses a 2.0-liter direct injected engine that feeds 260 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, while the Caliber SRT4 puts out 285 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque at the front wheels via its own six-speed manual gearbox. In our book, the HHR SS loses a couple cool points for even offering an automatic transmission (a $1,000 four-speed automatic to be specific). Going in a straight line may be fun, but these cars were designed to handle like sports cars and both feature sport-tuned suspensions and improved braking systems. Our HHR SS even came with the upgraded performance package ($895) that added a limited slip differential and Brembo® four-piston front calipers. Both cars handled surprisingly well in tight turns, but the HHR’s electric power steering system gave the Chevy a much more precise steering feel compared to the Caliber’s hydraulic setup.

Although Chrysler never gave a figure as to the Caliber’s track time, Chevrolet has flaunted the fact that a bone stock HHR SS can run around the Nurburgring Nordschleife in just 8 minutes and 43 seconds – just a couple ticks slower than proven track cars such as the Lotus Exige and Honda S2000. While the HHR SS can definitely handle itself around the ‘Ring, Dodge offers all SRT owners the chance to test the car’s limits as well as hone their own skills on both the street and the track courtesy of a one-day instructional program at the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Not that fuel economy is a determining factor in this class of cars, it doesn’t hurt that both of these competitors get close to 30 miles per gallon on the highway (HHR SS gets 29 highway mpg and the Caliber SRT4 gets 27 highway mpg) making them both excellent daily drivers in addition to their track prowess.

Thanks to the noticeable increase in power and the fact that all owners get free day at the track, our vote goes to the Dodge Caliber SRT4 in this category.

Winner: 2009 Chevrolet HHR SS

Despite the fact that the Caliber SRT4 is the most powerful among the hot hatches it competes against, the HHR SS feels like a better track car with its more precise steering and stiffer suspension layout. While we hope to compare a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS with a 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 sometime in the near future, both of these cars offered up plenty of exciting performance in a small, affordable package.