In our first segment, we told you how much fun the naughty soccer parent can have with the 2008 HHR SS on the road. Life is more than just quarter mile times and apexes though, so can the hyped up pie wagon make the rational parent as happy as the delinquent? In a word, yes.

Of course before we head to the utility side of things, we must address the duds the interior is sporting. Red, red, everywhere there is red. There are crimson inserts in the doors, around the seats and well…I’m not sure where else. The red is the first thing passengers see and it is guaranteed to make any teams’ soccer mom the most popular ride to hitch. The kids just love the funky interior. Oh yes, adults seem to dig it too. Couple the scarlet hue with a few well placed SS badges and the neighborhood takes notice.

The driver will find all the controls are simple to operate and sensibly placed, including the steering wheel mounted radio and cruise control switches. The tuner kid in the family will be happy with the always sought after short shifter. The funky interior door handles even drew a few appreciative comments from our passengers. We loaded 3 kids in the back a few times and there were no complaints of a lack of space. The center seat is a wide band of red vinyl (pleather maybe?) that looks like it might get hot on a long drive.

Out back is where a mommy hauler passes or fails and fortunately, the HHR shines back here too. The decent sized cargo area has plenty of space for the normal travels of this family. Given that we drove the HHR in June, we didn’t put it through our signature 3 hockey bag test, but it looks like it would squeeze through. Hockey sticks would have to lie up the middle of the car. That cargo are has had some serious thought put into it. First of all, there are lots of tie downs to keep your junk secure. The 60/40 split back seats fold flat and the cargo floor is easy clean plastic. Under the aft cargo floor is a huge storage area to keep things hidden. But wait, that cargo floor isn’t just a floor. In fact, it lifts up to become a shelf that allows for bi level grocery capacity! Very nice.

The General continues to impress me each time I sample one of their vehicles and I must say that the 2008 Chevy HHR SS hasn’t let me down. Real world family functionality, eye catching looks combine with rip snorting performance and unexpectedly decent fuel economy really work. A vehicle like the HHR SS could put an end to classifieds that read: Baby on the way so my baby must go!