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2005 Chevy SSR Test Drive and Review

From Aaron Gold, for About.com

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In the Driver's Seat of the 2005 Chevy SSR

2005 Chevy SSR Roadster Truck

2005 Chevy SSR Roadster Truck Cockpit

© GM Media

Chevy SSR Cockpit

The SSR's two-seat cockpit has the feel of a sports car, though fiancé Robin and I couldn't complain about the stretch-out room -- but at 5'6" we're not that demanding. Howard Butler, a friend and president of the local Corvette club, found himself staring directly into the frame of the windshield; at 5'11", he's not exactly a candidate for the Harlem Globetrotters. The SSR's metal roof seals up tight with only a whisper of wind noise behind the driver's ear. But come on, who wants to drive this thing with the top up?

Holding down the power-top button brings a cacophony of whines and clacks as the roof lifts up, splits in two, and drops down into a nook behind the cab. The tonneau cover closes and latches into place, and that's it -- you'd never know the SSR had a roof at all. The windshield deflects wind well enough that you can hold a conversation, even at the illegal speeds that the SSR seems to encourage.

If I have one complaint, it's the lack of storage space: A center console and glovebox each barely big enough for the owner's manual, and door pockets that are a joke. But I'm glad Chevy included a passenger airbag disable switch; I could safely ferry the kids to school in the SSR, even if I did have to take them one at a time.

Index: 2005 Chevy SSR Test Drive and Review

  1. First Glance at the 2005 Chevy SSR Roadster Truck
  2. In the Driver's Seat of the 2005 Chevy SSR
  3. Under the Hood of the 2005 Chevy SSR
  4. Bottom Line on the 2005 Chevy SSR

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