2004 Chevrolet SSR Review

After our extensive review of an early production SSR for our Sport Truck of the Year competition, we said that if we scored charisma, Chevy's Super Sport Roadster would blow away the competition. After driving this mid-year production model equipped with a few extras, we haven't changed our opinion. It has such style and class that it always draws a crowd wherever you drive it. So if you decide to buy one, be ready to share it with the neighborhood.

But that's OK because there's much to share about the SSR, the classiest, friendliest sport truck on the market.

For example, the SSR shares the Trailblazer chassis, but the body-on-frame construction is reinforced with several additional crossmembers as well as its upper all-steel unibody shell. The combination gives the SSR a fairly stout chassis for a convertible pickup with minimal cowl shake and very good road-holding power on moderately rough road surfaces. In other words, it's blast to drive on twisty mountain roads, on the freeway, or just cruisin' the local spot.

The SSR has its quirks, which add or detract to its charm depending on your disposition. The nose rolls away, so it takes some driving time to get to know where the front edges are. The rear box flares also take some getting used to; you have to remember they're there when maneuvering in tight spaces.

This truck is all about style, but for the most part, the form and function blend wonderfully in this machine. But, of course, there are a few exceptions. For example, the placement of controls on the flat dash put a few of the controls just out of reach, and the trip odometer, angled as it is below the instrument cluster, is virtually impossible to read from a comfortable driving position. The powered seat controls, located on the side of each bucket seat, are difficult to manipulate unless you open the doors. We also found that the armrest positioning in the sculpted door panel was a bit low for our comfort. But we have to admit, the Super Sport interior atmosphere outweighed all our minor complaints.

On the upside, the design of the cockpit of the SSR flows effortlessly out of the truck's exterior styling. Its sweeping dash with satin-finished bright-aluminum crossbar carries the body color into the interior. The gauges are large and easy to read, with a distinctly American feel from the graphics on the gauge faces. Our SSR tester came equipped with the electric-heated seats. If you're going to have a convertible, spring for this option. The heated seats extend your ability to enjoy top-down motoring as well as getting you up to temperature quicker on frosty winter mornings. Also, the myriad stylish details, such as the delicate spot lighting on the center of the dash and console, make being in and around the machine an automotive pleasure.

As cool as all the styling and brilliant design details of the SSR are, the heartbeat of any hot rod/sport truck is its engine and driveline. The SSR is motivated by a 300hp all-aluminum Vortec V-8 powerplant that puts power to the rear wheels through a 4L60-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. It pushes the SSR through the quarter-mile in 15.36 seconds at 91.35 mph and reaches 60 mph in just less than 7.5 seconds. For most people, this level of performance is adequate. But for those not satisfied with the stock performance, check out our performance test on the new SSR MagnaCharger Radix supercharger kit.