From a design perspective, whoever suggests these two cars didn’t originate in the same mass of brain tissue is on crack. Though, it is obvious – the blocky, more muscular Chevrolet HHR got the Y chromosome, while the sleek Chrysler PT Cruiser came up with double X’s.

Up front, both wagons (or SUVs, as the EPA prefers to call them) feature bulging hoods that expand rearward from a retro-style radiator grille, gradually widening as they approach the A-pillar and towering above the front fenders. Front and rear wheel wells flare out, reminiscent of cars from the 1940s, and carry their shapes into both the front and rear doors. Both models are dressed with chrome door handles, but the side profile of the Chevrolet HHR shows thicker B-pillars and a larger rear quarter window.

From the rear, differences are better defined. The PT Cruiser, for instance, includes taillights incorporated into the flared fenders, whereas the Chevy HHR features vertically-stacked dual taillights higher up on the rear quarter panel. Also, the HHR’s D-pillar stands upright compared to the PT’s, and the license plate frame is built into the tailgate instead of the bumper.