Let's say you need a practical car but don't want it to be boring.

What are your options?

Assuming you want something affordable that gets decent gas mileage, too, your choices quickly start to narrow. When you ask for four doors, a stylish body and a big, SUV-like cargo area ... well, that's just about impossible.

But here are two cars that try to make it happen.

CHEVY HHR

Yes, in some ways this is nothing but a PT Cruiser copycat with its retro Little-Debbie-van styling, but it offers a lot more than the cool sheet metal.

The HHR is the size of a compact car but feels bigger because of its high roofline and smart interior packaging. Big Bird would fit comfortably. It has a higher, more upright seating position than many cars -- it really feels more like a micro-SUV than a car -- and comes with enough storage space to haul the things you see in SUV commercials, like an eight-foot ladder, surfboard, skis and kayak.

Chances are nobody will actually carry any of that stuff in an HHR, but at least it has plenty of room for groceries.

While the base version starts around $16,500, I drove the high-performance HHR SS Turbo that cost more than $24,000. It comes with a 2.0-liter engine that makes 260 horsepower, a crazy-high amount for an otherwise dull, front-wheel-drive family car.

The SS also comes with a sportier suspension, more aerodynamic styling and an amazing traction control system with launch control. Basically, this is a car designed for drag races.

Whether you opt for the vanilla HHR or the Tabasco SS Turbo, you'll be driving a car that's a fun and unconventional take on ordinary family transportation.

TOYOTA MATRIX

Most Toyotas seem to be built to withstand a round of the Ultimate Fighting Championship being held in the cabin. You could take two 300-pound fighters, lock them inside for an hour while they bloody each other's noses, then let them back out to discover nothing whatsoever had been broken in the car.