(Novice) Hummer H3 Review

[mr_udy]

PARDON MY SPELLING....

I just rented a H3 for a day drive while vacationing in Las Vegas. Budget Auto was out of H2s ($259/day)...so I settled for the H3 ($179/day). We took it to Hoover dam and Red Rock Canyon...put about 160 miles on it. I'll follow with my (and my wifes) impressions but first post our background for perspective purposes.
My wife drives '01 Yukon and I have own a variety of old-school GM products ('73 Opel GT, '76 Electra, '87 GMC 3500 w/ 35s, '88 Park Ave (Daily driver), '89 V1500 Blazer w/ 33s, '91 V1500 Blazer w/ 35s). I did have a '99 Siverado Z71 and a 2000 Sierra and loved 'em both but just found I was driving my "oldies" more. We both want to replace the Yukon with a H2 in the future.
The H3 we rented was black and had 33" duellers. It had about 4000 miles on it and apeared to have been "wheeled" at least once prior from the presence of mud in door jambs.
The truck looked cool! I think GM hit the nail on the head with this one. Looks like a custom...right from the factory! The H3 was black and had a chrome grill. Although I'd prefer the H2 for its size and power...the H3 overall looks better as far as the wheel openings and cleaner body lines (H2 doors appear as afterthoughts too me-different body lines and H2s tiny black rear wheel opening/flair looks like cheap add ons).
The interior looked nice...black cloth and carpet. It had a large moonroof that didnt hinder headroom. I was surprised by the roominess. I was plenty comfortable. I typically require a full-size to be comfortable since I myself am "fullsize" (240lb, 6'). I actually feel a bit cramped in my wifes Yukon (door too intrusive)! H3s door panel left plenty of room compared to the Yukon. However, with the seat almost all the way back, the "B" pillar was intrusive to my elbow/shoulder. I like the "short" windows although it hindered rearward visibility. Also...I could not find a comfortable place for my left arm...window sill too high and arm rest too low. The arm rest mounted window switches were too far back and made it awkward to open the windows. My wife and I both liked the aluminum looking dash accents although the shifter accent apeared to have a different finish to it. A minor gripe was the fact that the brake pedal seamed too small...as if it was the same unit as on a manual transmision model (room for a clutch pedal). I'm often guilty of being a left foot braker...so this may not bother most people. Although I liked the interior overall...I preffer the H2s unique-ness. H3 interior was nice...but didnt have the distinction of the H2.
The biggest gripe I've heard about the H3 is lack of power...and I'd have to agree. Even my wife thought so. I would rate it as plenty adequate in normal driving...but it required lots of accelerator travel and a eventual downshift to keep 70MPH in hilly areas towards the Hoover dam. Not sure if I'd be comfortable passing in on-comming trafic in this....reminded me of my Toyota 4x4 4 banger days. The H3 was quiet inside...with only minimal wind noise around the windows. I was pleasantly surprised how quiet the aggressive Duellers were but they did produce some amount of vibration...maybe fixable with a balance/rotation. Overall the ride was very comfortable.
Upon return, I filled up the tank...and found to have gotten only 15.5 MPG. I was a bit dissapointed but we did idle around the Red Rock Canyon for an hour and encountered traffic, wind, and hills on our way to the Hoover dam (Our Yukon typically yeilds 15.3 around town....18 highway). New car break in may be a minor factor too.
In summary...I we loved the looks of the H3. We were equally impressed with the ride and handling. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the interior roominess considering this is a Mid-size SUV. I was a bit dissapointed in the lack of power at highway speeds on hills but found the H3 plenty adequate around town. If we didnt need to tow a travel trailer, I'd definitelly consider purchasing a H3.

[HoeyHimself]

I really hope that something gets done about the lack of power issue, that seems to be the biggest complaint from people. Aside from that, I hear great things about the H3. Others have mentioned the suprising roominess to it aswell.