TCC Review of Hummer H3

[Arizona Slim]

2006 HUMMER H3

A rock climber with the right genes.
by Marty Padgett (2005-07-11)




MORE PHOTOS: 2006 HUMMER H3

GM's HUMMER division is at its tipping point. Will it be sidelined into history because of its in-your-face military connotations? Or will the addition of a smaller, kinder, and somewhat gentler HUMMER give it the legs to become a permanent member of the General Motors hierarchy?

What, you thought we'd answer all those questions in 1000 words or less?

What we can tell you is that the new H3, regardless of how well it sells, is authentically a HUMMER. It can go to places off-road that only endangered species occupy. It can weave its way through city traffic more deftly than anything this capable has a right to. And with a base price of less than $30,000, it's strikingly affordable for the image it brings with it. After all, when was the last time you saw an Explorer or a Grand Cherokee delivering supplies to Tikrit?

Politically incorrect

The H3's been born into a world where, surreally, the way you vote dictates your affection for its brutish shape and globe-trotting toughness. But there's no debating that the H3 looks every bit the HUMMER, despite the fact that the H3 is derived from GM's compact pickups. In fact, it's only six and a half inches narrower than the bigger H2, though it's nearly 17 inches shorter. The sidecars that envelope the wide-track wheels are entirely appropriate, and don't look tacked-on as they easily could. HUMMER designers got the core elements right: the windows are short, squared-off, and flush and the corners are brusque and unapologetic.

There's also little to challenge the H3 on when it comes to off-road hardware. Since it's based on the GM global compact truck platform that spawned the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon (and is built alongside those vehicles in Shreveport, Louisiana), the H3 sports a ladder frame with boxed members, which means it's no unibody wuss like a RAV4. The front suspension may be independent as God meant it to be, but the Hotchkiss rear is what gives the H3 its goat-like endurance on rocky non-roads. And to make sure the H3's more delicate innards survive the clamber to the top of some yet-unnamed pile of boulders, it wears a front skid plate, a steel plate over its oil pan, and shields over the transfer case and the fuel tank.

The H3 clambers around on standard four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case and a low-range gear for the trickiest off-road obstacles; the standard low-range ratio is 2.64:1, but a 4.03:1 ratio is available for the nutso off-roaders who will actually spend the cash on the H3 and risk denting its military-chic metal. All H3s sport a locking center differential and a locking rear differential can be had too, giving more options than the casual user will comprehend and less of the electronic decision-making that vehicles like the Land Rover LR3 offer up.

All this, plus the 9.1-inch ground clearance and available 33-inch knobbier tires give the H3 truly awesome off-roadability. HUMMER promises the H3 can ford two-foot-deep stream and climb a 16-inch vertical barrier, and it's tempting to test the H3's limits because it's so tractable off-road. Once you get used to the scraping noises generated as middle-sized rocks pass beneath, or as you slide from one boulder face to the next, it's easy to wonder why anyone truly interested in SUVs would choose anything less capable than this, or a Rubicon Jeep.

Continued
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Vehi...181.A8658.html

[tama z71]

excellent. havent read one negative review yet, and all seem to think the interior is one of the best GM has put out in a while. time to move up to 3.7 liters, though.

[Ming]

I'm waiting for someone to ask for the LS2 version.

I personally think they are great for HUMMER and help the brand out of its image of fuel inefficiency. I've seen quite a few around town.

[Whirling_Dervish]

Originally Posted by tama z71

excellent. havent read one negative review yet, and all seem to think the interior is one of the best GM has put out in a while. time to move up to 3.7 liters, though.

The only knock is usually the I5 engine. But I hear there is a I6 turbo on tap for the Alpha version due in a year or so.

[TorchRedCorvette]

A turbo in a 4700lb truck is not the answer.
It is OK in an Isuzu Cab Forward Diesel.
It needs a 400 hp V-8.

[paul3230]

Sweet!

[asim]

Originally Posted by tama z71

excellent. havent read one negative review yet, and all seem to think the interior is one of the best GM has put out in a while. time to move up to 3.7 liters, though.

Totally agree, but maybe a even bigger engine.

[SSrevolution]

Again, the I5 is a disaster.

Don't get me wrong... The H3 is a good thing!

[gmhashope]

Originally Posted by Arizona Slim

..., the H3 sports a ladder frame with boxed members, which means it's no unibody wuss like a RAV4...

Finally a journalist that's not bias, plus I love that quote.

[redimpss5]

Pretty good write up. Does it really have hotchkis parts on it from the factory?

[jwvrod]

For those who need more power, the H3 will be getting a "larger" diesel engine. The I6 won't fit under the hood. That comes from Hummer.

[johnny smallblock]

Originally Posted by redimpss5

Pretty good write up. Does it really have hotchkis parts on it from the factory?

Wait, this thing comes standard with hotchicks!?!