Auto or 5 Speed

[H3slate]

I have a manual and love it. When I got my H3 my dealer only had two or three on hand, so I special ordered mine, had to wait two months, but got everything I want. I have owned a gutless 84 subaru auto, a 88 vw stick, a 93 auto xterra and now the H3. For me, the manuals were always more fun to drive.

I feel like I have more control over our slightly underpowered vehicle. Not going fast enough? just down shift and punch it.

I was at a Hummer event in Reno, we were going down a steep hill to demonstrate the crawl ratio, all the autos were braking all the way down, my H3 crawled down by itself, no brakes. The better crawl ratio rules!

[3Hummer]

I took the auto only cause i do a lot of driving lots of lights. Also my dad had a stick car it was fun for every now and then i drove it but for my self to drive it all the time it would get annoying.

[Hal]

The crawl ratio on the stick is what sold me because I was buying this truck primarily for its off road ability. It is also true, being under powered, the manual helps you get a move on when you need to. As for steep hills, the low range manual will idle up or down any hill at a snail pace, so no problem with foot work on the pedals, just let out the clutch and the brake at the same time, you don't even need to touch the gas and the truck starts idleing up the hill or down, slow, safe and controlled!

[Huck BB62]

I like engine braking as much as the next guy, I'm sorta curious as to will the Hummer ever come out with engine braking technology or that the 5.3's extra three cylinders may help in the braking department. My quad, a BRP Outlander Max XT brakes as good as anything on the market. I've yet to see anything steep enough to overrun the engine braking. Maybe Hummer could take something from that? Even in 4lo, I do use the brakes. But for the rest of the time, there's no way, no how, that I'd have a Hummer stick because of the interlock that keeps it from starting in gear. Has anyone ever rigged a hand throttle on a Hummer?

If someone hasn't stalled on a climb, or obstacle, they haven't been on gnarly enough stuff. One instance in particular, bar none, that's terrifying as hell, is a big, long steep, slippery climb. Stabbin' the clutch to get it done may be the worst thing ever.

My Scout was geared plenty low, 73:1 and one time in particular that stuck out in my mind was a lon steep scrabbly two track to a ghost town. I'd let my mud terrains get a little bald. This climb was forever long on a ridge. I only made it to just near the top and dug in. I stomped on the brakes, put it in reverse (the engine was flooded, that's how steep it was) and started it in gear and drove it down backwards. It was a long long puckerfest to the bottom!!!!

On the other hand, had I not had the gearing and had to use the brakes, maybe it wouldn't have had such a good outcome because once that front end breaks loose and starts to come around, you're screwed, blued, and tattooed.

There's good and bad to both. If they nailed the engine braking like BRP's done on my quad, I'd say that there's no way that I'd want to live with a stick.

[TANDREW]

just wondering with alot of you going to moab and rincon what worked better for you? I know the stick works wonders on hills and normal trails but what about the harder stuff?

[Wisha Haddan H3]

Originally Posted by TANDREW

just wondering with alot of you going to moab and rincon what worked better for you? I know the stick works wonders on hills and normal trails but what about the harder stuff?

Can't say about Moab (.... yet ), but I've been up some really steep and rocky terrain in Colorado. On descents, the manuals have an advantage with their engine braking. On level ground, they're similar to the autos ... since the gearing is so low you can usually BTM and not stall.

Going uphill was the only time I had issues. On 95% of it, the 5-spd performed the same as the autos I was with. But on the steepest, most technical terrain with serious off-camber grades where rockstacking was required, BTM would have come in real handy.

One time, I was on a steep grade balanced on stacked rocks, knowing I had to dodge alternating boulders and deep moguls a few feet ahead to continue up the grade. That terrain was hard enough without worrying about an engine stall.

Still, I made it up though ... just took some planning, finesse and a great spotter (thank Alan)

[HUMMJAY]

HUK-sorry about the turd in in the punch bowl. I left our product rep a v-mail about the tow haul, I seem to recall him talking about auto down shifting on the ALHA but I dont know how that would work w/out a mode button,

[Huck BB62]

Originally Posted by HUMMJAY

HUK-sorry about the turd in in the punch bowl. I left our product rep a v-mail about the tow haul, I seem to recall him talking about auto down shifting on the ALHA but I dont know how that would work w/out a mode button,

Well, with all this hand wringing, I do have some things that, in my own unimportant opinion, should've been no brainers.

I just about stopped short of calling F5 a beeotch without midol for pissin' about the colors and there I go snivelin' about 'em. (I stand very corrected, sorry F5) I mean after all, if you're going to spend $40k on a vehicle, you should love it.

I've got to build a garage/shop this coming year and I get to fill it with wood working tools. I may forgo the Alpha. I want it. I want it BAD but there's a few things that may stop my emotional plunge:

The color selections. What the heck are they thinking. A yellow and the tan from the H1 line are musts for the Alpha. They really REALLY need to get that Alpha image in their head. They can make a bling model too but there's the whole utilitarian crowd that's being told to go screw themselves. Not smart, not smart at all.

Lux package only with chrome and crap. Again, the ad people are running rampant in the development department. All those dumbassed urban boing boing commercials appear to be their direction. Have they EVEN stopped to think of their most ardent consumer base or has the H2 metro kooks infiltrated every nook and cranny of the Hummer team?!?

A V8 and no tow haul mode. Ok, am I missing something here? At least include an easy overhaul kickout function. Believe me, it'd save a lot of tranny repairs for people towing by keeping the tranny locked up and cooler. 6000lbs is a pretty good tow and every hill, it's going to kick out of lockup and with the 5.3 stirrin' the red stuff, it's going to make heat.

To be an Alpha and make me bite the hook without EVEN thinking about my budget:
Put a stinkin' offroad package together. Put the winch, the front locker, the skid plates, rocker protection on it. Offer the roof rack without it costing a stupid G note. And upon further thought, a LOT of the offroad people want the manual. I might not be one of 'em, but they're there and their desire is valid. Offer it without all the lux bling crap, it's not wanted by the offroad crowd. Jeep did it, Dodge did it, how about making "Like No Other" mean it.

Again, look at the H1 color palette. It speaks HUMMER, not Martha Stewart bling of the month club. It's almost as bad as the Sierra Denali being offered in only three colors.

[Spuds]

Potential H3 Alpha customer here and

But why should we even have to chose between manual and auto?

Why not the best of both, like a Triptonic 6-speed?

[Matt19]

I drive a stick for my car, but not for my hummer. I was very adamant on not getting a manual. I just want to get in and drive and not worry about rolling back on sick hills. For my car, i am able to balance it on hills if it isnt sickly steep. But I remember there was this one hill that I had to ride clutch and gas, and I felt horrible.
I brought my hummer to that hill and The hummer said "screw u hill" and i think leveled it.. Now its a hill-no-more.

My hummer is an 07 and the pedel spacing down there isnt great, but easy to get used to.

[HUMMJAY]

I couldnt agree more HUK. you can walk on to a ford dealership and buy a base explorer with a $1600ish v8 option, but if you want a v8 in your HUMMER they make you buy all the bells and whistles, we dont have pricing yet but I'm guessing around $40,ooo.oo for an ALPHA

[f5fstop]

Tow haul? The V8 will have the same basic overdrive trans the 5-cylinder currently has so for tow hauling, put the darn trans in 3rd gear. I believe they might recommend that in the owner's manual. I know for driving through the mountains, I have always used 3rd.

As for colors, they do have at least one new color I like, as well as the desert orange.

Huck, you think I'm stubborn on colors, well, I just looked and found out they are not offering desert orange next year, yet all the photos of the Alpha are in desert orange. Unless Hummer has renamed desert orange to something else; I may just get peed off enough to go purchase desert green.

[Huck BB62]

Popping down to third isn't the same as tow/haul F5, it holds the shift points longer. It's better. It's a LOT better for the tranny, particularly if someone's towing near 6,000lbs.

What color is desert green? Is it a sage color like the light green on the Trailblazers? (by the way, the Trailblazer SS has the 400hp 6.0, why not the Alpha?)

[f5fstop]

I understand tow haul is different, whether or not it is better for the trans would have to be proved to me in warranty figures.

If you want a 400 hp engine, my suggestion is to go purchase one because Hummer will never be known for HIGH PERFORMANCE as a road vehicle. If you want tow haul, purchase a vehicle with tow haul. If you don't like the colors, either do what I'm going to do and that is switch to another vehicle, or keep the color you have.

[Huck BB62]

Originally Posted by f5fstop

I understand tow haul is different, whether or not it is better for the trans would have to be proved to me in warranty figures.

If you want a 400 hp engine, my suggestion is to go purchase one because Hummer will never be known for HIGH PERFORMANCE as a road vehicle. If you want tow haul, purchase a vehicle with tow haul. If you don't like the colors, either do what I'm going to do and that is switch to another vehicle, or keep the color you have.

Sounds like good advice. In fact, that would seem to sum up GM's corporate attitude? (just yankin' your chain)

The Blazer SS is a freakin' hot rod. I wonder if I can morph the two together. You see, I don't want a whole stable of cars. I want one great one. I guess that's asking a bit too much.

What vehicle are you switching to?

By the by, what color is that desert green close too?

[f5fstop]

Believe me, I'm as far from GM's corporate attitude as Hillary is from GW's on Iraq. I believe in GM's best interest and that is to provide the customers with what they want, within limits.

I was wrong on Desert Green, it is really called Rescue Green, and it is available on the Jeep Rubicon.

[HummerLite]

Originally Posted by H3slate

I have a manual and love it. When I got my H3 my dealer only had two or three on hand, so I special ordered mine, had to wait two months, but got everything I want. I have owned a gutless 84 subaru auto, a 88 vw stick, a 93 auto xterra and now the H3. For me, the manuals were always more fun to drive.

I feel like I have more control over our slightly underpowered vehicle. Not going fast enough? just down shift and punch it.

I was at a Hummer event in Reno, we were going down a steep hill to demonstrate the crawl ratio, all the autos were braking all the way down, my H3 crawled down by itself, no brakes. The better crawl ratio rules!

Gee, I special ordered mine too, I was going to get the Alpha, But, I like the manual transmission too much...... I think i'm gonna supercharge my H3 and save some money, Not really into all that crome..... Maybe they will see that some people enjoy driving there Hummers with a manual transmission.... I live in New York and see alot of traffic and still love the manual trans.. I offroad alot too, never been a problem, over the roughest rocks and hills and love the low crawl ratio going down hills too
5 Speeds = FUN
Automatic = BORING

[Huck BB62]

Originally Posted by f5fstop

Believe me, I'm as far from GM's corporate attitude as Hillary is from GW's on Iraq. I believe in GM's best interest and that is to provide the customers with what they want, within limits.

I was wrong on Desert Green, it is really called Rescue Green, and it is available on the Jeep Rubicon.

It's a bright almost lime green color. Kind of interesting, but definitely makes Hummer look like a copy cat. What are the other two similar to?