Review on AOL homepage

[RMST]

Small…for a Hummer
Review: 2006 Hummer H3
2006 Hummer H3 | Photo GalleryBy Eric Peters

A mini-me Hummer like the new H3 may be just the ticket for folks lusting for the look and feel of an H1 Alpha -- just not the 10 mpg (or six-figure sticker) that comes with it.

And the H3 is no car-based, all-wheel-drive poseur-mobile, either. It's got real-deal four-wheel-drive -- with an available 4:1 low-ratio two-speed transfer case , standard skid plates, the toughest tow hooks in its class and huge 33-inch, LT285/75R-16 off-road knobbies (available as part of an Off-Road or Adventure package that also adds an electric locking differential.

The H3 is also actually the better off-road tool than the much-bragged-about H1 (or H2), both of which are so tall and wide you'd need a chainsaw as much as four-wheel-drive to get anywhere in the woods.

Here are some specs: The H3 is 73.7 inches off the ground and 74.7 inches wide. Compare that svelte back trails profile with the porcine H1 -- which boasts a girth of 86.5 inches and a height of 79 inches, which is nearly six inches taller and almost a foot wider than the H3. The H2 is also much wider (81.2 inches) and taller (79.2 inches) than the H3. Width and height are serious issues for serious off-roading, so is a tight turning radius. The H3's 37-foot turning circle is ballerina nimble compared with the Make Way oafishness of the H1's 51-foot turning circle -- or the stop, back up, try-it-again H2's 43.5-foot turning circle. What happens if you haven't got 43.5 (or 51 feet) to make your turn -- because there are berms (or heavy oaks) on either side of you? Do you call OnStar and await rescue?

The H1 and H2 may be great for Desert Storm-type operations and endlessly annoying Volvo 240-driving "Mondale for President" lefties, but on narrow backwoods trails with no shoulder and just enough room to squeeze by, they can't easily go places that are no problem for the H3.

The H3 is also the one Hummer model that may actually be taken off-road, too, because it's the one Hummer model that young guys who are actually into getting muddy can afford.

The $128,374 H1 Alpha costs more than two new Corvettes and one Mustang GT for spare change; rap stars, celebrities and Little Lord Fauntleroys who inherited a pile from dear old dad are the only ones under 30 who have a prayer of getting near one. And the $52,430 H2 is also about $20K more than the typical young guy (or adventurous young gal) in his or her 20s or early 30s have the means to acquire. So they're bought by middle-aged suburban Yuppies who cringe at the thought of tree branches scratching the finish -- and who buy bottles of "Mud" to splash on the fender for effect. (That's a real product by the way. Seriously.)

But the H3 can be had for under $30K -- $28,935, to be precise. That is very definitely within range of younger buyers -- the type who might actually test out the skid plates. For $925 more, you can get the locking differential, knobby off-road tires, 4:1 Low-ratio transfer case and HD shocks. That's still under $30 grand, MSRP -- not bad at all for an extremely appealing, uniquely styled, seriously off-road-capable 4x4 SUV.

There are two other things about the H3 worth mentioning. One, it gets not-bad gas mileage -- given the type of vehicle that it is, anyhow. The standard 3.5 liter 220-hp DOHC inline five cylinder engine, one of GM's newest (and best) engine designs, is capable of returning as much as 20 mpg on the highway and 16 mpg in city-type driving. That's about what you'd be dealing with in a V-6 equipped minivan -- and vastly better than the appalling 10-13 mpg you'd be living with in the H2. (As for the H1, at $128K-plus, gas mileage is about as relevant as the price of thongs at a Weight Watchers convention.)

The H3's decent fuel economy adds appreciably to this vehicle's accessibility -- especially with unleaded regular at $3 per gallon (at the time of this writing). A $600 per month payment (for the H2 -- or any $50K SUV) plus say $200 or $300 per month for fuel is just ridiculous. But here again, the H3 is "doable." Its monthly cost to feed should be 30-50 percent less than the cost to gas up an H1 or H2 -- or any V-8 SUV, for that matter. And the straight five has decent grunt -- more than enough to run 80-plus without much trouble (if you need to), pass and pull into traffic, etc. Some have said it's not "fast" -- and that's absolutely true -- but its 0-60 time of 8.9 to 9 seconds isn't slow, either -- and well within the acceptable range for a 4x4 SUV.

The second point you'll be interested in is the H3 is available with a 5-speed manual transmission -- a feature you can't get in the Chevy Tahoe-based, automatic-only H2 (or the automatic-only H1 Alpha). The manual transmission adds considerably to the "yee-haw!" fun factor of driving the H3 in a way that's difficult to quantify -- but readily apparent after even five minutes behind the wheel. If you ever owned an old Jeep CJ5 or International Scout, driving the manual-equipped H3 will bring back some great memories; especially the cheery gear whine as you make your way through the ranges. An automatic is available, too -- but GM slams you pretty hard for it. The tab is $1,695.

Ouch!

But you don't have to buy the automatic -- and probably a lot of buyers want no part anyhow -- even if it was a no-cost extra. Meanwhile, all the stuff you really do need -- the excellent 4x4 system, skid plates, dual zone air conditioner, 16-inch rims, full power equipment (locks, windows, cruise, etc.) are included in the H3's as-it-sits base MSRP.

It's a lot of SUV -- and not just "for the money." The H3 is, arguably, a better real-world off-roader than its brothers -- and it's flat-out more interesting than other vehicles in its segment, which haven't got anything close to the curb appeal this thing has.

And the attention the H3 draws is much more uniformly thumbs-up than the mix of jeers and sneers that greet you when you're out in an H1 or H2 -- vehicles that have an "I love global warming" anti-social stigma associated with them. You may not be into that image (fairly or unfairly ascribed). Or you may just want something that can actually go off-road at a price that won't make you cringe if the paint gets scraped.

Either way, the H3 could be the Hummer you've been waiting for.

[RMST]

Small…for a Hummer
Review: 2006 Hummer H3
2006 Hummer H3 | Photo GalleryBy Eric Peters

A mini-me Hummer like the new H3 may be just the ticket for folks lusting for the look and feel of an H1 Alpha -- just not the 10 mpg (or six-figure sticker) that comes with it.

And the H3 is no car-based, all-wheel-drive poseur-mobile, either. It's got real-deal four-wheel-drive -- with an available 4:1 low-ratio two-speed transfer case , standard skid plates, the toughest tow hooks in its class and huge 33-inch, LT285/75R-16 off-road knobbies (available as part of an Off-Road or Adventure package that also adds an electric locking differential.

The H3 is also actually the better off-road tool than the much-bragged-about H1 (or H2), both of which are so tall and wide you'd need a chainsaw as much as four-wheel-drive to get anywhere in the woods.

Here are some specs: The H3 is 73.7 inches off the ground and 74.7 inches wide. Compare that svelte back trails profile with the porcine H1 -- which boasts a girth of 86.5 inches and a height of 79 inches, which is nearly six inches taller and almost a foot wider than the H3. The H2 is also much wider (81.2 inches) and taller (79.2 inches) than the H3. Width and height are serious issues for serious off-roading, so is a tight turning radius. The H3's 37-foot turning circle is ballerina nimble compared with the Make Way oafishness of the H1's 51-foot turning circle -- or the stop, back up, try-it-again H2's 43.5-foot turning circle. What happens if you haven't got 43.5 (or 51 feet) to make your turn -- because there are berms (or heavy oaks) on either side of you? Do you call OnStar and await rescue?

The H1 and H2 may be great for Desert Storm-type operations and endlessly annoying Volvo 240-driving "Mondale for President" lefties, but on narrow backwoods trails with no shoulder and just enough room to squeeze by, they can't easily go places that are no problem for the H3.

The H3 is also the one Hummer model that may actually be taken off-road, too, because it's the one Hummer model that young guys who are actually into getting muddy can afford.

The $128,374 H1 Alpha costs more than two new Corvettes and one Mustang GT for spare change; rap stars, celebrities and Little Lord Fauntleroys who inherited a pile from dear old dad are the only ones under 30 who have a prayer of getting near one. And the $52,430 H2 is also about $20K more than the typical young guy (or adventurous young gal) in his or her 20s or early 30s have the means to acquire. So they're bought by middle-aged suburban Yuppies who cringe at the thought of tree branches scratching the finish -- and who buy bottles of "Mud" to splash on the fender for effect. (That's a real product by the way. Seriously.)

But the H3 can be had for under $30K -- $28,935, to be precise. That is very definitely within range of younger buyers -- the type who might actually test out the skid plates. For $925 more, you can get the locking differential, knobby off-road tires, 4:1 Low-ratio transfer case and HD shocks. That's still under $30 grand, MSRP -- not bad at all for an extremely appealing, uniquely styled, seriously off-road-capable 4x4 SUV.

There are two other things about the H3 worth mentioning. One, it gets not-bad gas mileage -- given the type of vehicle that it is, anyhow. The standard 3.5 liter 220-hp DOHC inline five cylinder engine, one of GM's newest (and best) engine designs, is capable of returning as much as 20 mpg on the highway and 16 mpg in city-type driving. That's about what you'd be dealing with in a V-6 equipped minivan -- and vastly better than the appalling 10-13 mpg you'd be living with in the H2. (As for the H1, at $128K-plus, gas mileage is about as relevant as the price of thongs at a Weight Watchers convention.)

The H3's decent fuel economy adds appreciably to this vehicle's accessibility -- especially with unleaded regular at $3 per gallon (at the time of this writing). A $600 per month payment (for the H2 -- or any $50K SUV) plus say $200 or $300 per month for fuel is just ridiculous. But here again, the H3 is "doable." Its monthly cost to feed should be 30-50 percent less than the cost to gas up an H1 or H2 -- or any V-8 SUV, for that matter. And the straight five has decent grunt -- more than enough to run 80-plus without much trouble (if you need to), pass and pull into traffic, etc. Some have said it's not "fast" -- and that's absolutely true -- but its 0-60 time of 8.9 to 9 seconds isn't slow, either -- and well within the acceptable range for a 4x4 SUV.

The second point you'll be interested in is the H3 is available with a 5-speed manual transmission -- a feature you can't get in the Chevy Tahoe-based, automatic-only H2 (or the automatic-only H1 Alpha). The manual transmission adds considerably to the "yee-haw!" fun factor of driving the H3 in a way that's difficult to quantify -- but readily apparent after even five minutes behind the wheel. If you ever owned an old Jeep CJ5 or International Scout, driving the manual-equipped H3 will bring back some great memories; especially the cheery gear whine as you make your way through the ranges. An automatic is available, too -- but GM slams you pretty hard for it. The tab is $1,695.

Ouch!

But you don't have to buy the automatic -- and probably a lot of buyers want no part anyhow -- even if it was a no-cost extra. Meanwhile, all the stuff you really do need -- the excellent 4x4 system, skid plates, dual zone air conditioner, 16-inch rims, full power equipment (locks, windows, cruise, etc.) are included in the H3's as-it-sits base MSRP.

It's a lot of SUV -- and not just "for the money." The H3 is, arguably, a better real-world off-roader than its brothers -- and it's flat-out more interesting than other vehicles in its segment, which haven't got anything close to the curb appeal this thing has.

And the attention the H3 draws is much more uniformly thumbs-up than the mix of jeers and sneers that greet you when you're out in an H1 or H2 -- vehicles that have an "I love global warming" anti-social stigma associated with them. You may not be into that image (fairly or unfairly ascribed). Or you may just want something that can actually go off-road at a price that won't make you cringe if the paint gets scraped.

Either way, the H3 could be the Hummer you've been waiting for.