2008 H3 Review Comming from an H2 Owner

[HumminNBoatin']

So my H2 is at the dealer for an oil change today and I have an 2008 H3 as a Loaner. Keep in mind this is a BASE MODEL. I know this post is going to piss off some H3 Owners but keep in mind I am an H2 owner. I really should almost call this a rant. Anyway, Here we go......

Upon entry of my 2008 H3 the vehicle was dirty as the roads are salt covered from the 14 inches of snow we have recieved in the past four days. I that the door handels looked pretty nice In fact, I wish my H2 had thte same door handles. But it seems the way the fenders are shaped they tend to thow every bit of road grime in a fashon that keeps the handls completely filthy. I am not a big fan of road grime on my hands everytime I enter the vehicle. I think that maybe there has to be some kind of small mud flap that can be designed to take care of this problem???? When i sit in the drivers seat I notice that the dash is very well put together, KUDOS to GM for a step in the direction of many foreign auto makers with the much better quiality components. However I did find the center console to be undersized and pretty much usless. Cupholders where great much better design than the H2. Seating......TERRIBLE While the seats look great I find them to be lacking in comfort (Remember I drive and H2) They seem to be ok for short trips but they way you fit into the vehicle reminds me of driving an Chevy S10. The left armsupport is completely undersized and offers no support. I know understand why some of you guys are making your own elbow supports and the are no doubt needed. Now also I cannot believe that the seats are not fully power adjustable that I find to be terrible. Does the Luxery have fully power adjustable heated seats?? My demo did have a sunroof that was quiet nice. Very big for the size of vehicle and I especially like the auto open feature that my H2 does not have. I found the stereo to be completely sub par. The bass responce is to much and really makes the sound overall muddy. The HVAC controls look nice but why no Automatic Climate Controll????? Does the LUX have this???? Also Steering wheel mounted controlls? Does the LUX have this??? Onboard computer????

Driving Impressions:

Steering is awesome I absolutly love it. Wish my demo had a leather wrapped wheel though. Does LUX have it???? I gotta say I love how responsive the steering is. I found it to be heavy and give perfect feedback. Breaking the same way much more resonsive than my H2. As for acceleration goes I recend any of my previous statements that a 5 banger is underpowered. I found accleration to be much more lively than expected. I would not say it is impressive but more like adequite for the vehicle. However if I was planning on towing anything over 2 thousand pounds I would probubly have a much different opinion. I would say the ride is Sub-Par and very jarring. If ZYNE was to ride in this thing for any amount of time I think he would be permanetly be in wheel chair. It very much remind me of the ride of a Jeep Wrangler. In fact I test drove the FJ before purchasing my H2 and I would have to say no doubt that the FJ is a more pleasurable ride. However not a better drive than the H3. Visiblity is pretty good. On thing that I absolutly hate about the H3 is the engine sound. I dont know how to describe it. Its kida like a cross between a quiet Diesel Engine and a Toyota Corolla. Very dissapointing engine tone. Does an aftermarket exhause lower the notes? If so it should be a much considered option for any H3 owner. The wind noise is very minimal seems like the truck is pretty well insulated compaired to my h2 its quieter, However I have 37/mt's and my demo was runnign Goodyear ATs that are very quiet. I also noticed that on a windy day this thing get blown around the highway much worse than my H2. Getting out of the vechile is also no fun. The running boards where really in my way of getting out and IMO there is no reason for them. Keep in mind I am 6'1 with long legs.

Offroad:
I really cannot comment as it is not mine and I would not take it offroad. But comming from an H2 with 37/MT's I would be shy to take this H3 into anything too Serious as it has no rear locker and the stock AT's are lacking for the foot of snow we currently have. However after seeing pics and videos of others here on the forums I already know that this thing is more than capable when set up right.

Overall:
I would have to say the H2 and H3 are two Completly different animals in every way. The H3 is much more spartan than the H2 in every way shape and form (ride, features etc...) Also it is not even close to being the Head turner my H2 is. I will say that I thought the H3 being an 08 would have had the same creature comforts of my 03 H2 but it did not. If somebody is in the market to spend $30K+ and you are looking at hummer I would no doubt go for the used H2. It really is in a class all of its own that the H3 just does not touch. Please keep in mind I drive an Lux/Adventure H2 and my H3 Demo was a BASE model.

Now all you H3 owner can flame away. I just wanted to give my impressions of it in comparisson to my H2. Pardon my spelling as well.


Eric

[H2 Bill]

Here's a solution to your sunroof problem and it's really easy.
http://www.elcovaforums.com/forums/s...roof+auto+open

[Tex_h2]

Well, I also had a 08 Dealer loaner....and like you, I wasn't impressed. Except for one or two things. The stereo was awesome, door handles and rear hatch are very easy to open.

The running boards are a waste of money, seats are terrible and the list goes on. I've read that many of you say its easier to park and drive in the city....I don't see the difference...but oh well

[Hmmm2]

I agree. The H3 is a 'completely different animal' than the H2. I owned a Lux H3 for 2.5 years and now have an '08 H2. While I thoroughly enjoyed the capabilities of the H3 (tight turns, easiness to park, very agile on off-roads, easy gate entry, distinctive look, great speaker system Monsoon with sub-woofer,etc.), the H2 is so much larger, very well appointed, comfortable, less blind spots (in my opinon) .... but the price tag is also much higher. Because of the higher price, you get many more options. You really can't compare the two, other than they are the Hummer brand. The side steps on the H3 aren't necessary .. I would step up just to bend down to get in. On the H2, I definitely need the side steps. No climate control in the H3, so 2nd row passengers would often complain it was too warm while I was cool upfront. Uncomfortable 2nd row seating, while in the H2 the seating is very comfortable (3rd row so-so). Again, I really enjoyed my H3 and often received compliments on my "Baby Hummer"... it had a nice look and a good ride to it... better than any others its size on the road. But the H2 .. my all-time favorite, is in a class of its own by far. Not fair to compare the two.

[Hummer Aficionado_VT]

Good heads up, thanks for your thoughts Eric.