Auto or 5 Speed

[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.