H3 underpowered?

[Corinne]

Hi, I am thinking about purchasing a H3, but have heard alot of stories about them being very underpowered.Love the the look of the H3 but have a heavy foot and need the power.Can anyone give me the real story?
Thanks Corinne

Corinne - Did you test drive an H3 yet?

[Corinne]

Hi, no we have to travel a distance to try one, but will do so shortly.
Corinne

[blindzebra]

I have a manual trans and I have never had a power problem merging. It's not a sprinter on the road, but not an RV either. I think with the auto trans, the shiftpoints don't make use of the HP/torque range of the I5 to it's greatest potential.

Honestly I think that most of the people who say that it's underpowered are forgetting what they're buying. If you want an want a 4X4 suv that acts like a sports car I guess there's always the Carrera.

Off the road I've never had a problem with HP and Torque. It could use a little more balls in super soft deep sand, but that's about it. In my opinion the H3 is amply powered for what it is. With that being said, I will be trading in my 06 for the V8 in 08.

[Xotik H3]

I have had my H3 for about a week. It has all the power it needs IMHO. It is an automatic. It is powerful - no, is it underpowered - no. If you want more power, buy a Jeep with a hemi, or a H2. As long as you fill it up.

What do I know about power... well, we recently sold our Magnacharged, 2003 ZO6 corvette, 469 RWHP. I would say I am critcal of HP/ to wieght ratio. And before you ask, I have pictures to back it up.

Speed costs, how fast do you want to go?

[HummBebe]

Originally Posted by Corinne

Hi, I am thinking about purchasing a H3, but have heard alot of stories about them being very underpowered.Love the the look of the H3 but have a heavy foot and need the power.Can anyone give me the real story?
Thanks Corinne

If you have a heavy foot you won't have any problems...

Corrine,

HB is right, you kind of need a heavy foot to stay in the powerband with the H3. For onroad use, there are plenty of quicker SUV's. I think that those who frequently drive at high altitude and carry or tow heavy loads feel it's underpowered. I personally have 2 much faster cars in the garage and have very demanding automotive requirements. But I use the H3 as a daily driver and find the power to be adequate.

[K9sH3]

Damn, I am going to get poo for this, But I think it is underpowered
Yes, I miss the power and speed of my previous truck. I hate getting passed up by most of the other SUV's out there.

Each time I am on the Hwy I get pissed at it for being so damn slow....BUT EACH TIME I GO IN THE WOODS I LOVE IT FOR BEING SO DAMN SLOW.

You have to ask yourself, Why are you buying it? if you want speed to satisfy your heavy foot, Then buy something else (H2). But if you want one of the best offroad SUV's on the market then you would be making a great choice.

And if you want support, you are in the right place. Everyone here will be willing to help you if needed. I personally consider everyone here a friend and I am sure you will to.

[GotSandH3]

I have the 5 speed manual and I think its a lot faster then the Auto. I drove an Auto rental when mine was in the shop and I hated it... I thought mine was under powered when I first got it, but its kinda grown on me and now i know how to drive it... It beats my gf's 1996 Acura Integra LS....So it cant be that slow..

An H2 will not satisfy the need for speed either. H2 and H3 road performance is very similar to many cheap economy cars and 4 cylinder SUV's (such as CRV, Element, Xb, Rav4, etc.), who's performance is also considered to be only adequate.

If you want fast SUV's (and don't care about offroad ability), there are plenty to choose from including Cayene, Range Rover Sport, FX, Rav4 V-6, new MDX, etc.

[marin8703]

im kinda with what most people are saying. Underpowered no, slow yes. Its a good kind of slow . One thing i dont get is why people keep recommending the H2 for speed. I just drove one a couple of days ago, and it certainly does pack quite a bit more punch than the H3, but under no circumstances is it fast. Most other suv would pass it too. just my opinion

[3Hummer]

If your buying an SUV you cant really expect to go fast unless you buy the ML63 AMG or the Cayenne Turbo, it doesnt feel underpowered it obviosuly is not for the race car driver but i drive it daily and dont have any complaints i keep up with the traffic and a lot of times actually am faster. and off the start of course its not fast but whos floring it on a daily basis anyway. Make sure you test drive one cause your the only one who can ultimatly make this decision and if your considering buying an '06 and power is the issue for you go with the '07 becuse it has 22 more HP.

[K9sH3]

Originally Posted by marin8703

im kinda with what most people are saying. Underpowered no, slow yes. Its a good kind of slow . One thing i dont get is why people keep recommending the H2 for speed. I just drove one a couple of days ago, and it certainly does pack quite a bit more punch than the H3, but under no circumstances is it fast. Most other suv would pass it too. just my opinion

What did you like about the 2 if anything? I have not driven one and was led to think that they have much more speed, I am mostly looking at hwy driving and the occasional offroading.
And do you honestly think that there is a noticeable differnce from the 06 to the 07 H3's.

Anyone's input would help, I buy a new truck just about every 18 months and I am about there. I was thinking of a 2 for more room and speed.

Thanks this may help Connie in her decision as well as mine

[marin8703]

Originally Posted by K9sH3

What did you like about the 2 if anything? I have not driven one and was led to think that they have much more speed, I am mostly looking at hwy driving and the occasional offroading.
And do you honestly think that there is a noticeable differnce from the 06 to the 07 H3's.

Anyone's input would help, I buy a new truck just about every 18 months and I am about there. I was thinking of a 2 for more room and speed.

Thanks this may help Connie in her decision as well as mine

the thing i liked was that it had more room. Other than that nothing real special. As for dislikes, its a bitch to parallel park, but i guess with practice one could get used to it. Great truck, just not for me.

Today I had an 07 H3 as a rental because mine was in the service, it was slugish as hell, but that was probably because it had only 56 miles on it, still in the break in period. Interior is exactly the same, except for the little thing in front the shifter for a phone or something. I couldnt find the extra 20 hp. Ill try and get another next time that has more than 1000 miles on it. From todays experience i would say for now upgrading to 07 is not worth it unless your just due for an upgrade.

You should definately test drive one. I bet sales wont have a problem with givin you a test drive of a 2or 3 while at you next service date. Just tell them your thinking about upgrading. I wish that would work with an H1, but its easier to get uranium than to get an H1 test drive.

[evldave]

I think this whole underpowered thing is BS. I traded in my BMW 325i for my H3, and other than the occasional run to 100+ in the BMW, I'm still the fastest guy on the freeway. In town, I can still go 10+ mph above the speed limit. I can't get there as fast as the BMW, but there are times that's a good thing

I tow trailers a lot (freeway and winding back country roads) - I've got a 3/4HD Suburban that I used to use as a tow rig, I've ditched that in favor of the H3 - it's a little slower off the line than the Sub, but on the freeway, it's darn near the same, and I'm still doing 70-75 towing a 3k-4k trailer. Plus, my H3 is WAY more comfortable, goes better offroad, and looks 1000 times better.

For people who are whining about the underpowered, go get a X3, MDX, etc. This is such a bitchy discussion I get annoyed. Of course, if they release a H3 V8, I'll be the first in line

[stagger_lee]

Originally Posted by evldave

For people who are whining about the underpowered, go get a X3, MDX, etc. This is such a bitchy discussion I get annoyed. Of course, if they release a H3 V8, I'll be the first in line

I think the original poster was asking owners opinions, not complaining. She did say she was still going to test drive it anyway. Valid inquiry I believe. I personally have no complaints though!

H3 is not for speed, but it will get you everywhere you need to be. Especially in an un-improved road environment.

H3 is for you to be seen in.
That's why it tends to be slow. Slow, so everyone who doesn't have one can stare at your awsome looking truck!

Very capable, and made to mimic its tactical military counterpart. When you need to get out of Dodge, this is the truck that is taking you.

Like Nothing Else!

[evldave]

Originally Posted by stagger_lee

I think the original poster was asking owners opinions, not complaining. She did say she was still going to test drive it anyway. Valid inquiry I believe. I personally have no complaints though!

True, I was mostly complaining about the complainers - seems they always jump in and whine about power, even after they made the choice to buy the truck. I wish my H3 had a V8, but it's more than adequate for my needs, and lives up exactly to expectations (not a rocket, not a dog). And I'm already dreaming about dishing my '06 off to my gf when/if the V8 comes out - a good excuse for two hummers in the driveway (and another in the house )!!

[Corinne]

Thank you for all that replied to my question, it helped alot to hear your opinions.The vehicle I have now is a 2004 Dodge durango with a hemi engine.This is a kick ass for pick up ,I can beat almost anything SUV from takeoff,but I can do without that as long as I have power for passing and everyday driving.I am going to test drive the H3 on Saturday,will let you know what I think.
Thanks Corinne

[stagger_lee]

Good luck. Let us know what you think. It kills off road, so take that into consideration. I doubt the dealer will let you do any hill climbs.