# HUMMER H3 - good or bad?



## Buffett Fan

I'm thinking about downsizing. I presently have a Ford F-150 King Ranch 4x4 and I considering a Hummer H3. I really like how they look. But my question is, to the all-knowing 2Cool world, are they worth a darn? I've read a few articles and talked to a couple of guys and the reviews seem to be mixed. 

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


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## Hooked

If he doesn't see this soon....PM Bobby. He has a yeller one.


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## GetLucky

*h3*

I drove one a few times, terrible blind spots. To much money to pay for what you get if you ask me. I know i'm going to get heat for saying this but kinda girly.


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## tail-chaser

Its a trailblazer, with an H3 body and tons of blind spots. LOL They ride decent and look cool, I would recomend buying a newer used one they depreciate fast. Stay far away from the first year models that came out (lots of lemons). They have seemed to work the bugs out of them, so if you like the looks it would be the way to go, I would highly recomdend you drive one for a day and see if you like it.


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## thundertrout

drove a friends h3 and it has the worst blind spots,more than a 18teen wheeler.


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## Gottagofishin

Well. The leather is definitely not going to be as nice.


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## Buffett Fan

the blind spot problem is definitely a deal breaker. 

thanks for the input !

Vinny


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## DRAGNHOO

Turning radius is the best I've seen...the towing capacity on 2007 and older is horrible. Worthless. They did come out with a new H3 for 2008 (H3 Alpha). Has a larger engine and incresaed the towing rating. As for price on the new Alpha, ????? If interested, I suggest looking at the Alpha if you ever plan on hooking to anything.


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## CamoWhaler

just got a '07 about 3 weeks ago. So far I am liking it.....My previous vehicle was a '99 Jeep Cherokee that I drove till it did not want to go anymore. But there is more room in it, towing capacity is greater (ya of course it is not going to be what a duramax can tow, but my boat is only 20' and it tows it just fine.) 
All time 4wd, 4.56 gears, can fit 33's with out any mods, and can put 35's on it with a few cranks on the torsion bars. The blind spots is a problem at first when backing up but you get use to it and if you learn to use and trust your mirrors it is no problem at all. the turning radius is great like mentioned before. 
The firs tank of gas I averaged 18.2 mpg, the second was only 17.5 stopped keeping track after that. 

I was looking at the 4dr wranglers but for the price I got more in the H3 for less price. Feel free to pm me with any questions.

Ya, if money was not a problem I would have a 4dr diesel 4x4 but I am not made out of money and would have drove my 'ole jeep forever if I could have.

Would recommend the Alpha also. 
depending on how much you want to spend the leather can be very nice. Demondtrond (sp?) had a Rawlings edition with black baseball glove leather and stitching that was awesome and white ash baseball bat wood grain dash.


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## Supergas

I thought that they were on the Trailblazer chassis, but a chevy dealer told me that they are on the Colorado truck chassis.. They have the I-5 Colorado engine, not the I-6 in the Trailblazer...

Take a look at the Trailblazer, there is a $5,000.00 rebate on them... I am thinking of a Trailblazer SS... 395 HP 6.0.... Whoohooo..

Supergas


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## CamoWhaler

It is on the Colorado / Canyon


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## paulss

They are very capable off road and, by most accounts, underpowered around town and on the highway. They are bringing out the H3 Alpha with the 5.3 v8 and by all accounts that solves the power problem at a cost of $8-10,000. They all have huge blindspots. 

You sway you might want to downsize. If it's purely for better MPG, I don't think you'll be thrilled with either version of the H3. You might look at the 4Runner or the new Pathfinder. They both have very good v-6s and the Pathfinder can be had with the v-8 from the Titan if you aren't that concerned about mpg and want some awesome power.


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## Profish00

I sure miss my H3, nice trucks.....go for it!


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## Bobby

Ok here I am. I have a 06 and have had it for a year. I get between 17 and 20 mpg on the hwy. Really depends on how you drive. If you run WOT all the time like some of the guys on this board you won't get any kind of mileage.

I do have the inline 5 cyclinder and have no lack of power in town or on the hwy. I have pulled a 22' boat with no problem. I have no problem with the blind spots a rear view camera takes care of that. I can see what is behind me better than most of the guys complaining about the blind spots. It is build on a highly modified Colorado frame. Saying it is the same as a Colorado is like saying your house you live in is the same as a tree cause it started out as a tree. That V-8 everyone is talking about has 5 more HP than this 5 cyclinder. I get better gas miliage than my brothers Colorado. I am pulling twice his weight too. It rides great and I have had 0 problems with it. It will go through 2 ft of water and more. Anything you break or breaks on it is covered under warrenty. Even if you are rock crawling somewhere. The dealerships are even having offroading meetings for the people that buy from them. Thats enough for now. The reason I bought it was that what my wife said she wanted.


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## Blue Water Ho

Well that took long enough.


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## Profish00

Like nothing else


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## Buffett Fan

Once again, 2Coolers helping out with outstanding knowledge and expertise...

Well, I'm thinkin the H3 is the way to go ...hello GM, goodbye Ford !

Thanks again,
Vinny

PS...Profish, that's a good lookin' truck... I can't make up my mind, white or yeller !?!


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## Bobby

You mean like this one. This was before the roof rack and the grille guard was added.


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## Buffett Fan

Bobby said:


> You mean like this one. This was before the roof rack and the grille guard was added.


Yep, just like that one...very nice !!! Great lookin' truck!

thanks for the pics.


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## Dani California

All you gotta do is sit in one. Small seats and I've riden on an old buck board that was more comfortable.

But then again...thats why I ride a Mule.

Biggie:biggrin:


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## BlueWaveCapt

Personally I think for the $$ there are definitely more capable vehicles out there.


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## fishnlab

Capable of what? 

Towing
Grocery getting
Kid transporting
eye catching
off roading?

Personally, I'm not a fan of the H3, but starting under $30K, it's not that bad of a deal for some folks.


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## Pocketfisherman

The new smaller Diesel is supposed to be in 2009 model 1500 GM trucks and H3's next fall. It is supposed to give 20% better economy than the gas 5.3 litre motor.


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## Charles Helm

I would be surprised to see the baby Duramax that soon, but it would be good news.

I have driven a couple of H3s as loaner cars and they were fine. With three kids I needed a wider back seat.

Many people take them off road, and many only take them to the mall, just like any other 4WD...

Edit: Here is one of the press releases I have seen abiout the Duramax:

TONAWANDA , N.Y. - General Motors Corp. will invest $100 million in its Tonawanda engine plant to produce an all-new, 4.5-liter V-8 Duramax high-output diesel engine for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickup trucks and the *HUMMER H2*.

Construction is slated to begin later this year and production of the 4.5-liter V-8 diesel engine is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Not sure about the H3.

Prior press release:

[Source: GM]

*PRESS RELEASE:*

*GM Plans First Light Duty V-8 Clean Diesel For North America*


High-efficiency V-8 scheduled for pickup trucks under 8,600 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight and HUMMER H2
Low emissions, high performance and excellent fuel economy
Expected to deliver class-leading torque, power and refinement 
Manufactured at the GM Powertrain Tonawanda engine plant
_TONAWANDA, N.Y._ - General Motors Corp. will introduce a new, state-of-the-art 4.5L V-8 Duramax turbo-diesel that improves engine fuel efficiency by 25 percent, reduces CO2 emissions by 13 percent and cuts particulates and NOx emissions by at least 90 percent for North American light duty trucks and the HUMMER H2 built after 2009.

The premium V-8 diesel is expected to deliver class-leading torque, power and refinement while maintaining a significant fuel efficiency advantage over comparable-output gasoline engines.

The new dual-overhead cam, four-valve V-8 diesel engine will fit within the same space of a small-block V-8 gasoline engine. This compact size is made possible by using integral cylinder head exhaust manifolds, integral cam cover intake manifolds and a narrow block.

"This new GM light duty diesel is expected to become a favorite among customers who require excellent towing ability and fuel efficiency," said Tom Stephens, group vice president, GM Global Powertrain and Quality. "It will meet the stringent 2010 emissions standards, and it will be compliant in all 50 states, making it one of the cleanest diesel vehicles ever produced."

Environmental benefits of the new engine include a 13-percent reduction in CO2 versus gasoline engines, and at least a 90-percent reduction in particulates and NOx compared to diesel vehicles today. This will be GM's first engine to use a selective catalytic reduction NOx aftertreatment system with a diesel particulate filter to help achieve the Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standards.

Technical highlights of the engine include aluminum cylinder heads with integrated manifolding; a variable-vane turbocharger with intercooling; a Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) block for a stronger and lighter engine base (compared to lower-strength aluminum or heavier grey cast iron); and fracture-split main bearing caps and connecting rods for a precise fit. An electronically controlled, ultra-high-pressure, common-rail fuel system is used, which has the ability to inject fuel five times per combustion event to control noise and emissions.

"This new V-8 is not only a clean diesel meeting the toughest emissions requirements in North America, it also delivers an effortless performance feel because of its high torque across the speed range," said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM Powertrain Diesel Engineering. "It is also significantly quieter than other diesels on the road today, with noise and vibration performance approaching gasoline V-8 levels."

Freese said the new V-8's compact size enables it to fit in the envelope of a gasoline small-block engine, which provides GM the flexibility to introduce this engine in a wide variety of vehicle applications should there be future market demand.

The premium V-8 diesel engine is expected to deliver class-leading refinement, horsepower and torque and fulfill multiple vehicle applications with ratings in excess of 310 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque.

GM (Opel, Saab, Vauxhall and GMDAT ) currently offers 17 diesel engine variants in 45 vehicle lines around the world. GM sells more than one million diesel engines annually, with products that offer a range of choices from the 1.3L four-cylinder diesel engine sold in the Opel Agila and Corsa, up to the 6.6L V-8 Duramax diesel sold in full-size vans, heavy duty pickups and medium duty trucks in the U.S.

GM first introduced the Duramax diesel 6.6L V-8 in the U.S. in the 2001 model year and since then, customer enthusiasm for this heavy duty diesel has been outstanding. In fact, GM's heavy duty pickup truck market share has jumped nearly tenfold in the six years that Duramax engines have been offered.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.


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## TheGoose

Can't wait to get the 1/2 ton diesel. Will probably wait until 2010 or '11 to let em iron the kinks out.


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