H3?

[10.5' Tunnel]

What do you guys think? At first I thought it was probably gonna suck, and be more worthless then an s-10, but its not. It has an almost 6000 lbs towing capacity, a inline 5 engine (I've heard nothing bad or good about this motor), and you can get it in a 5 speed. It goes for about the same as a sierra crew cab. http://www.gmcanada.com/english/vehicles/hummer/h3/

http://www.hummer.com/

[1BadAction]

your not towing 6000 lbs with that and being safe. I dont give a spit what GM says.

gm gets by with that anemic little gas hog inline 5 by putting MASSIVE rear end gears in it. turns 3200rpm at 70mph. Just another soccer mom status symbol. IMO. Thats coming from a die hard GM fan.

[SportJ-US-1]

Any vehicle other than the original Hummer is just a plain old SUV for the Yuppies to drive around in and act like they are special. A real tow vehicle, no. Get at least a 3/4 ton truck for real towing.

[Scream And Fly]

Any vehicle other than the original Hummer is just a plain old SUV for the Yuppies to drive around in and act like they are special. A real tow vehicle, no. Get at least a 3/4 ton truck for real towing.

When was the last time you saw an 'original' (civilian) Hummer doing any sort of work?

I never have.

Greg

[1BadAction]

the H2 is ok, if you like the "shoebox on steroids" look. any newer 1/2 ton GM truck with a 5.3 is built plenty heavy enough to make 6000lbs and less feel like a bath toy. any bigger than a half ton is a waste of money unless you tow big stuff alot.

[mr.clean]

butt ugly! :eek: I'd take a jeep grand cherokee over it any day of the week. looks like a potential rollover problem too.

[ProComp]

They should have put a diesel in it. Would have made an economical tow vehicle for the light boats, atvs and sleds.

[1BadAction]

They should have put a diesel in it. Would have made an economical tow vehicle for the light boats, atvs and sleds.

yeah, a inline 4 turbo diesel (half a duramax) would have been sweet.

[10.5' Tunnel]

So the inline 5 is a gas guzzler? I would have thought it would be good. I don't really think its a statuts symbol at all. Maybe the h2, but this thing is in the price range of a well equipped envoy or trail blazer. I made a mistake, it has a 4500 lbs towing capacity.

[SportJ-US-1]

When was the last time you saw an 'original' (civilian) Hummer doing any sort of work?

I never have.

Greg

But it can if someone should decide too, and that's the real issue. Just how many SUV's have you seen out 4 wheelin'? Except for the Jeep and they aren't SUV's (they exsisted pre SUV).

[10.5' Tunnel]

My dad has had jeeps and wasn't happy. He sticks to gm from now on.

[Pro300x24LD]

I am a jeep owner (8 years now and I am 25), and I would take the H3 over any of the current offerings from jeep. Tows better, looks more trail ready, can haul my increasingly bigger family, can tow a boat, and can still get dirty. Liberty? Come on thats a soccer vehicle. Grand Cherokee? don't like the looks, wrangler not enough interior room anymore, and the towing sucks. The truth is not many SUV's are trucks or tow rigs anymore. For a small to midsize SUV I think the H3 has its place and I personally like it better then many other domestic offerings.

[1BadAction]

So the inline 5 is a gas guzzler? I would have thought it would be good. I don't really think its a statuts symbol at all. Maybe the h2, but this thing is in the price range of a well equipped envoy or trail blazer. I made a mistake, it has a 4500 lbs towing capacity.

its spinning stupid rpm at speed under a heavy load, it has no torque, the I-6 is worse than a v8. the I5 is as bad as the 6.

for the price of that hummer you can get a real truck, like a Trailblazer SS or a Silverado LS with the 5.3. so imo when you buy something way expensive, and get less, its a status symbol. Its based on a $14,000 colorado. lol

an H1 as a tow vehicle is a joke too. they top out at 80 mph and are in the shop more than on the street. get real.

[10.5' Tunnel]

There not "way" expensive. Its actually a bit cheaper then a trail blazer ss. Anyways I'm going to check em out in a bit, let ya know what I think.

[Casey]

any bigger than a half ton is a waste of money unless you tow big stuff alot

obviously you have never owned or driven a 3/4 or 1 ton because if you had you would realize they make any 1/2 ton feel like a mini truck on the open road, plus they get better gas mileage if they have a diesel. the last 1/2 ton i owned was a 95 Z-71 back in 95 and i'll never buy another. i have plenty of friends with new 1/2 ton chevy's, ford's and dodge's and they all have one thing in common, there weak!

remember this, if your towing anything at all bigger is always better :D

[vwfreak]

Anyone remember the Cadilliac Cimmaron?
A small front wheel drive (Cavalier) with Cadi badges all over it...
It was a wannabe Cadilliac for those with the want but no $$$ to back the want. (mid 80's)

BMW introduced the X5 a few years ago, which was a huge success. It too was followed by a wannabe X3, which is just sad in comparason to the original.

I personally was really looking forward to the new H3, but couldn't have been more disappointed when I got to check it out first hand at the Auto Show.
Yup, just another wannabe to me. (and ugly as s*** too)

I'll stick with Jeep for hauling my toys around. ;)


vwfreak,

[1BadAction]

obviously you have never owned or driven a 3/4 or 1 ton because if you had you would realize they make any 1/2 ton feel like a mini truck on the open road, plus they get better gas mileage if they have a diesel.

in other words they are 7000lb behemoths that dont handle worth a sh*t. Oh yeah, I can back circles around you at the ramp too. :p dont give me that diesel BS either, $6500 more for 1-2 mpg better on the highway, and fuel cost that are as bad or worse than gas. not worth it unless you haul a load heavy enough to kill mpg in a gasser.


the last 1/2 ton i owned was a 95 Z-71 back in 95 and i'll never buy another.

old body style 1/2tons were station wagons with a truck frame. why not just compare a 1961 to a 2005 truck?


i have plenty of friends with new 1/2 ton chevy's, ford's and dodge's and they all have one thing in common, there weak!

remember this, if your towing anything at all bigger is always better :D

yeah, weak as in better power to weight ratio, shorter braking, and the same running gear as a 3/4 ton. what a fukkin joke. Your probably the type of guy that buys a 1 ton dually to tow a 2000 lb boat rig :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: yeeeee haw, put in the toby kieth and kill some minoritys.

[1BadAction]

There not "way" expensive. Its actually a bit cheaper then a trail blazer ss. Anyways I'm going to check em out in a bit, let ya know what I think.

look what your comparing it too, a TB SS is twice the truck of an H3 for $2500 more. LOL

[sho305]

I've read about it and know a guy who works at an auto transport company, so he drives stuff around there. Seems the interior is small, seems a lot like the little truck it is based on. Nobody likes that motor I have heard, tests say it is gutless at speed and hogs gas. I drove an I6 trailblazer and it had little torque but went like hell at high rpm, all empty driving. I don't think I would like to haul over say 2500lbs with anything that size for very far or very often. It thought they were about $35K? Is that cheap? Sure they look cool if you like that look, have lots of ground clearance and good offroad drive. Panel fits are not so good, windows are pretty short in height. If you want that look, its your ride because you will not care about performance as long as it will haul you around and get the job done. Don't think GM is selling that many of those colarados either.


How about the liberty diesel? I heard they could have used a higher tow rating on it but the vehicle was too small...but the motor will pull it. I laughed because comsumer reports tested the diesel liberty and said it got terrible mpg...of course they never like USA vehicles anyway. If it don't get 20mpg and they didn't take it back they must have a car IQ of 0. An 8,000lb quad cab 1 ton diesel can get 20+ highway, and very close in town. Also check out the new jeeps, like the commander. The jeep dealer here said they had not sold one diesel liberty at about the middle of summer. He said they only came fully loaded and were the most expensive.

[Casey]

like i said you've never driven or owned one. or you would know they brake way better, handle 10 times better and back way easier because of the longer wheelbase. oh and it's not $6500, it's only $4000 and worth every penny :D

and get it right it's david allen coe, not toby keith :rolleyes:

[1BadAction]

yea ive never driven or owned one :rolleyes: thats why I drive one 2-3 times a week for work, and its a FORD 1 ton flatbed at that. :p You should try driving something smaller than the size of a house, or would that make you less of a man? :rolleyes: truthfully i dont care what you drive, and I didnt belittle you for it. i find it amusing that you need to assert your manhood (or lack thereof) over someone else because of the truck they drive.


FYI- short wheelbase=shorter turn radius.

same brakes/same tire width + less weight = shorter stopping distance, its called inertia. ;)

[1BadAction]

seriously Casey, If I could have gotten a HD/Duramax in a shortbed/cab truck, I would have gotten one. those LWB trucks just wont get around like this one will. Its cool though, I got the HD tranny and Gears in mine (4l65 and 3.73s)

BTW- nice tank you have there. :D whats it get mpg wise? (really)

[10.5' Tunnel]

GUTLESS!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly it was ok, but the power is SERIOUSLY lacking. I wasn't expecting no sports car either. It easily had less power then my sisters 4 banger sunbird. Looksl ike its gonna be a Z71 :rolleyes: Btw, I really liked the looks and interior. We were honestly sold on it till we drove it. I wouldn't even tow a box trailer with it.

[pyro]

I tow with a Jeep Cherokee. While towing on the freeway at 65-70 mph, I average around 14-15 MPG with a passenger, and a bunch of camping gear.

When NOT towing, it gets 22 to 24 MPG on the back roads with a little bit of stop and go driving. These XJ's are great tow pigs for light to medium duty pulling.

[1BadAction]

thats interesting pyro... good mpg unloaded but it drops quite a bit. you checked your trailer tires? :confused: My truck gets 21-22 on the highway with a few stops at 65, and 19 towing my Grandfathers bass boat (with gear) at the same speed. the boat rig weighs about 3500 lbs. I can squeeze 16 average out of it in 100% city traffic.

[Casey]

:D :D :D :D

[sho305]

Yeah my Ford diesel takes a football field to make a U-turn in, that is one thing I really don't like about it. That and parking the big thing. But it tows like nothing, hauls anything, and even this older one gets mpg in the teens depending on driving/weather but I can't seem to get over 18 highway. I could have gotten away with a lesser truck, but it would not been able to do a few things mine has and I don't care as much because I have a car to drive too. The F150s drive a lot nicer, that is for sure. And if I had a good gas truck the mpg is about the same...but I would not have that great turbo oil burner under the hood:)

I drove a bunch of little suvs a few years ago. I liked the Durango (in about 2002), the Grand Cherokee was a nice ride, and the explorer was not bad..it was smaller and easier to drive/park but the seats sucked. The Durango didn't have fulltime 4x4, they say the Jeeps had poor reliability back then, the explorer was the new 2002 model. I didn't like the old or new trailblazer because they felt like they would tip over on any corner. The GM I6 was fast empty, the V8 Durango sounded the coolest and is what I would have bought back then...explorer second. The 4.0 V6 explorer was quick up to 50mph with the 5 speed auto, then the GM I6 blew it away. The exploder did get better mpg than all of them, maybe 24 highway I got. Durango 4.7 could squeek up to 20 highway if I tried. But, I hate the looks of the new Durango IMO so I don't know what I would buy in that class today. The H3 looks cool but I'd be unhappy with it if it didn't perform like they are saying, but I don't care that much about looks to pay for it anyway.

[Pro300x24LD]

Well I ordered a new H3 last night. I am selling my 1998 cherokee. Have owned 2 cherokees, 3 wranglers.

Gutless is an understatement, the H3 is very slow. However, I don't see it having any problems towing anything. As far as off road ability in my opion it is going to beat any jeep offering except a wrangler.

I got the adventure package with a stick, the wimpy bigger 285 tires, and the electronic locking rear diff.

I won't be using it for heavy duty towing OR extreme offroading. Other then the lack of acceleration I liked it better then the grand cherokee in every category. Will I sing the same tune 6 months from now? who knows, its my first non-jeep in all of my 10 years of driving.

I'll let you guys know how I like it once I get it.

[Hydrovector]

sweet.

[ProComp]

sweet.

Agreed, that package is awesome, pics don't do it justice.

[Pro300x24LD]

Picked up my H3 last night and I like it a lot. Drives really well, is not a sports car by any means but it will get out of its own way just fine.

I have the offroad suspension (woopty doo), the bigger tires, a stick, towing package. and some other goodies.

I'll let you know towards the end of the week what kind of mileage I can pull driving too and fro work.

[sho305]

Well even if you end up not liking it you will be in a cool looking ride, and you will have no problem finding someone else to buy it off you! Let us know how you like it. I remember in the 80s when every car had no power, I doubt it is that bad. The stick shift always helps you get the most out of a motor also.

[10.5' Tunnel]

sho, it was pretty gutless (don't take any offence roktoy). The thing they really have goin for them, is the looks. I love the roof line and squatty windows! I bet you get pretty decent gas mileage outta it. No doubt the resale will be high, when we were there, all they had left were the 2 demos, and they wouldn't even let you buy them at the msrp. She said they had brought in about 20 of em, not knowing how they would sell, and people were buying them like hot cakes.

[Pro300x24LD]

No offence taken what so ever!!

As for power it certainly isn't a sports car, but I think its sufficient. Its kinda like my old 4 cylinder wrangler. It was fine with the 31's but with the 33's it became a 4 speed, but still had enough power to drive around. It doesn't have the power to weight ratio that my wranglers and cherokees had with the 4 liter, nor does it have the power to weight ratio that the new 3.7 liter cherokees have. But its close enough. It's decent on the highway in the 70-80 range. Slower then that and 5th gear won't accelerate I have to downshift.

What it does have going for it is looks and ride. I haven't taken it offroad yet, but my guess is it will take me where I need or want to go. Capability is probably a tad less then a stock wrangler with 31's and a tad better then a grand cherokee. That remains to be seen.

I will have a first tank mpg report monday.

[pyro]

I miss the Cherokee body. I have a 98 Limited, if I ever sell it, I'll probably buy a 2001 Cherokee to replace it.

[sho305]

Around '01-02 I drove some new Cherokees and a Grand Cherokee all with the 4.0L. The Cherokee was pretty spunky, you could smoke the tires if you wanted to. I owned an older one that had posi and would lay nice rubber marks if you stood on the brake a little, and with the larger stock tires on alloys. They were not the most polished vehicles and were smallish, but they would go near anywhere...lots of fun! The Grand Cherokee was obviously not as jumpy with the 4.0, but normal driving was not that bad IMO. It didn't have a lot at highway speeds like say the 4.7L V8 Durango had, but it was enough that you didn't get mad at it for being a total slug. It did ride nice, it was tight like a car and didn't bob around at all on the road. Had the best seats of all of them. The selectable full time 4x4 worked super nice in the snow. Not sure it would do that well towing anything heavy, but I liked it alot. I know a guy that has one now and loves it, with the I6. They said they broke more, I don't know as these were new rentals and with our abuse they never had a problem. We filled them with mud more than a few times at construction sites.:D

[RBT]

I am looking at one too, not so sure about the wimpy motor though. I can't get anything bigger or I cannot park it at work..... underground.

RT

I have had 7 Jeeps and 1 Audi.... my 04 Jeep is CRAP

[Pro300x24LD]

I am looking at one too, not so sure about the wimpy motor though. I can't get anything bigger or I cannot park it at work..... underground.

RT

I have had 7 Jeeps and 1 Audi.... my 04 Jeep is CRAP

I had a 97 wrangler on 35 swampers with 4.0
92 wrangler on 33's with 2.5
88 wrangler on 31's with 4.2
98 cherokee on 31's with 4.0
98 cherokee stock with 4.0

All Wranglers were stick, all cherokees auto. This is my first non jeep as a primary. The more I drive it the less I notice the "lack" of power, i just wait a hair longer to shift like I had to do in my wranglers with the bigger tires. It aint that bad. I didn't drive an auto, though I would think it would be less noticeable with the lack of power.

I did let her run the other day and it did take a while to get to 100mph. and wouldn't hold anymore then 85 in fifth gear.

Runs about 2500 at 73mph in 5th gear and seems decent, I usually dont have to downshift on the hills around here like I did in my wrangler on 35's.

Still no off road test, doubt I will have one that will compare with my older wranglers, I am not into it like i used to be.

[1BadAction]

I am looking at one too, not so sure about the wimpy motor though.

an I-6 or better yet, 5.3 would have been tits.

[mendo]

I have had 2 Jeep Libertys and for commuting they are only ok on gas, I got around 20 average mpg. I was very impressed with the off road capability of the stock vehicle. I put it in low and it crawled up, down and over a lot more than I thought it would.

I rented an H3 in hawaii and took it on the beach. I drove past many ford exporers that were stuck, many meaning 3!!! It was smaller inside, had less power, did ok on gas. Here is the point though, STICKER PRICE WAS ONLY 31 thousand. That is not bad, right around what many other small SUV's are.

I think for the price and if I was to use it for commuting, light off-road and occasional towing it is a pretty good solution.

[10.5' Tunnel]

The price is a LOT cheaper there then it is here. You can get a basic 4x4 extended cab for the same price here.

[Pro300x24LD]

Refilled the other day, 19.4 Gallons 342 miles. It wasn't completely dry (holds 24) but was close enough. 17.6mpg's so far so good. Wouldnt mind getting closer to 20, I usually am at 75 on the eway.

[heath brinkley]

Hahahahaha !!!!! LMAO !!!!!!

Casey, your killin' me. That picture is too much. Serious towing there, I could pull that Allison around with my sportbike if I rigged a 2" ball up to it.:D :D

[Pro300x24LD]

18.4 MPG's consistently, I check every take so thats a pretty accurate number.

Cargo space seems to be pretty cramped for how big it is on the outside. I just finished a move and had to make a few more trips then I wanted to.

Towing. SUCKS. The vehicle can handle the weight, cornering, etc. is all fine. Power is fine below 50-55mph. NO real issues there.

I was using a 2x4 tube landscape trailer with 2x2 tube sides. Dual axle, 20ft long. Read HEAVY. I could not hold any more then 60mph in 5th gear, but had no problems in 4th, which was no REAL surprise, but had to limit my speed otherwise I was turning a million RPM and went right through the gas.

At 60 MPH in 4th my RPM's were 2800 and fuel consumption was about the same as everyday driving and this was with the trailer loaded. Probably 4,000 pounds or so.

The brakes were not bad, but would probably add a break controller if I was going to tow heavy loads often, or a big boat on long trips.


Overall I like it, but will probably go back to a Jeep (this time a grand cherokee) once my lease is up. The jeep is a bit cheaper, a little less cumbersome to drive due to size and power. That and I would love to not have a car payment again...

[sho305]

Too bad a diesel jeep liberty would not work for you. I hear they are pricey, but I've read they can pull more than the vehicle can handle. Don't know if they will offer it in another model.

Sounds like this H3 has done better than I thought it would considering what I read about it. It does have poor power and mpg, but not terrible by what you are saying.

The funny part is I rode with my inlaw about an hour away on highway and two lanes with the flow of traffic. His computer said 20.4 mpg...we were in his crew cab 4 door F250 2004 6.0 powerstroke, a huge heavy truck. Hard to imagine what it would be like to have say a F150 size super or crew cab with maybe a 4.0 to 5.0 liter diesel. Maybe 24mpg or more in normal mixed driving?

[jphii]

Too bad a diesel jeep liberty would not work for you. I hear they are pricey, but I've read they can pull more than the vehicle can handle. Don't know if they will offer it in another model.

You can get a Liberty diesel for well under 25K.

[Pro300x24LD]

You can get a Liberty diesel for well under 25K.Diesel Grand available in '07......

http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2006/112_news060608_2007_jeep_grand_cherokee_crd_diesel/

[sho305]

Nice, I had not seen that. I was at a dealer (a year ago?) when they had been out a little while. The salesman there said they had not sold one...mainly because the only ones they could get were completely loaded and very expensive. He said the customers asking about them didn't want the most expensive and he was trying to order lesser equipped ones. He said the people that wanted a liberty diesel wanted to save money not spend more.

[1BadAction]

a I4 turbo diesel (half a duramax?) IMO would be pretty nice in and H3 or colorado.

[Pro300x24LD]

a I4 turbo diesel (half a duramax?) IMO would be pretty nice in and H3 or colorado.I would agree. The problem with the H# is not the lack of power, its the lack of low end torque. a Diesel would make it much better IMO as well.

[Pro300x24LD]

your not towing 6000 lbs with that and being safe. I dont give a spit what GM says.

It actually tows quite well as far as safety and handling, but has no power, the true 4500 lb # is more like it and probably not a problem.


gm gets by with that anemic little gas hog inline 5 by putting MASSIVE rear end gears in it. turns 3200rpm at 70mph. Just another soccer mom status symbol. IMO. Thats coming from a die hard GM fan.

I have the offroad package which also gives 4.56 gears and I have a 5 speed and I turn 2800 Rpm at just over 75mph.

[Pro300x24LD]

looks like a potential rollover problem too.
It may look like it...but it actually corners very stable. My jeep cherokee was more of a rollover concern IMO.