So, sell me on the H3....

[f5fstop]

come on guys, are the window controls really that bad? for the past two-weeks i have been driving with just a left hand, while my right hand is in a cast halfway up my arm. i can steer. operate the windows, put it in gear, turn the ign sw on/off, etc. only thing i do with my right is to switch radio stations with one of my fingers sticking out of the cast.

as for the h3, as my chrysler buddy told me the day after he retired, if he didn't get great prices on jeeps, he would head to new mexico in a h3.

(typing w/one hand is more of a pain in the arse then working those window switches

Just my 2 cents:

I'm a fairly serious (mostly road car) enthusiast with a Porsche Boxster S, Jag X-type and H3 (purchased 7/2/05) in the household. I traded a 2002 Highlander Limited V6 for the H3 and have no regrets. I tend to use an SUV as my daily driver which works fine for gonzo urban driving in Silicon Valley. This is the first GM vehicle that I have ever owned and I'm pleasantly surprised by the high level of engineering that went into the H3.

Here are some of my observations after 5500 miles:

Power/motor - adequate, but slower than the Highlander due to the weight differnce. The inline 5 motor revs well and has decent torque. I have yet to take it into the mountains at altitude, but I'm expecting it to strain a bit there. No oil burned at first 5000 mile change.

Gas mileage - 15 in suburbia-mixed, 18 highway, driven somewhat agressively. I check my mileage at every fillup (Chevron regular). Not bad considering the weight, blunt shape, etc. The reasonable mileage is the result of GM's engine choice. The Highlander got 18/21 under the same conditions on premium gas.

Handling/ride (road) - Handling as good as the Highlander, but sometimes ride is a little "trucky" which should be expected given the offroad capabilities (and solid axle and unsprung weight). Overall, nice ride/handling for a truck based SUV.

Interior (lux pkg.) - okay room for 4 max (not 5). Nice interior but fit and finish is still not up to Toyota standards. But I am satisfied overall and fit and finish is good. Obviously something like an Explorer is more practical for family-types, but too boring for me. Front seats are most important to me and they are comfortable. Killer stereo and XM radio beats the Toyota Highlander. AC is manual, but I tend to use auto climate control systems manually anyway so that's no problem. AC runs colder than any Japanese car that I've driven.

So those are just some of my observations so far. What's lacking is mileage off road, in snow during ski season, and over high passes to Lake Tahoe, which will come later.

But what the heck, it's a Hummer, it's fun! Even my wife likes the H3 a lot!

Steve

H3 white/lux pkg./chrome pkg./chrome wheels/hitch/chrome side steps/XM/sunroof/RW locking chrome cap (yeah plenty of bling to offset the Euro cars in the garage)

[gc2488]

Any drawbacks? I suppose you can always delve into
luxury features (like those of the loaded VW Touareg),
but here's one problem with the current H3 design:

Marker light installation is currently done by dealers,
not at the factory, and this is prone to problems.
Sometimes a lot of wind noise results.
That's what I've gathered. One dealer told me last week
that marker lights are "on constraint" and he cannot order
an H3 with them. We'll see if/when/how this is fixed...

[Crisco]

I think HIHUMMER said it best.

For what it's worth, there are two things that I really dislike, the armrest controls\comfort thing and the e-brake pedal. For some reason I have a great deal of trouble banging the side of my leg on the stupid thing. Does anyone else have this trouble or am I on crack?

[trebor]

We drove every vehicle available in a 150 mile radius of home. My wife wanted to buy a new car, her first ever, and I told her if she was going to buy new and I was going to take a hit on the depressiation then she better like it alot because we were going to have it a long time. When we drove the GC it had a very stiff ride and the back seat had very little room. We drove full size pickups and all of the suvs you can think of. About that time Truck Trend came out with their article and we read it and decided to do our own test of each vehicle. Needless to say we bought the H3.

If you need conviencing then the H3 is not for you.(that just means ours are a little more unique with one less person driving one)

Oh, about towing, I flat towed my Wrangler to a dry lake about 60 miles away and hardly knew the thing was back there. In the past I have pulled with an Expidition and you know it is there.

[Kid Shyleen]

When I first saw the H3 and the manual climate controls I thought the same thing, "WTF?" Then I started realizing that I have dual climate control in my Avalanche NFE and am always trying to override the crappy control system. Specifically, I am manually controlling my auto system! My wife, who is always opposite of me on climate (and most other things) never touches the auto controls for her side. She just closes all the vents...manually. I never thought I would say this, but I can't wait for the manual control. Unfortunately I have to because my H3 won't arrive until the end of October. Anyone want a clean 03 Avalanche?

[Brian H]

You vil buy it, and you vil like!

Trebor - that's an interesting observation about towing. I noticed when I had 3 hefty passengers in the H3, I could barely feel the difference in handling/ride/acceleration. In my previous Toyota Highlander, extra weight was much more noticeable.


Other observations:

-the driver's armrest/window controls setup is lame but not too bothersome.
-I would like a 5th gear and closer gear spacing on the automatic tranny.
-brakes are pretty good, 4 piston calipers on front-impressive for a truck
-love that huge sunroof
-backing up requires a lot of extra attention, I'm considering electronic aids later.
(fyi-Jag X-type back sensors work great)
-cargo space is only adequate with rear seat up
-space in general is only adequate due to all that heavy duty hardware and ground clearance underneath
(of course a front-wheel derived crossover SUV will have better space utilization)
-Even in the trendy Bay Area, H3's are still somewhat rare. I've only seen about a dozen on the road so far.


Steve

[Sharkster]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">-brakes are pretty good, 4 piston calipers on front-impressive for a truck
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>Wow... is that true? That's like a "Brembo Porsche brake". Didn't even know that before you posted it.

A 4 piston brake is pretty impressive indeed. GM should point that out in their advertisment a little more.

[PCBeach]

Traded in my 2004 Grand Cherokee. Really like my H3.
My GC was not fulltime 4 wheel...All H3s are.
My GC had floor 4X4 shift..H3=electronic button.
My GC tiny front seats..H3 big & comfortable.
My GC a small SUV....H3 a large midsize truck.
My GC good view..H3 great driving view.
My GC stiff rough ride..H3 softer and smoother.
My GC 6 cyl noisy...H3 very very quiet.
Wife says the GC was smaller and easier to drive but loves the H3 ride and comfort.

Yea and the brakes have good sized rotors too.

Even sports car types (like me) should be impressed by some of the hardware on this truck (H3). Even the I5 motor is sophisticed for a truck (DOHC-4 values per, var. exhaust value timing, alum. block and head, balance shafts) As I said before GM/Hummer put some engineering into this rig. You can tell after you drive it for a while.

Of course there are tradeoffs such as power/economy, interior space/off road suspension and clearance, etc. Not a minivan-substitute SUV with 3rd row seating.

For those shopping for the most practical SUV, there are plenty of other choices. I consider it like an affordable Land Rover LR3 (premium SUV with serious offroad capabilities).

Steve

[H3 Hummer]

Like Nothing Else!

[H3Shopper]

Okay, actually some thoughtful responses there, and thanks for those. The "if you're hesitating, then its not for you" responses were worthless. I don't drive a car based on what other people think of it....I drive it because it satisfies MY needs.

I admit, I'm looking for the perfect vehicle for me. I need some serious off-road capability (although not Moab serious), but I also practically live in the car during the week. So, yeah, the little things are important to me.

While the H3 seems like the best candidate so far, it is hardly perfect.

The 1999 GC was perfect for me, but they destroyed it over the years. I don't even like the 2004 models, because they made the seats too cushy, and the power steering over corrects and feels mushy. The 2005 is right out -- the cheap plastic they used on the dash and doors is an absolute no go.

I'm encouraged by the towing ability discussed above. If the H3 was available in a tubo diesel today, then I would already be signing the papers....

[walc]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by H3Shopper:
I don't drive a car based on what other people think of it....I drive it because it satisfies MY needs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Then why title your topic, "So, sell me on the H3...."?

[H3 Hummer]

If a picture is worth a thousand words than this video is worth a million.



Very nicely done.
H3Video

[kacyk]

Go to Budget and rent an H3 for a day. It's not for everyone but it is certainly does attract a wider range of people that the H2.

[H3Shopper]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by kacyk:
Go to Budget and rent an H3 for a day. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

BEST advice in the thread!! I think I'll rent one for a week, and if the little things bug me too much, then I'll know to look elsewhere!

[H3Shopper]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by walc:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by H3Shopper:
I don't drive a car based on what other people think of it....I drive it because it satisfies MY needs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Then why title your topic, "So, sell me on the H3...."? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Yeah, that was probably confusing. I am interested in what other H3 owners think about some of the H3. What I meant was that I don't care about the image the H3 projects.

[SteveRH]

Simply put - I love the ride... I love the feel... I love the sound... I clock watch until I can get out and drive again... Unfortunately, I am also money conscious, so I drive to the train station and park (5 blocks away from home)... Doh...

[TorontoJeff]

I think it's like when Luis Armstrong was asked to define Jazz Music: "If you have to ask, you'll never know"