Black SUT

[Mike O]

For those interested, here's my brief review. Keep in mind I have only driven the truck for 5 days, so I may add more to this review later.

During the 7 month wait, I had thought about selling the truck almost immediately after taking delivery. Having driven the SUT for five days, it’s safe to say I’ll be keeping it. Here are some of my first impressions:

From what I can tell, the ride quality and drivability are almost identical to the 2003/4 SUVs – which I have only driven for a few minutes. To my surprise, the SUT handles as well as our ’03 Denali. Although the Denali obviously accelerates much faster, the SUT’s brakes are just as responsive. Steering is surprisingly light given the width and weight of the truck. Visibility is great for the most part, although small cars easily disappear behind the spare tire and high tailgate. Unlike the Denali, the SUT does not suffer from horrible IP bezel rattles. Although very subtle, I did notice some creaking coming from the midgate when turning onto an incline.

The Ebony interior looks great, and yes, there is still some plastic. However, the plastic doesn’t rattle, and in my opinion, it makes the interior feel a little more durable (and consequently less worrisome). The front seats are great, and the rear split bench provides plenty of support and comfort. The front seats must be moved forward in order to fold down the rear bench, but the front seats can then be moved back a few inches (once the bench has been folded down). As most of you know, XM Radio is finally available as an option on the Base and Adventure models and is standard on the Luxury model. The new touch screen navigation system provides easy access to song information when listening to XM Radio or FM stations using RDS. Although usually accurate, the navigation system sporadically failed to locate my vehicle twice while driving on the same major road. This seemed to be some sort of glitch, and thankfully it hasn’t occurred again. The GUI is straightforward, and the display is easy to read. At first glance, some 3rd party navigation systems seem more elegant and complete – namely products from Eclipse, Pioneer, and Kenwood. I have not had the system long enough to justify its replacement, but I look forward to testing this GPS system further.

The exterior tire mount is easy to use, and HUMMER was kind enough to place a rubber stopper on the mount in case you lower the tailgate before swinging out the carrier fully. Unfortunately neither the tailgate nor the tire mount lock, and it might be reasonably easy to steal the spare. Perhaps one of the coolest features of this truck is the bed-mounted air hose & 12V accessory outlets. The cargo compartment in the right side of the bed houses the jack, while providing extra room for the air hose and other small parts.

Despite a few minor complaints, this vehicle simply rocks. Great looks, innovative features, and cool gadgets make the SUT worth the expense. I cannot wait to test the truck offroad, where I am sure it will truly excel.