MajorGeek
05-01-2006, 08:20 PM
Seeing so many reviews on the net, and having asked so many questions myself before buying, I thought I would write down my thoughts after owning an H3 for a couple of weeks now. Hopefully this review will help others
who might be on the fence about purchasing an H3. I also hope to clarify some of the disinformation I had ready prior to finding these forums and making my purchase. This vehicle is a 2006 H3 with both the Adventure and Luxury packages. It is almost fully loaded, as far as I know it is missing only the factory trailer hitch and navigation.
My first experience, besides looking at it in dealer parking lots, was at a local auto show. Here is where the trouble began. As soon as I climbed in, I was hooked. I came back and sat in it again. This H3 had leather and was as comfortable and attractive as any SUV I have sat in. More importantly, you knew you
were in a Hummer. Having been in friends H1's many times (and listening to him diss any Hummer that isn't an H1) as well as having driven an H2 for a couple of weeks, there is no mistaking your sitting in a Hummer. I came
back and sat in it again for roughly 10 minutes and knew I had to drive one.
Off to the local dealership, with the primary concern, having briefly owned a Colorado and read many H3 reviews, was if the I5 engine could pull the Hummer around. My first move was to take off from a stop in the H3 as I would
in any other vehicle. I immediately looked at the salesman and wondered aloud what the reviewers were talking about. I then went to a highway on ramp that went uphill to climb into traffic as many reviews said this required extra
planning. The H3 obliged and I was easily doing 70 MPH when I merged in. On the highway, I had read you need to prepare in advance for passing and once again, I do not have to drive the H3 any differently then any other vehicle.
I have had no problems switching lanes and passing at 65-70 MPH on the highway. At around 400 miles I switched to 89 octane fuel and added a K&N filter. The H3 seems more responsive then ever at this point. As a simple test, I did the old "1 mississippi, 2 mississippi" thing to time it and figured at a normal dead stop at a traffic light with a typical takeoff pushing the pedal halfway or better, your looking at roughly 4 seconds to 30 mph and 9 seconds to 45 mph. Try doing that on a normal takeoff in your vehicle, and I think you will find that those are reasonable take off times. Obviously, no one will argue that the H3 could use more horsepower and torque. I think the main reasons would be for pulling someone out of a ditch, or towing. I feel another 50-75 horsepower would be perfect, but this does not change the fact that the I5 engine is capable of pulling the H3 around. It would seem the transmission deserves some credit in this area. It is very quick to respond and makes a big difference. The H3 has another surprise in store. Incredibly short turning radius. I have not had an SUV that can do a circle in as short a space as the H3. The first time you make a u-turn, be prepared for a surprise. It is fun to watch the look on a passengers face when you do a u-turn. In a few spots, the visibility can be a bit limited. If you are first to a traffic light, for example, you can't get too close or you will need the sunroof to see the light because of the H3 signature windshield that seems to go
straight up defying all aerodynamics principles of most vehicles. This also means bugs dont come off the windshield on a typical touchless car wash. With the adventure package and 33" tires you can expect a bit of tire noise at higher speeds. Occasionally the H3 feels a little top heavy, or floaty as some people might call it, but with the high suspension and large tires, I expected it and rarely notice it at all. It is most noticeable if you yank the wheel back and forth or hit some large bumps or potholes at 30 mph or more. I have gone through some turns fairly quickly and the H3 feels competent. The ride, even with the stiffer suspension is comfortable. Coming from a guy with a bad back, the comfortable seats help a lot and the ride is comfortable. One problem you might find is the irresistible urge to yank the wheel and go off road. You know your in a Hummer and you always want to get off the street and rip through some mud. Gas mileage took the most time finishing writing this. As mentioned, I have opted to use 89 octane fuel,
a K&N air filter and I switched to synthetic oil at 527 miles. Take all of this into account, as well as the fact that I drive my vehicles hard and it has the large tires, so it is safe to assume you would be hard pressed to get worse gas mileage then me. The first MPG reflects only the second tank of gas with 473 miles on the truck, K&N filter and stock oil, so I expected it to be low. The first check was 13.8 mpg. This reflects mainly city and suburban driving. Next check was a tank after I changed to synthetic oil. Mileage was 1200 and for this half tank of fuel, I decided to
drive the truck a bit more conservatively. While I still drove hard in spots, I mainly tried to not accelerate too hard in most situation. No calculator was needed as I fueled up at 161.8 miles and required 11.2 gallons meaning I was just under 16 MPG. I would expect this to be a reasonable average for most drivers in city\suburban conditions. As
always, the EPA's outdated standards make the estimated MPG a bit high. I saw people claiming 13 mpg and I can't get the H3 to go that low.
The interior is more then you might expect, but has flaws. In my case, I have both the adventure and luxury package. It includes leather, OnStar (I missed that), Monsoon sound with sub (great sound up to 3\4 volume), Homelink, XM Radio, and more. Because it has the adventure package, it also has a stiffer suspension and larger (33") tires). It has a large power sunroof that is probably the largest piece of glass in the H3. The window controls were poorly placed. Unless your 6' 2" or so and have the seat all the way back, you have to twist, or reach back and look for the window controls. Reaching for seat controls, or heated seats, risks getting your hand stuck. There is not enough room to fit your hand between the seat and the door to reach these controls. Speaking of which, the whole
center console could use a redesign. There is not enough room to store CD's and the usual stuff I take with me. What is there works, it just could have been better. I can see there is limited space here, so this will not be easy to
accomplish. For example, you could kill two birds with one stone by making the center storage a bit deeper, taller and longer, with a angle at the end. This could house all the window controls as well as a change pocket. Drive any Lincoln, BMW, etc. to see this.
Backing up is always fun. Because of the H3 signature windows, view can be obstructed. A little preplanning is required in this area. I usually park a bit outside of everyone else anyway or look for a spot that I can drive
through and be facing out when I return. The rear seats will seat 3 and the one seat on the passenger side can fold down to store long items (lumber) while still carrying four people. There are a few other features like a
pop up cup holder. The rear storage area was what I was looking for. It is all plastic and looks like you could throw dirt in there and wash it down. There are storage pockets as well. The rear tailgate swings open easily with
a strut and requires a tad more effort to close. The big spare tire makes the tailgate heavier, but no one I have had try closing it really seemed to notice. The rear window wiper only covers part of the window making it appear to be not working correctly. From the rear view, it basically clears between 3 and 11 o'clock, when it should be between 3 and 9 o'clock. With visibility being poor to begin with, this can be a nuisance. There is a grab handle on the passenger side, but not the driver side. The passenger side handle, or as I call them "Oh ****" handles, are placed towards the rear of the window. I am used to seeing them forward more. I mentioned this to other people and men don't seem to mind, women seem to like them forward more, easier to see and reach.
Bottom line: I love my vehicles. So take it from a guy who has owned a Lincoln Aviator, Chevy Colorado, Chevy Trailblazer, Dodge Daytona RAM, Dodge Viper and a 300 ZX Twin turbo in the past 2 years alone, this ain’t your
standard SUV. If you just want to take the kids to soccer games and get groceries, this is not the vehicle for you. But, if your a fan of the Hummer 1 or 2 and don't like the size and gas mileage, this warrants a look. There is no
mistaking your driving a Hummer and that IS what it is all about. Toyota, Ford, Chevy and everyone else make a much friendlier, street driving, daily use SUV. The H3 is a Hummer. Period. GM had a job to do in creating this vehicle. Staying true to the Hummer name. To create a more friendly street use vehicle would have compromised the Hummer line and I
feel GM totally captured the Hummer feel and experience, especially considering it is a first year vehicle, something many have come to expect shortcomings from. I look for excuses to drive the H3 somewhere. My wife has been trying to take it to work to show her co-workers who want to see it, and I obliged the other today. I think she is making excuses to drive it as well http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif When she brought a co-worker out to see it, 6 more followed. Other friends and neighbors ask my opinions and\or want to drive it or be taken for a ride. People obviously love the truck and it does draw some attention. I have had people walk up and look inside at gas stations, for example. One thing you must experience is the track available at many Hummer delaerships. It includes climbing a 10 inch wall, driving over rollers, climbing up a 60 degree hill, then coming back down from that hill letting the H3 controlling the speed by itself and finally, the sideways drive. Of course, returning it on a pile of rocks is fun as well. Once you have done this, and understand what the H3 can do, you want to go off-road, immediately. One funny thing about my
experience was the damage to the 10 inch wall climb where someone tried to climb their Jeep Wrangler over it. Oops http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Anyhow, I have a one word response to anyone that asks me how I like the H3, so I end this with that word; FUN!
who might be on the fence about purchasing an H3. I also hope to clarify some of the disinformation I had ready prior to finding these forums and making my purchase. This vehicle is a 2006 H3 with both the Adventure and Luxury packages. It is almost fully loaded, as far as I know it is missing only the factory trailer hitch and navigation.
My first experience, besides looking at it in dealer parking lots, was at a local auto show. Here is where the trouble began. As soon as I climbed in, I was hooked. I came back and sat in it again. This H3 had leather and was as comfortable and attractive as any SUV I have sat in. More importantly, you knew you
were in a Hummer. Having been in friends H1's many times (and listening to him diss any Hummer that isn't an H1) as well as having driven an H2 for a couple of weeks, there is no mistaking your sitting in a Hummer. I came
back and sat in it again for roughly 10 minutes and knew I had to drive one.
Off to the local dealership, with the primary concern, having briefly owned a Colorado and read many H3 reviews, was if the I5 engine could pull the Hummer around. My first move was to take off from a stop in the H3 as I would
in any other vehicle. I immediately looked at the salesman and wondered aloud what the reviewers were talking about. I then went to a highway on ramp that went uphill to climb into traffic as many reviews said this required extra
planning. The H3 obliged and I was easily doing 70 MPH when I merged in. On the highway, I had read you need to prepare in advance for passing and once again, I do not have to drive the H3 any differently then any other vehicle.
I have had no problems switching lanes and passing at 65-70 MPH on the highway. At around 400 miles I switched to 89 octane fuel and added a K&N filter. The H3 seems more responsive then ever at this point. As a simple test, I did the old "1 mississippi, 2 mississippi" thing to time it and figured at a normal dead stop at a traffic light with a typical takeoff pushing the pedal halfway or better, your looking at roughly 4 seconds to 30 mph and 9 seconds to 45 mph. Try doing that on a normal takeoff in your vehicle, and I think you will find that those are reasonable take off times. Obviously, no one will argue that the H3 could use more horsepower and torque. I think the main reasons would be for pulling someone out of a ditch, or towing. I feel another 50-75 horsepower would be perfect, but this does not change the fact that the I5 engine is capable of pulling the H3 around. It would seem the transmission deserves some credit in this area. It is very quick to respond and makes a big difference. The H3 has another surprise in store. Incredibly short turning radius. I have not had an SUV that can do a circle in as short a space as the H3. The first time you make a u-turn, be prepared for a surprise. It is fun to watch the look on a passengers face when you do a u-turn. In a few spots, the visibility can be a bit limited. If you are first to a traffic light, for example, you can't get too close or you will need the sunroof to see the light because of the H3 signature windshield that seems to go
straight up defying all aerodynamics principles of most vehicles. This also means bugs dont come off the windshield on a typical touchless car wash. With the adventure package and 33" tires you can expect a bit of tire noise at higher speeds. Occasionally the H3 feels a little top heavy, or floaty as some people might call it, but with the high suspension and large tires, I expected it and rarely notice it at all. It is most noticeable if you yank the wheel back and forth or hit some large bumps or potholes at 30 mph or more. I have gone through some turns fairly quickly and the H3 feels competent. The ride, even with the stiffer suspension is comfortable. Coming from a guy with a bad back, the comfortable seats help a lot and the ride is comfortable. One problem you might find is the irresistible urge to yank the wheel and go off road. You know your in a Hummer and you always want to get off the street and rip through some mud. Gas mileage took the most time finishing writing this. As mentioned, I have opted to use 89 octane fuel,
a K&N air filter and I switched to synthetic oil at 527 miles. Take all of this into account, as well as the fact that I drive my vehicles hard and it has the large tires, so it is safe to assume you would be hard pressed to get worse gas mileage then me. The first MPG reflects only the second tank of gas with 473 miles on the truck, K&N filter and stock oil, so I expected it to be low. The first check was 13.8 mpg. This reflects mainly city and suburban driving. Next check was a tank after I changed to synthetic oil. Mileage was 1200 and for this half tank of fuel, I decided to
drive the truck a bit more conservatively. While I still drove hard in spots, I mainly tried to not accelerate too hard in most situation. No calculator was needed as I fueled up at 161.8 miles and required 11.2 gallons meaning I was just under 16 MPG. I would expect this to be a reasonable average for most drivers in city\suburban conditions. As
always, the EPA's outdated standards make the estimated MPG a bit high. I saw people claiming 13 mpg and I can't get the H3 to go that low.
The interior is more then you might expect, but has flaws. In my case, I have both the adventure and luxury package. It includes leather, OnStar (I missed that), Monsoon sound with sub (great sound up to 3\4 volume), Homelink, XM Radio, and more. Because it has the adventure package, it also has a stiffer suspension and larger (33") tires). It has a large power sunroof that is probably the largest piece of glass in the H3. The window controls were poorly placed. Unless your 6' 2" or so and have the seat all the way back, you have to twist, or reach back and look for the window controls. Reaching for seat controls, or heated seats, risks getting your hand stuck. There is not enough room to fit your hand between the seat and the door to reach these controls. Speaking of which, the whole
center console could use a redesign. There is not enough room to store CD's and the usual stuff I take with me. What is there works, it just could have been better. I can see there is limited space here, so this will not be easy to
accomplish. For example, you could kill two birds with one stone by making the center storage a bit deeper, taller and longer, with a angle at the end. This could house all the window controls as well as a change pocket. Drive any Lincoln, BMW, etc. to see this.
Backing up is always fun. Because of the H3 signature windows, view can be obstructed. A little preplanning is required in this area. I usually park a bit outside of everyone else anyway or look for a spot that I can drive
through and be facing out when I return. The rear seats will seat 3 and the one seat on the passenger side can fold down to store long items (lumber) while still carrying four people. There are a few other features like a
pop up cup holder. The rear storage area was what I was looking for. It is all plastic and looks like you could throw dirt in there and wash it down. There are storage pockets as well. The rear tailgate swings open easily with
a strut and requires a tad more effort to close. The big spare tire makes the tailgate heavier, but no one I have had try closing it really seemed to notice. The rear window wiper only covers part of the window making it appear to be not working correctly. From the rear view, it basically clears between 3 and 11 o'clock, when it should be between 3 and 9 o'clock. With visibility being poor to begin with, this can be a nuisance. There is a grab handle on the passenger side, but not the driver side. The passenger side handle, or as I call them "Oh ****" handles, are placed towards the rear of the window. I am used to seeing them forward more. I mentioned this to other people and men don't seem to mind, women seem to like them forward more, easier to see and reach.
Bottom line: I love my vehicles. So take it from a guy who has owned a Lincoln Aviator, Chevy Colorado, Chevy Trailblazer, Dodge Daytona RAM, Dodge Viper and a 300 ZX Twin turbo in the past 2 years alone, this ain’t your
standard SUV. If you just want to take the kids to soccer games and get groceries, this is not the vehicle for you. But, if your a fan of the Hummer 1 or 2 and don't like the size and gas mileage, this warrants a look. There is no
mistaking your driving a Hummer and that IS what it is all about. Toyota, Ford, Chevy and everyone else make a much friendlier, street driving, daily use SUV. The H3 is a Hummer. Period. GM had a job to do in creating this vehicle. Staying true to the Hummer name. To create a more friendly street use vehicle would have compromised the Hummer line and I
feel GM totally captured the Hummer feel and experience, especially considering it is a first year vehicle, something many have come to expect shortcomings from. I look for excuses to drive the H3 somewhere. My wife has been trying to take it to work to show her co-workers who want to see it, and I obliged the other today. I think she is making excuses to drive it as well http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif When she brought a co-worker out to see it, 6 more followed. Other friends and neighbors ask my opinions and\or want to drive it or be taken for a ride. People obviously love the truck and it does draw some attention. I have had people walk up and look inside at gas stations, for example. One thing you must experience is the track available at many Hummer delaerships. It includes climbing a 10 inch wall, driving over rollers, climbing up a 60 degree hill, then coming back down from that hill letting the H3 controlling the speed by itself and finally, the sideways drive. Of course, returning it on a pile of rocks is fun as well. Once you have done this, and understand what the H3 can do, you want to go off-road, immediately. One funny thing about my
experience was the damage to the 10 inch wall climb where someone tried to climb their Jeep Wrangler over it. Oops http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Anyhow, I have a one word response to anyone that asks me how I like the H3, so I end this with that word; FUN!