H3T drivetrain decicions...

[Scarsman]

Hi! This is my first post here, but I have been lurking and reading for some time. While I do not have a Hummer right now, I will be getting an H3T at some point. I have not decided if I want to get one right away, or wait and see if they come out with a different engine option next model year.

Ultimately I would like the 5.3 with the 5 speed and the super low 68.9:1 crawl ratio, but they are not offering that.

Now, I know with the automatic you have some "give" due to its nature, so do you think that would make up for the difference between the 68.9:1 ratio you get with the 5 spd I5 and the 50.6:1 ratio for the V8 auto? I have seen some video of the V8 going down some really steep hills off road, and they were actually giving it gas to speed up because it was holding back so well. So maybe it would be alright.

I would really like to have the power of the V8 for towing, but I am really after the off road ability, so I would rather go for the I5 if the lower ratio will clearly be a benefit off road.

I would like to drive one of each and see how they feel, but the dealer near me only has three I5's and one V8, and they are all autos and all "blinged out." And none of them have the offroad package with the lower gearing, either. They also don't have a Hummer demo course.

So, which set up do you guys think would be better?