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Nothing wimpy about Hummer 3

published January 02, 2006

Published By
( 46 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
It also seems quite obvious that the Hummer H3 is built for a purpose, which from the look of it would be for driving off-road. It even looks like a hiking boot.

The big tires (32-inchers, standard), stubby front and rear ends, mighty tow hooks sticking out at the bumpers, prominent hood with fake air vents and blocky fender flares are pretty good indicators that this isn't one of those car-based crossover sport utility vehicles that are meant to look like a truck but are as wimpy as the old family station wagon.


Why, then, are Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City the top-selling regions for the H3?

Should this truck come with a yellow tag that reads: "Best enjoyed if driven off-road at least six times a year"?

The Hummer H3 is a well-forged tool, a born trail rider, with full-time four-wheel drive and locking differentials.

Whoever is buying this truck is keeping the Hummer brand alive. The sales rate hasn't plunged as it has in most other SUV segments.

August logged 4,772 sales, followed by 4,054 in September and 4,461 in October. Those are encouraging numbers when compared to the more mainstream Chevy Trailblazer SUV at 13,910 sales last month.

And according to J.D. Power data, 42 percent of H3 buyers are female, compared to 23 percent for the H2. And, should you be curious, H2 sales have been running less than half that of the H3. As for the H1, the big one, it found 28 buyers in September and 21 last month.

H3 pricing starts at $29,000, which leaves room for accessorizing. The test truck, with options, had a sticker price of $36,605.

As SUVs go, the Hummer H3 is a smarter truck than the larger H2, which is almost too big and heavy for its own good, off-road or on.

The littlest Hummer is a modern SUV, as capable on-road as off. It is built on the boxed frame of GM's Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups. There are some modified attachment points for strength, but there's more to this shared platform than a Hummer built on a pickup frame.
The H3 is built to ford 16 inches of water at 20 mph, or 24 inches at 5 mph. With 9.1 inches of ground clearance, it can climb 16-inch steps. And the trim 37-foot turning circle (smaller than a Chrysler 300 sedan), means you can change directions on a trail without backing over flora and fauna and dragging some of it home.

One Hummer feature it doesn't have (nor does H2) is the central tire inflation system, which is a time-saving convenience for those of us who actually do partially deflate tires when out playing in the desert.

The system allows tires to be deflated to a certain poundage, then reinflated without ever leaving the cab. The reinflation part can take an hour to get all four tires back to road pressure. But, alas, it's a cost issue.

"CTIS is an extremely expensive system to develop and would require extensive engineering work that would make it a cost that customers have told us they're not willing to pay for," a Hummer spokeswoman says. "Apparently AMG was able to justify it on the H1 because it was a requirement from the military for the HMMWV version."

The worst thing to say about H3 is the fuel economy at 16 mpg around town and 20 on the highway on 87 octane with the five-speed manual transmission, or 16/19 with the four-speed automatic. But that's only a mile or two off from the six-cylinder Nissan Xterra (16/21) or Toyota 4Runner (18/22).

Power hounds may criticize the output of the 220 horsepower, inline five-cylinder engine, however.

Acceleration off the line is decent up through second and third gears. The engine gets winded on long uphills and when pressed for passing power. There's talk of offering a 5.3 liter V-8 and a diesel engine, but both are a couple of years out.

The ride quality is taut, the interior well-soundproofed, and I experienced no scary tendencies in the driving experience, off-road or on.

Opting for the four-speed automatic transmission ($1,695) adds Stabilitrak stability control. This electronic driver aid helps keep the vehicle pointed in the right direction if the driver were to, say, drop a wheel off the edge of blacktop and overcorrect.

As gimmicky as the outside is - and I think it works for Hummer - the interior is tastefully assembled. Some who peered inside during a recent test week even thought it was no big deal when compared to the outside.

The fabric seats have contrasting stitching, there's aluminum trim in key locations and attractive plastic (really) with air vents that close flat and actually work as design accents. To say "Hummer" and "refined" in one sentence might be an oxymoron, but it works here.

A handsome upgrade is the Morocco leather, part of the $3,125 luxury package. The seats are a two-tone nutmeg-rusty color surrounded by black. The package also adds OnStar, six-disc CD changer, power heated seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The cargo area is hard plastic - not carpet - for easy cleanup. With tiedowns and a storage box, it's ready to load the dog kennel for that upcoming dove hunting trip. The liftgate with spare tire is heavy, however, particularly when parked on an incline.

The standard equipment list is substantial enough to support a vehicle costing $30,000-plus.

However, if women are a large percentage of buyers, why isn't there a covered vanity mirror on the driver's visor, as there is on the passenger side?
And the placement of window controls on the door armrests might be an awkward backward reach, even for those who ride with the seat pushed all the way back. And if you don't plan to be lashing things to the roof rack, don't spend the money on the step rails ($695). They just get in the way of what would normally be an easy entry and exit.

You could also save $600 on the black brush guard that doesn't look rugged enough to deflect a cow but appears more than capable of crunching backward into the hood, causing more damage than brushing past shrubs and branches.

Ah, but it is that look that makes this truck so popular. The H3 is not the same old thing - it does not represent the conspicuous consumption of the H2 - and consumers are sending a message to all carmakers with those sales.

SPECS BOX
2006 Hummer H3

Body style: 4-door, 5-passenger midsize 4-wheel-drive SUV

Engine: Aluminum 3.5-liter, inline 5-cylinder with dual overhead camshafts, continuously variable exhaust valve timing, 4 valves per cylinder and dual balance shafts

Horsepower: 220 at 5,600 rpm

Torque: 225 at 2,800 rpm

Transmission: 5-speed manual or optional Hydra-Matic 4L60-E 4-speed automatic with Stabilitrak stability control

Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph, 10.5 seconds

Fuel Economy: 16 mpg city, 20 highway (16/19, automatic)

Fuel Capacity: 23 gallons; 87 octane recommended

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 111.9 inches

Length: 186.7 inches

Height: 74.5 inches

Front head/leg/shoulder room: 39.9 (with sunroof)/41.9/54.4 inches

Rear head/leg/shoulder room: 37.9/35/53.5 inches

Curb weight: 4,700 pounds

Trunk space: 29.5 cubic feet, rear seat up; 55.7, seat folded

Water fording capability: 16 inches at 20 mph; 24 inches at 5 mph

Ground clearance: 9.1 inches

FEATURES
Standard equipment: Remote locking, air conditioning, cruise control, auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and temperature readouts, power windows and locks, 6-speaker CD audio system, power (folding) mirrors, underbody protection, fog lights

Safety equipment: Front dual-stage air bags, belt pretensioners, tire pressure monitor, traction control, 4-wheel ABS; optional roof rail, side curtain air bags with rollover sensor

CHASSIS
Suspension: front, independent short/long arm torsion bar, monotube gas-charged shocks, tubular stabilizer bar; rear, Hotchkiss multileaf, dual-rate leaf springs, gas-charged shocks, solid stabilizer bar

Steering: power-assisted rack-and-pinion; turning circle, 37 feet

Brakes: 4-wheel disc, 4-wheel anti-lock, four-piston front caliper, single piston sliding rear caliper with Dynamic Rear Proportioning

Tires and wheels: P265/75 32-inch all terrain steel-belted Goodyear radials (optional, LT285/75R 33-inch on-/off-road Bridgestone radials)

PRICING
Base price: $29,500, including $600 freight charge; price as tested, $36,605

Options on test vehicle: Adventure package ($1,025) includes off-road suspension, oversized carpeted floor mats; 4-speed automatic transmission, ($1,695); Chrome package ($845) includes roof rack double crossbows, door handles and mirror caps; 7-speaker Monsoon audio with 6-disc in-dash CD ($800); XM satellite radio ($270); dealer-installed chrome step rail ($695); and black wrap-around brush guard ($600)

The competition: Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Xterra, BMW X3

Where assembled: Shreveport, La.

PLUSES: Tight turning circle; attractive interior materials and what appears to be quality construction; sightlines not as bad as one might think with the short side glass; a born trail rider.

MINUSES: Feels underpowered on hills and for passing; heavy tailgate with big spare tire, particularly when trying to open/close on an incline; no driver vanity mirror; sightlines are compromised at the front windshield pillars and large outside mirrors.



Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at mark.maynard@uniontrib.com.

© Copley News Service

published January 02, 2006

( 46 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.