Little Hummer H3 is ... just right
Little Hummer H3 is ... just right
Little Hummer H3 is ... just right
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Sunday, May 14, 2006
By James M. Miller
jmiller@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6318
QUICK TAKE
2006 Hummer H3
BASE PRICE: $28,935
PRICE AS TESTED: $33,355
DRIVETRAIN: Front engine, all-wheel drive
ENGINE: 3.5-liter I-5
HORSEPOWER: 220
MPG: 16 city, 19 highway
CURB WEIGHT: 4,700
BUILT: Shreveport, La.
There's a TV commercial that makes the point, the Hummer H3 is the "baby bear" of the Hummer family.
The H3 is smaller than the other Hummer models, but it's no compact, not a lightweight when it comes to four-wheel-drive capability.
The new smaller Hummer uses the same inline-5 engine available in the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups. The H3 is built at the Shreveport, La., plant that builds those midsize pickups.
The H3 has short overhangs, front and rear, giving it good approach and departure angles. In off-roading, those are the angles of a hill the vehicle can go up (approach) without butting the bumper into the hill, or leave without dragging tail (departure).
Its breakover angle - the angle of a hill it can top without dragging its belly - and overall ground clearance numbers are respectable, too. Not as good as the H2, but the H2 has bigger tires, and tire height affects all this off-road geometry. Like the H3, the H2 has a "chopped top" look, but that comes with a price in head room. When sitting in the driver's seat, I had a little more than 5 inches above my head; in the back seat it was a little over 4 inches, and that makes it tight for those six-foot tall or more.
Those who love to hate the Hummer H2 as a symbol of excess have little reason to scorn the H3 - it compares well to the Chevy TrailBlazer and Jeep Grand Cherokee in size, with similar mileage numbers.
The H3 is 186.7 inches long, the Grand Cherokee 186.6 and the standard-body TrailBlazer is 191.8.
The TrailBlazer and H3 are the same 74.5 inches tall, while the Jeep is 67.7 inches tall.
The H3's 3.5-liter inline-5 is rated at 220 horsepower, while the Flint-built 4.2-liter inline-6 in the TrailBlazer is rated at 291 horsepower and the Grand Cherokee's 3.7-liter V-6 has 210 horses. The H3, at 4,700 pounds, outweighs the TrailBlazer by more than 100 pounds and the Jeep by more than 250.
The EPA mileage rating for the H3 is 16 city, 19 highway for the automatic transmission; the TrailBlazer is rated at 15 city, 21 highway, and the Jeep at 17 city, 21 highway.
Those power numbers mean that the H3 isn't as quick as the TrailBlazer, and some drivers will wish for more power. Driving the H3 is like a TrailBlazer or Envoy; many drivers find that size SUV "just right" for their needs.
The H3 is available with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. The four-wheel-drive system is electronically controlled, using three buttons on the dash. The test model came fitted with tubular steps, and even though the H3 isn't as tall as the H2, the steps are a help in getting in and out.
This littlest Hummer is easier to park than the H2. In an H2, I'm never exactly sure where that right front corner is, and looking out the rear can be a challenge.
For those who like a custom look, Hummer will offer the H3x model late in summer. It's based on a concept that was shown at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in November, and features chrome tube steps and appearance package, a body-color grille and spare tire cover, special wheels and tires and a brush guard.
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BASE PRICE: $28,935
PRICE AS TESTED: $33,355
DRIVETRAIN: Front engine, all-wheel drive
ENGINE: 3.5-liter I-5
HORSEPOWER: 220
MPG: 16 city, 19 highway
CURB WEIGHT: 4,700
BUILT: Shreveport, La.
There's a TV commercial that makes the point, the Hummer H3 is the "baby bear" of the Hummer family.
The H3 is smaller than the other Hummer models, but it's no compact, not a lightweight when it comes to four-wheel-drive capability.
The new smaller Hummer uses the same inline-5 engine available in the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups. The H3 is built at the Shreveport, La., plant that builds those midsize pickups.
The H3 has short overhangs, front and rear, giving it good approach and departure angles. In off-roading, those are the angles of a hill the vehicle can go up (approach) without butting the bumper into the hill, or leave without dragging tail (departure).
Its breakover angle - the angle of a hill it can top without dragging its belly - and overall ground clearance numbers are respectable, too. Not as good as the H2, but the H2 has bigger tires, and tire height affects all this off-road geometry. Like the H3, the H2 has a "chopped top" look, but that comes with a price in head room. When sitting in the driver's seat, I had a little more than 5 inches above my head; in the back seat it was a little over 4 inches, and that makes it tight for those six-foot tall or more.
Those who love to hate the Hummer H2 as a symbol of excess have little reason to scorn the H3 - it compares well to the Chevy TrailBlazer and Jeep Grand Cherokee in size, with similar mileage numbers.
The H3 is 186.7 inches long, the Grand Cherokee 186.6 and the standard-body TrailBlazer is 191.8.
The TrailBlazer and H3 are the same 74.5 inches tall, while the Jeep is 67.7 inches tall.
The H3's 3.5-liter inline-5 is rated at 220 horsepower, while the Flint-built 4.2-liter inline-6 in the TrailBlazer is rated at 291 horsepower and the Grand Cherokee's 3.7-liter V-6 has 210 horses. The H3, at 4,700 pounds, outweighs the TrailBlazer by more than 100 pounds and the Jeep by more than 250.
The EPA mileage rating for the H3 is 16 city, 19 highway for the automatic transmission; the TrailBlazer is rated at 15 city, 21 highway, and the Jeep at 17 city, 21 highway.
Those power numbers mean that the H3 isn't as quick as the TrailBlazer, and some drivers will wish for more power. Driving the H3 is like a TrailBlazer or Envoy; many drivers find that size SUV "just right" for their needs.
The H3 is available with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. The four-wheel-drive system is electronically controlled, using three buttons on the dash. The test model came fitted with tubular steps, and even though the H3 isn't as tall as the H2, the steps are a help in getting in and out.
This littlest Hummer is easier to park than the H2. In an H2, I'm never exactly sure where that right front corner is, and looking out the rear can be a challenge.
For those who like a custom look, Hummer will offer the H3x model late in summer. It's based on a concept that was shown at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in November, and features chrome tube steps and appearance package, a body-color grille and spare tire cover, special wheels and tires and a brush guard.
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