The windshield is mounted in a relatively upright position, and is mounted far from the driver, increasing the sense of lightness and interior space the straight slab sides of the vehicle keep the side windows away as well. The roof pillars and roof are in a light gray material, providing contrast and a surprising feel of lightness, given the darkness of the rest of the vehicle. The interior of our H3 had a distinct black theme, with virtually all surfaces covered in black materials – plastic, leather, or cloth – except for patches of chrome which reflected other parts of the black interior. The spare is mounted outside, increasing cargo room. The interior is nicely sized, with good cargo space (made larger by fold-flat rear seats) and decent legroom in the rear seats, though the low seat positions may take a toll on taller people. Seats are fairly close to the floor in front and rear, though headroom is very good. Getting into our H3, high as it is with the optional off-road package, led us to swing in the way we normally do with pickups, with unfortunate consequences the first time the dashboard extends further down than usual, with less knee room than expected.
#Hummer h3 reviews zip
That’s not a good sign in an over-$30,000 vehicle that only gets 16 mpg city / 20 mpg highway, especially since the Jeep (Liberty Rubicon or Grand Cherokee Hemi) continues to have zip in pretty much any conditions – as does the Chevy TrailBlazer. The engine is more than satisfactory in the Colorado and TrailBlazer, but the Hummer package apparently adds so much weight that the engine is simply unable to keep up. The main problem seems to be a severe lack of low-end power the engine responds quite well when revved past 4,000 rpm, but in the normal driving range is very weak. However, inclines sapped the torque of the engine with unusual speed, and we actually had to floor the pedal on a moderately long, mild hill to keep going at highway speed – even after downshifting to fourth. The feel is right for a “real truck” too, just like in the Colorado, and flat-surface acceleration can be quite good, especially in the city. It provides good real-truck noises, as it does in the Colorado, despite its smooth, quiet manners in the TrailBlazer. The 3.5 straight-six engine is a mixed bag. That’s not too hard to get used to, though in heavy traffic it can be wearing on the hand and wrist but the clutch becomes easy to operate with just a little practice, making smooth takeoffs a matter of routine. Ours had the five-speed stick-shift, an unusual combination of light clutch and firm stick the clutch engages rather high up in its travel, and the stick itself vibrates much more than usual and requires more force than most.
Power is where the H3 starts to fall, though. In fact, the cornering was the biggest surprise save one about the H3 it really handles turns remarkably well for a truck that is not only designed for off-road use, but, in our case, was equipped from the factory with an off-road package (including special tires). Underneath the squarish looks is the basic TrailBlazer platform, which lends the H3 surprisingly good on-road handling and a decent enough ride for everyday commuter use. Inside, the interior looks more ruggedized than other SUVs, including Jeeps, with rubber floor mats in front, back, and cargo area, and extensive use of black plastic everywhere but on the roof and roof supports.
The H3 looks the part, styled to appear more massive than it is, with the general appearance of an armored personnel carrier, helped by touches like the nonfunctional hood ripples and by the use of square-ish steel everywhere possible. The sales of the H3 can’t be based on practical rationales alone as with the Volkswagen New Beetle, this is a vehicle that sells mainly on looks. Most buyers, though, buy them for the looks, not for the rock-climbing and stream-fording performance and since off-road publications have generally rated the H3 as being no more capable than the cheaper Liberty Rubicon, that explanation makes sense to us.
#Hummer h3 reviews series
If past results are any indication, either the H2 or H3 will be a far more reliable vehicle than the average H1, and any of the Hummer series is quite capable off-road. The Hummer H3 is the smallest of the GM-engineered Hummers the H1 is the AM General Army vehicle adapted for civilian use, the H2 is the Chevrolet full-size SUV line adapted for off-road use, and the H3 is based on the popular TrailBlazer.