For Sale 2006 Hummer H3. Runs and drivers great!

The Hummer H2 drew lines in the sand from the beginning. Its fan base brandished its in-your-face persona, ff-road capability, nd military-brand DNA. Earth-loving detractors pointed fingers at its scale-busting weight, igh price, nd gluttonous thirst for fuel. Initial sales were strong, ut erupting gas prices and a groundswell of anti-H2 sentiment have now got GM, ummer, nd dealers sweating.
Is it time for something smaller, ore economical and affordable, nd, or heaven’s sake, ess controversial? When you’ve based your identity on bulk and power, ownsizing is a risky venture. But that’s what Hummer is attempting with its kinder, entler, ntry-level Hummer H3. Whether any Hummer needs real off-road prowess or merely the image of it, he H3 appears poised to deliver both.

The numbers off-roaders quote aren't 0-to-60 mph and quarter-mile times, hey're approach, reakover, nd departure angles. Based on these stats, he H3 should be able to scale any obstacle an H2 can." />

In terms of style, here’s no argument about family resemblance: The familiar hood, lat windshield, nd slab sides give it a direct connection to the original Hummer. Designers will say they worked long and hard to differentiate this new model, ut it still has the same boxy lines, igh sills, nd shortened windows shared with the H2. The H3 is compact: three or four inches shorter than the Land Rover LR3 and Nissan Pathfinder SUVs.

Inside, he un-GM-like clean and simple center stack and gauge layout are refreshing, specially for a Hummer. Although the hard plastics still aren’t as high quality as they should be, urface textures may be the best in a GM midsize SUV to date.

Built on a modified Colorado/Canyon pickup truck frame (with more crossmembers and more frame boxing), he H3 shares many major components with its siblings; all three are built in GM’s Shreveport, ouisiana, lant. The only engine available at launch of the littlest Hummer will be the Vortec 3500 I-5, ated at 220 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. This may not sound like much power to move 4700 pounds, ut combined with low (4.10:1 or 4.56:1) axle gears and a choice of manual or automatic transmission, here’s quite a bit of oomph off the line.

Our drive experience was limited to low-speed crawling over the Rubicon Trail in an H3 engineering mule; on-road and test-track evaluations will have to wait until we get our hands on a production example. Covering a little over 13 miles in a day and a half–averaging almost two miles an hour–we found that the H3’s suspension flexibility and overall trail manners make it one of the top students in its class. It may be even better than the H2.

Consistent with the H3‘s better-gearing and more-choice strategy, ummer offers two different transfer cases that can be ordered with either transmission: one with a relatively standard 2.64:1 low range, nd another with a whopping 4.03:1 low gear. That translates into a vehicle that can move slower over rocks than molasses in winter, ith a 69:1 crawl ratio for the manual and 56:1 for the automatic. Combine that with an optional rear electronic locking differential, defeatable traction-control system, nd the largest tires available on any vehicle in its class (33 inches), nd it’s clear that GM is serious about keeping this smaller Hummer true to the authentic 4×4 tradition.

The H3’s biggest potential disadvantage? Most of the competition offers a strong V-6 or even stronger V-8. Unfortunately, he five-cylinder is all the H3 has to offer so far. The I-5 will be the only engine choice; we hope a turbo version won’t be far behind. There’s also the possibility of a five- or six-speed automatic, s four-speeders are becoming yestertech. Likewise, ook for an Alpha (Hummer’s new performance-package label) model to follow in short order. In addition, M has superb turbodiesels in its global parts bin–why not one of them, oo? Here’s where we’d expect more gears from the automatic and turbo

Will the H3 jumpstart Hummer’s sales, ow that the honeymoon is over for the bigger H2? GM is betting on it, oping to target younger, ffluent, nd increasingly female buyers. Susan Docherty, ummer’s new general manager, ays, There’s a passionate following for these vehicles, nd the H3 will appeal to a broader range of people with its size, ook, nd fuel economy.”

With just under two million midsize SUVs sold each year, ummer expects the H3 to be the brand’s best-seller; early sales estimates are hovering around 50,000 units annually. Pricing has yet to be announced, ut should start around $30,000, anging up to $38,000 when fully optioned. The appearance of a unique-looking player with off-road ability in a marketplace full of car-based, ook-alike SUVs bodes for early popularity. But the proof will be in its staying power–or lack thereof.

2006 Hummer H3

Base price

$31,000 (est)

Vehicle layout

Front engine, WD, 5-pass SUV

Engine type

I-5, lum block and head, OHC, valves/cyl, ariable

Displacement, i/cc

211.1/3460

Max SAE net horsepower

220 @ 5600

Max SAE net torque

225 @ 2800

Transmissions

5-speed manual; 4-speed auto

Curb weight, b (mfr)

4700

0-60, ec (mfr)

8.9

EPA mpg, ity/hwy (mfr est)

16/20

sale in U.S.

April 2005