Collection Gift Guide: Handy-Size Hummer
December 1, 2005
Hummer successfully adapted the H3’s rough-and-tumble exterior styling cues
from its larger vehicles, but took a different approach with the interior. Clean
dashboard design and seats upholstered in contrasting shades of leather give the
H3 a look that is more like a Range Rover than a Tonka truck. Surprisingly for a
Hummer, the overall effect is elegant; the H3’s styling, materials, and assembly
quality all exceed expectations for its price point. A low roofline and small
windows, however, give it a close-coupled feel that defies the airy norm of its
competitors; models equipped with the outsize moonroof feel less hemmed in.
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(Click image to enlarage.)The H2 returns mileage only mildly worse than most other large SUVs, but Hummer has nevertheless become the scapegoat for anti-SUV sentiment. That Hummer would choose a relatively efficient 3.5-liter 5-cylinder engine as the H3’s standard powerplant is therefore understandable. Inexplicably, though, it is the only engine offered. A Hummer with the potential for 20 mpg on the highway makes sense from a public relations perspective, but it is odd that Hummer has not made a V-8 available—the 5-cylinder’s 220 hp simply is not up to the task of moving the H3’s substantial avoirdupois with authority.
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Cloth seats and a manual transmission create a low base price; leather seats and an automatic are options. (Click image to enlarge.)Most H3s will be equipped with 4-speed automatic transmissions, but those who prefer to shift for themselves may specify a 5-speed manual. The H3’s ride is firm and controlled—unlike the ’70s-style float of the H2—and steering is direct; both elements contribute to the H3’s bottom-line drivability. If only it had a bit more power.
Hummer, www.hummer.com
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