Collection Gift Guide: Handy-Size Hummer
December 1, 2005
Hummer H3
Paris seemed an unlikely locale for the European introduction of the Hummer
H3. For starters, the manufacturer is inextricably linked to the U.S. military—a
potential political bugbear in the French capital—and Parisians might not take
kindly to a fleet of H3s invading their streets. And then there is the region’s
general lack of challenging terrain to consider. Neither issue, however,proved
problematic. Even with German license plates, the H3s elicited overwhelmingly
positive reactions throughout the city. And when the H3 was not navigating an
off-road course at a proving ground outside Paris, it faced a combination of
driving routes that snaked through medieval villages and repeatedly thrust
drivers into the massive roundabout that encircles the Arc de Triomphe, serving
to highlight its greatest on-road virtue: maneuverability.
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The littlest Hummer, based on GM’s midsize truck platform, is the frugal alternative to the H1 or H2. (Click image to enlarge.) Although still a large car—especially by the standards of narrow European roads—the H3 feels far less massive than the H2. It executes U-turns like a compact, slots into standard parking spaces, and easily negotiates rush-hour traffic without relying on sheer intimidation. In arenas where the H2 would seem cumbersome, the H3 feels lithe. And although, with a base price of $30,000, the H3 has become Hummer’s de facto entry-level model, this manageable nature should keep it from being labeled as such by the status conscious—even those who can afford an H1 or an H2 will choose the H3 for its more practical size.
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