<TABLE class=ImageBox><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=Caption>The littlest Hummer carries the same rugged persona of its bigger brothers. (All photos by Jim Fets)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>2006 Hummer H3
Saved in Translation: Newest Hummer more than a reskinned Chevy
ANDREW LUU
Published Date: 5/30/05
2006 HUMMER H3
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $29,500
POWERTRAIN: 3.5-liter, 220-hp, 225-lb-ft I5; 4wd, five-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 4700 lbs
0 to 60 MPH: 10 seconds (mfr.)
Our first encounter with the Hummer H3 at Januarys Detroit auto show left us wondering if during its conception GMs bottom line had once again asserted itself. After all, this newest addition to the Hummer family shares its platform with the Chevrolet Colorado, a mass-produced midsize truck, so would Hummer character remain intact in the H3?
As well as the Saab 9-2X and 9-7X perform, are those vehicles authentic Swedes anymore? What is distinctively Buick about Terraza in the corporate company of a Chevy Uplander, Saturn Relay and a Pontiac Montana SV6?
A Hummer is big and brash, has a certain sex appeal and commands respect where the pavement ends. A simple rebadge/reskin of the Colorado, a commendable truck in its own right, wouldnt be enough to create a Hummers Hummer. Fortunately, the 2006 H3 isnt just a reskinned Colorado.
A major component carried over from the Colorado (and one of our causes for concern) is the inline five-cylinder, the only engine offered. The H3 tips the scales at 4700 pounds, and moving it is a lot to ask of a 3.5-liter twin-cam motor that makes just 220 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. Why didnt GM use the 4.2-liter, 275-hp 275-lb-ft inline six found in the TrailBlazer? Hummer says it wont fit (or it wont fit without some expensive chassis re-engineering, that is).
Aside from the engine, transmission and some structural metal, less than 10 percent of the Colorado can be found on the H3.
The new Hummer measures 85.5 inches wide and 74.5 inches high compared to 68.6 inches and 67.0 inches for the largest Colorado. H3 is wider and taller than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner and the Nissan Pathfinder, the trucks Hummer says are its main opponents in this market.
The H3s front track is pushed out 5.4 inches to 65.0 inches, and the rear gains 8.0 inches, taking it to 65.5 inches. Instead of the Colorados two-stage multi-leaf springs, the H3 uses a single-stage leaf spring for better off-road compliance. While a Colorado-like torsion-bar setup with an 8.0-millimeter-thicker antiroll bar is retained up front, shock absorbers and brakes are upgraded to further differentiate the H3.
<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=7 width=345 border=0 valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- PHOTO GOES HERE -->
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=smallinks3 bgColor=#cccccc>Its not just image: The H3 is at its best off-road, where it is equipped to handle the nastiest of challenges.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>What can be immediately observed is a body that looks just like an H2from a distance. The only substantial deviations to the H3 from its bigger sibling are the four squarely flared fenders and a hood that opens the old-fashioned way. The H3 will not be mistaken for anything but a Hummer.
The cockpit takes a less utilitarian, in-your-face approach. The interior is simple and functional with the gauges and center controls trimmed in brushed metal. There is some hard plastic, mainly on the dash and the upper door panels. Cloth seats are standard, while optional leather seats with contrasting trim, like those found in the Land Rover Range Rover, give the H3 an upscale look.
The steering wheel provides a thick, beefy grip befitting the rugged Hummer persona. So, too, does the floor-mounted shift lever for the automatic transmission.
We first sampled a five-speed- manual H3 on pavement. Shift action is truck-like, which is to say, long and bulky. The gearbox, part of the 10 percent carried over from Colorado, performs with a minimum of fuss.
There is fuss, though, if you try highway-passing maneuvers at 60 mph, or suicide merges from parking lots into two lanes of traffic.
Downshifting is a slow process that takes some getting used to. With peak torque at 2800 rpm and peak power at 5600 rpm, we often found it necessary to run to redline in second and third gears around the city. Even making a quick pass on the highway at 65 mph forced us to downshift to third. This will make it hard for owners to match the EPAs 16/20-mpg city/highway rating.
The four-speed automatic with a 4.56 final drive (vs. 4.10 in the manual) feels more adept at the same duties, and is our transmission of choice for the H3. Either way, the only way around the inline fives sluggishness is to plan ahead. Once you finally do reach highway velocity, it cruises quietly and is pleasantly smooth.
Those slow city maneuvers led us back to our initial concern: the fear H3s mass-appeal, mass-production ambitions would come at the expense of Hummer-ness. So off we ventured to the Woodpecker Mine and Martinez Canyon trails on the outskirts of Phoenix, where off-roading is a local pastime, to test the H3s mettle.
The H3 welcomed mile after mile of jagged rocks and three-foot boulder passes that left dents in the skid plates and trail rash on every guard. One H3 in the group emerged from the trek with a nice gash in its door. Another cut a tire. To be sure, a Colorado couldnt handle such a challenge.
Thats because the H3s 4x4 drivetrain is substantially changed. The Isuzu-sourced transfer case in the Colorado is replaced by a Borg-Warner unit with a lockable high and low range and optional electronic rear differential lock (our off-roading H3 was so equipped) for crawling over those boulders. A new electronically controlled throttle changes sensitivity, as does traction control, with each setting.
Approach and departure angles of 39.4 and 36.5 degrees with the optional 33-inch 285/75R-16C Bridgestone Dueler tires (standard fare is 32-inch 265/75R-16 Good-year Wrangler RT/S), 9.1 inches of ground clearance and a crawl-ratio range between 33 and 69 degrees further uphold the Hummer name.
The H3s rugged nature is reflected in a tow rating of 4500 pounds (3000 for the five-speed manual), 500 pounds more than that for the Colorado.
The base H3, with five-speed manual, power windows and locks, one year of OnStar and a CD player, starts at $29,500. Option it up with goodies like heated leather seats, a navigation system, sun-roof and off-road package with those 33-inch Bridgestones, 4.03:1 transfer case, stiffer shocks and locking rear differential, and the price tucks in just under $40,000.
Most buyers will end up somewhere in the middle, and that puts the new H3 and its 220 hp right up against the 230-hp Grand Cherokee and the 4Runner and Pathfinder, both with 270 hp, in price.
If you always wanted a go-anywhere H2 but could never afford one, or dreamed about living out a pop-culture fantasy, this new Hummer for the people could be your ticket.
Sure youll have to sacrifice some power, but character counts for a lot. Thankfully and crucially, this Hummer H3 is more than a Chevy Colorado in disguise.
http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102423
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=Caption>The littlest Hummer carries the same rugged persona of its bigger brothers. (All photos by Jim Fets)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>2006 Hummer H3
Saved in Translation: Newest Hummer more than a reskinned Chevy
ANDREW LUU
Published Date: 5/30/05
2006 HUMMER H3
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $29,500
POWERTRAIN: 3.5-liter, 220-hp, 225-lb-ft I5; 4wd, five-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 4700 lbs
0 to 60 MPH: 10 seconds (mfr.)
Our first encounter with the Hummer H3 at Januarys Detroit auto show left us wondering if during its conception GMs bottom line had once again asserted itself. After all, this newest addition to the Hummer family shares its platform with the Chevrolet Colorado, a mass-produced midsize truck, so would Hummer character remain intact in the H3?
As well as the Saab 9-2X and 9-7X perform, are those vehicles authentic Swedes anymore? What is distinctively Buick about Terraza in the corporate company of a Chevy Uplander, Saturn Relay and a Pontiac Montana SV6?
A Hummer is big and brash, has a certain sex appeal and commands respect where the pavement ends. A simple rebadge/reskin of the Colorado, a commendable truck in its own right, wouldnt be enough to create a Hummers Hummer. Fortunately, the 2006 H3 isnt just a reskinned Colorado.
Aside from the engine, transmission and some structural metal, less than 10 percent of the Colorado can be found on the H3.
The new Hummer measures 85.5 inches wide and 74.5 inches high compared to 68.6 inches and 67.0 inches for the largest Colorado. H3 is wider and taller than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner and the Nissan Pathfinder, the trucks Hummer says are its main opponents in this market.
The H3s front track is pushed out 5.4 inches to 65.0 inches, and the rear gains 8.0 inches, taking it to 65.5 inches. Instead of the Colorados two-stage multi-leaf springs, the H3 uses a single-stage leaf spring for better off-road compliance. While a Colorado-like torsion-bar setup with an 8.0-millimeter-thicker antiroll bar is retained up front, shock absorbers and brakes are upgraded to further differentiate the H3.
<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=7 width=345 border=0 valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- PHOTO GOES HERE -->
The cockpit takes a less utilitarian, in-your-face approach. The interior is simple and functional with the gauges and center controls trimmed in brushed metal. There is some hard plastic, mainly on the dash and the upper door panels. Cloth seats are standard, while optional leather seats with contrasting trim, like those found in the Land Rover Range Rover, give the H3 an upscale look.
The steering wheel provides a thick, beefy grip befitting the rugged Hummer persona. So, too, does the floor-mounted shift lever for the automatic transmission.
We first sampled a five-speed- manual H3 on pavement. Shift action is truck-like, which is to say, long and bulky. The gearbox, part of the 10 percent carried over from Colorado, performs with a minimum of fuss.
There is fuss, though, if you try highway-passing maneuvers at 60 mph, or suicide merges from parking lots into two lanes of traffic.
Downshifting is a slow process that takes some getting used to. With peak torque at 2800 rpm and peak power at 5600 rpm, we often found it necessary to run to redline in second and third gears around the city. Even making a quick pass on the highway at 65 mph forced us to downshift to third. This will make it hard for owners to match the EPAs 16/20-mpg city/highway rating.
Those slow city maneuvers led us back to our initial concern: the fear H3s mass-appeal, mass-production ambitions would come at the expense of Hummer-ness. So off we ventured to the Woodpecker Mine and Martinez Canyon trails on the outskirts of Phoenix, where off-roading is a local pastime, to test the H3s mettle.
The H3 welcomed mile after mile of jagged rocks and three-foot boulder passes that left dents in the skid plates and trail rash on every guard. One H3 in the group emerged from the trek with a nice gash in its door. Another cut a tire. To be sure, a Colorado couldnt handle such a challenge.
Thats because the H3s 4x4 drivetrain is substantially changed. The Isuzu-sourced transfer case in the Colorado is replaced by a Borg-Warner unit with a lockable high and low range and optional electronic rear differential lock (our off-roading H3 was so equipped) for crawling over those boulders. A new electronically controlled throttle changes sensitivity, as does traction control, with each setting.
Approach and departure angles of 39.4 and 36.5 degrees with the optional 33-inch 285/75R-16C Bridgestone Dueler tires (standard fare is 32-inch 265/75R-16 Good-year Wrangler RT/S), 9.1 inches of ground clearance and a crawl-ratio range between 33 and 69 degrees further uphold the Hummer name.
The H3s rugged nature is reflected in a tow rating of 4500 pounds (3000 for the five-speed manual), 500 pounds more than that for the Colorado.
Most buyers will end up somewhere in the middle, and that puts the new H3 and its 220 hp right up against the 230-hp Grand Cherokee and the 4Runner and Pathfinder, both with 270 hp, in price.
If you always wanted a go-anywhere H2 but could never afford one, or dreamed about living out a pop-culture fantasy, this new Hummer for the people could be your ticket.
Sure youll have to sacrifice some power, but character counts for a lot. Thankfully and crucially, this Hummer H3 is more than a Chevy Colorado in disguise.
http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102423
