MSRP: $38,645
As tested: $41,130
5.3-liter V8 4-speed automatic
13 city / 16 highway
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If ever a vehicle was tailored to the master-of-the-universe alpha male, this H3 is it. The latest model in Hummer's performance Alpha line, the tricked out new H3 oozes testosterone inside, outside and under the hood. Our tester came in a burnt-orangey custom color, called "solar flare metallic," which costs $295 -- money we would have gladly paid to have the SUV re-painted to black. Let's just say our tester would have fit in perfectly at a Texas Longhorn tailgater or on Halloween, and it definitely drew constant stares as we cruised around Chicago. Children craned their necks as we passed them on the interstate, and a newspaper vendor stopped hawking the Sun-Times long enough to mouth "I like that" as we rolled by. A blinged-out array of chrome options finished off the Alpha's flashy look: exterior door handles, extended mirror caps, 16-inch wheels, gas cap and the signature Hummer chrome grill.
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The Hummer's plush interior is a long way from its beginnings as a barebones military vehicle. The H3 Alpha's cabin has the feel of a luxury sedan, with leather-appointed, heated bucket seats, a leather-lined steering wheel, in-dash six-CD changer with a premium seven-speaker sound system. The climate and radio control knobs are big and easy-to-use. The roomy cabin comfortably fits five adults, and with the rear seats folded down, the cargo space is impressive. The Hummer's optional rear-vision camera screen is ingeniously tucked inside the rear-view mirror, automatically sliding out when you put the SUV in reverse. It's right at eye level, so you can use it and glance easily at your sideview mirrors as well.
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One complaint we had with previous gen Hummers was that they seemed slightly underpowered. The H3 Alpha addresses that issue with a near-300-horsepower Vortec engine with a 6,000-lb. towing capacity that roars from 0-60 in roughly eight seconds. At about 17 inches shorter in length and six inches shorter in height than an H2, the H3 was surprisingly agile in city driving. We dodged an early-morning traffic jam by flipping a U-turn on a two-lane downtown Chicago street without needing to ride up on the curb. According to GM, the H3's 37-foot turn radius rivals that of a compact car. And if off-roading is in your future, the H3's 9.1-inch ground clearance looks high enough to clear a compact car. You won't see Al Gore piloting the H3 Alpha anytime soon, with its 13 miles-per-gallon in the city, and we're sure some of the stares we got came from disapproving environmentally-conscious folks. But we were having too much fun indulging our inner alpha male to care.
-- by Sam Jemielity |
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