Hummer H3T pickup announced

[4Rescue]

...just the normal truck with just 32s with the rear locker it will out wheel a trd tacoma. all it needs is a diesel and a manual tranny even an auto and it would be the ultimate in its market...

Yeah NO...

I like the idea of a smaller more off-rad friendly Hummer, but the current line is IMO useless. I do like the LOOK of the H3, but other than that....

What I can't fathom is why, when GM is in such a horrible state financialy, they keep making more and more new models every year. they're not getting rid of any, they're just adding more fluff to an already over full product line. Why not focus on making your current line more relaible??? Might help with the sales boys...

Cheers

Dave

 

[calamaridog]

I can't wait till Rod and Chad Hall get one.

Dave, perhaps you missed the Baja 1000 this year when the H3 and H3 Alpha won the stock classes?

Perhaps you can expand on how and why the current H3 is "useless"?

 

[4Rescue]

I can't wait till Rod and Chad Hall get one.

Dave, perhaps you missed the Baja 1000 this year when the H3 and H3 Alpha won the stock classes?

Perhaps you can expand on how and why the current H3 is "useless"?

Having riiden in an H3 recently, I can honestly say they are near impossible to see out of IMO. I get this claustrophobic feeling just siiting at a trafic light. Not to mention that it took them a few years to finaly put a v8 in it and it's still not enough motor to haul the pig around all that well. I like the Body, square and boxy and utilitarian as it looks, and I'm all for a Locker and lower T-case gears, but as far as I've seen, there is no stripper model with cloth seats and manual everything so what's the point...

Like I said, I'm all for a smaller "H4" style rig, but mostly because it'll push other comapnies to make competetive rigs(I'd never buy one seeing as it's made by GM). Car companies (even the all holy Toyota) need to understand that bigger is not better, and stop inflating every single model update. Wait, in 5 years, the H3 will be the size of the H2 and the H2 will officialy not fit on public roads and so on and so forth... It's a very annoying trend in automotive engineering.

 

[evldave]

Well I have to say after having my H3 for 2 years now (and 40k+ miles) it's a better overall vehicle than my wife's JK, my old XJ, and my old Suburban. I've pretty much already decided I'll be one of the first in line for the H3T (and wifeys already said yes!).

Why? Well first and foremost it's a great balance between daily driver and offroad capability. Very comfortable seats for long drives, out-of-the-box more capable than just about anything but a Rubi, nice (for stock) stereo, decent interior room for a mid-size truck. I put 100k miles on my XJ (lifted, 33" tires, etc) and it wasn't even close - I'll take my H3 in a heartbeat! Yeah, visibility sucks, it doesn't go fast (neither does the JK or my XJ or the Suburban), and gets crappy gas mileage(of course, it does get better gas mileage than any other 4wd vehicle I've ever owned (average hiway is around 18-19 w/o roof rack, a little less than the JK and waaay better than my XJs 14-15 and the Subs 12).

Oh yeah, Hummers also use GM's 'uptier' warranty service, same as Caddy's. That means free tow from wherever (including offroad situations), free rental, etc. So the 2 times I've had the H3 in the shop (airbag light from unplugged sensor and dead battery) I've had fantastic service, free tow, free rental, wifi in the service area, free cookies, and the best customer service I've ever had with a new car. Some of that is the dealer, but Hummer places a huge premium on customer service you will not get buying a regular GM car (or yota, nissan, etc)


Would I take it on a worldwide expedition? Not likely, too hard to find parts, and too much risk of it getting stolen (gotta admit Hummers are sexy targets). There's also some questions about reliability of the front aluminum difs (they are CI on the Alphas). Only reason I'm gonna get the truck is my wife's allergic to the dogs and we need to put them outside, otherwise I'd keep my H3 for another few years.

I see so many people complain about the power/visibility, and yes, they are a pain, but you get used to those couple quirks and the other benefits make it well worth having as a DD/Offroad rig.

 

[evldave]

I like the Body, square and boxy and utilitarian as it looks, and I'm all for a Locker and lower T-case gears, but as far as I've seen, there is no stripper model with cloth seats and manual everything so what's the point...

The base model is cloth seats & 5 speed manual. No option for manual windows, and I doubt there ever will be...

 

[Pskhaat]

Not to mention that it took them a few years to finaly put a v8 in it and it's still not enough motor to haul the pig around all that well

The fact GM threw an I5 in there put it in my sights in the first place. V8 only will dissapoint some of us.

 

[Pskhaat]

I have to agree with you about the rear axle shock mounts.

Despite their strange location even Toyota is putting axle shock mounts low albeit closer to the wheel.

If you notice however that they look like they're at least roughly behind the rear control arms which apparently sit just as low. Still, nice to have coil springs in a GM:

 

[4Rescue]

The fact GM threw an I5 in there put it in my sights in the first place. V8 only will dissapoint some of us.

Yeah, I love inline motors, I think they might have had a better chance if it had had one more cylinder though.

 

[4Rescue]

The base model is cloth seats & 5 speed manual. No option for manual windows, and I doubt there ever will be...

Seriously??? That is cool, I had no idea you could get one equiped like that.

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Despite their strange location even Toyota is putting axle shock mounts low albeit closer to the wheel.

If you notice however that they look like they're at least roughly behind the rear control arms which apparently sit just as low. Still, nice to have coil springs in a GM:

Thanks for pointing that out!

I'm certainly NO Suspension Pro...........!

I'm just a Layman. .....and what the heck do I know....... But I don't like the looks of that either! Why in the world do they design these like this?

In Fact! .....there are ALL Kinds of things under there I don't like!


......and you say that Toyota is now doing this too? I'm so confused as to why anyone would create this design. I think these designers have been sitting at their Desk WAY Too Long!

 

[Pskhaat]

......and you say that Toyota is now doing this too?

Take a look at this FJZ80 location:

 

[Willman]

Cool looking rig.......

:26_7_2:

 

[calamaridog]

I'll say this about the H3. I was always disappointed they used the I5 instead of the I6. I know, some have said the I6 was not "tuned" for the application or some such non-sense, but many people will not buy an I5, plain and simple. If it had the I6 from the get-go, they could have probably avoided the V8 all together and had more sales.

I have not driven the H3, but I have sat in one and I understand the visablility is not great. Neither is the FJ Cruiser for that matter.

Factory lockers, 4.0 low, and V8 option impress me however. The V8 fits, so that means the new diesel will fit too.

Overall, I think it is an impressive package and I hope they sell tons of them.

Thank you Dave for expanding on your statements and thank you evldave for sharing your experiences and preferences as well.

 

[Ron B]

I wheel with h3's occaisionally, they do well offroad but as many of you have pointed out -- they get hung up on the lower shock mounts all the time. A real weak spot. On another note, this model is supposed to come with the front cast iron diff (as opposed to the self-destructing aluminum one). Hopefully the housing flex was the problem and the new one can handle the locker.

rb

 

[evldave]

I wheel with h3's occaisionally, they do well offroad but as many of you have pointed out -- they get hung up on the lower shock mounts all the time. A real weak spot. On another note, this model is supposed to come with the front cast iron diff (as opposed to the self-destructing aluminum one). Hopefully the housing flex was the problem and the new one can handle the locker.

rb

I have tons of rock rash on my shock mounts, it's also common to hang up on the front spring hanger, some people have put longer shackles in the back and that helps a little bit, but the whole axle-over-spring & shock setup does suck.

...and there are a couple examples of new H3 alphas grenading the CI dif - no details on the cause yet, but i'm sure hoping the front locker doesn't cause the same rash of blown front ends like with the AL housing...