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Hummer H3

I just configured the ideal Hummer H3. It includes the towing package, the Luxury package (6-disc CD changer, leather seats, and better speakers), and a few other little things (like the sunroof). Total MSRP, not counting some little things like splashguards and crossbows: $34,075.

Wow, I didn't know they were that cheap. Do they still get about 10 MPG or have they managed to reach 25 or so? Mmmmmm, me want.

No Hummer dealers in Erie, though, it seems. Still, me want. Me planning drive to Wexford, soon. Mmmmmmm.

27 Responses to "Hummer H3"

  1. The option is actually somewhat interesting, too, because Carey's car is about eight years old and mine is now four. I can pay mine off in the next two months, in fact.

    My parents always spaced their cars out by about three to four years - it prevented the expense of having to buy two new cars within a year (or have major repairs on both due to old age). Hmm…

  2. Ew.

  3. I second that ew. The hummer represents all that is wrong with America (i.e. we consume way too much), IMHO.

  4. 18 MPG highway. Leasing options are available, too. Hmmm… Carey works less than five miles away and I work from home. Hmmm…

    I agree that the Hummer (H1) and the H2 are beasts, and the H3 is no better in some regards. But how much mileage does the Tourag get out of a tank of gas? How about any SUV type thing? My Aztek gets 30 in mixed highway/city driving - an anomaly to be sure.

  5. Oh for the good old days when a vehicles value was measured by how many gallons it could consume. Seriously, hummers are nice rigs and I refuse to be swept along by the "hummers are bad" mentality that seems to consume many Americans. Those who trash hummers are the kind that drive 1985 Volvos belching black fumes.

  6. It's interesting that you compare the fuel consumption to the Volkswagen Tuareg: the Tuareg with a around the same hp consumes less fuel and provides acceptable handling in a way I would expect it from a modern car - design-wise, the Tuareg is the cheaper sibling of the Porsche Cayenne and shares the same air suspension system. I don't know why so many people need an SUV when most of them are never used off-road but apart from that, I would never buy a "car" that is built like a truck from last century.

    There's also a different way to look at "fuel efficiency": if you consider what a car like the BMW M5 or the Porsche Turbo can do with the same amount of fuel, what kind of fun is there if you just burn it with a heavy dinosaur like that? You can get faster cars with half or two thirds of that fuel consumption. Ahh, gas prices are still too low, I suppose 😛

  7. Even at 15 mpg thats still a pretty heavy gas guzzler. Of course, with a little extra work (and a few hundred thousand) you could turn it into a robot!

  8. "El presidente" really didn't have any advice at all, and the Touareg starts at about $10k more than the H3. I may not off-road much (though I might sometimes for fun), but I do have that thing called "winter" to deal with here in PA.

    I'd consider the Touareg if they weren't so expensive. A loaded H3 runs about $32-35k.

  9. El presidente of Ambrosia Software used to own one. I'd take his advice.

  10. Jeff, I think why most people rag on Hummers (at least the H2 ones) is because the owners think their vehicles are something they aren't (click for video goodness). 🙂

    The H3 is a step in the right direction, but I think they could have done better with the fuel efficiency. Similar cars like the Toyota Highlander get better mileage even while producing more power.

    Erik, consider getting the heated seat option (is that included in the Luxury package?, it may be). One winter with heated seats and you'll never buy another car without them. 😀

  11. I've spent a few hours looking around. There's not much out there for under $32k (total) in the SUV class. Ugh. Seriously.

  12. I looked a lot at the H3 a while back. In the snow in Erie, 4WD is great and sometimes a must. I used to drive Jeeps (the grand cherokee is comporable to the H3), but every Jeep I've owned and people I've talked to who have them have discovered that at ~65,000 miles+, they become money pits. Most SUVs now are built on car platforms and not very stable, or they're focused on luxury and not performance (e.g. the Infinity), or they're poorly designed (the VW--you can't see out the rear window if someone's sitting in the back). I've seen some H3s in person here, and I'm impressed. They're just slightly larger than a Grand Cherokee, but they keep the performance of their bigger brothers. I think the H1 and H2 are pretty ridiculus for most people, but I like the H3. And hey, compared to the huge SUVs that soccer moms seem to drive now a days, it's environmentally friendly. The one other thing worth checking out is the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. It gets car-like mileage but performs well as an suv, and Toyotas are insanely reliable. Of course, I finally realized it doesn't snow out here, and I bought a sports car, but I don't think that works for you 😉

  13. I guess with cars it's pretty much the same as with everything: you get what you pay for. The Tuareg is certainly more expensive, as is the Mercedes M-class or other SUVs (Japanese or American) that are more suitable for on-road usage, and their off-road capabilities should still be enough for a little fun now and then. Moreover, at least German manufacturers (where I know it for sure) like Mercedes and Volkswagen offer pretty interesting Diesel engines with 200 to over 300 hp over here with a lot lower fuel consumption than their gasoline counterparts. I don't know if these engines are an option in the US but they are pretty good, very silent and powerful.

    Even with lower fuel prices than over here in Europe (where you pay over 4 USD per gallon), it seems pretty clear that fuel prices in general are only going up during the next few years. To me, a Hummer seems to be as useful as using VMS on a home computer you buy for multimedia.

  14. I learned one thing today: it's not easy to mentally convert 18 MPG into l/100km (13) 🙂

    And someone has to give an opinion against the Touareg. We've had serious reliability problems with the last Volkswagen we bought (the whole electric circuit disconnecting itself - while you drive, mind you - if the temperature reaches 35°C/95°F is not good for a two weeks old car). Their cars are not what they used to be.

    What I like about Hummers is that people drive more carefully while you're around. Definitely not so on a motorbike.

  15. Mentioned this to a friend of mine..

    we came up with.. that its okay as long as you have your own parking lot folded in the hummer and, that, you must have quite some money from selling your company (argl), while you tend to.. uhm... well we think its just not stlyed enough a toy, thats it 😛

    *running*

  16. Anunnaki, comments like that don't make much sense. The H3 runs - pretty well loaded - at about $33k (before my GMID discount). My Aztek ran about $29k (I didn't pay $29k, of course). Other midsize SUVs run more than this (once you add all the features) - some quite a bit more.

    Aztek turning radius: 36ft

    H3 turning radius: 37ft

    Aztek dimensions: 182" x 74" x 66"

    H3 dimensions: 187" x 75" x 66"

    In other words, I feel that your comment is rather un-researched and without merit.

  17. I'll toss a second vote in for a Toyota Highlander... My parents bought one in 2001 and it is a dream to drive. Rough needs were something that could haul the family around, had plenty of cargo room, but didnt drive like a truck (for mom's sake), and could tow a 20' sailboat.

    I was very skeptical about it at first, and preferred the Sequoia. Nearly 5 years later, I have to say it was definitely the right choice. It's based off the same chassis as a camry, but is extremely capable in handling Calgary winters, even trekking out to our remote cabin in the kootenays, with narry a hiccup. It towed our sailboat excellently, and is great on the highway.

    Don't discount it as an "urbanite, fake-UV", it has surprised me very much in its capabilities. I think coming from an Aztek, you would definitely be able to appreciate it. I dont imagine that the mid-range model with the 225hp V6 would run you much more than an H3, and the new hybrid model adds a lot to sweeten the deal. The Hybrid is rated at something like 260+ "combined hp", so you'd have to do some digging to see what that number really means, but it sure sounds impressive.

    I realize that, pricing wise, it'll be hard to compete with a GM, especially with all these employee pricing discounts. Realiability, in our experience, has been unparalleled in this toyota, compared with the Hondas, Benzes, Chryslers and GM vechicles we've previously owned. However, in the short term (3-4 years like you said), I suppose this point wouldnt make much of a difference. Resale, at least up here, on import vehicles is MUCH better... but again, if you're leasing, who cares?

  18. Just checked toyota's site, a Limited edition Highlander w/ leather starts out at 30,000 ... i think this would be pretty well fully loaded, but i know there's an option for a stereo and various other things, tack on 3 grand, and I bet it's a pretty close competitor to the H3...

    Plus Carey will love it 😛 ... unless she's a hummer girl, heh

  19. The Highlander comes out to a similar price as the H3, yeah. The hybrid is out of the question - I see no point in paying $7k or whatever to save $5k in gas over the life of the vehicle, particularly the extra interest would have to be factored in as well.

    But I'm going to check it out now too. I'll post later about the Touareg and the Highlander.

  20. Have you had any thoughts about a Hyundai Santa Fe? It seems like you really want an SUV and don't want to spend a lot of money. The Santa Fe is one option that fits those two desires... though it isn't as Hummer as you may want.

  21. If price is a conceen, the cheapest car is the one that you already own. This can be mitigated by other factors, such as a growing family with not enough room in the existing vehicle.

    The first of a model is generally not the best quality that the car will have. Wait for a Rev B or wait a couple of years to see if the quality checks out.

    Trading in and out of cars (especially new cars) every 3 to 4 years is one of the worst financial decisions that you can make. Leasing is not much better (since someone has to be making money in the lease).

  22. Folks, I am not opposed to spending some money to get a decent quality car. But anything above $35k is really out of the range of reasonable.

    Plaid, a few corrections:Carey's car is six years old (i.e. bordering on seven), and we own two cars. Mine is about to be paid off. We want to get into a situation where we're rotating cars every four years, which means each car will last eight years. Not three to four.The H3 is a second version. The 2005 came before the 2006. Some changes have been made.So, there's that. I checked out the Highlander, too, and the X3 while I was at the VW dealer. Again, I'll write more about my thoughts later.

  23. Sorry, I missed the point where your car was going to Carrie and then you were trading in her car. Also since I haven't seen any H3s on the road, I assumed they were starting with the new mdoel year which is starting to appear now.

  24. Check out Honda's Element. It's not very pricey and it's got good mileage. Plus, it pretty much just blasts through the snow (my father owns one). Granted, it's ugly as sin, but it'll get you from A to B.

  25. Steve, on the Element, no thanks.

  26. no ones cares about H3s because they suck and are ugly where are all the good hummers like the H1 or the H2? i mean if you want people to check out this page at least give them something to look at.

    Your Best Friend:
    Ian Wallace

  27. I am not opposed to spending some money to get a decent quality car. But anything above $35k is really out of the range of reasonable.


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