Car: Hummer H3
Prices: £26,495-£31,495 – on the road
Insurance Group: 18
Emissions: 327g/km
Performance: Max Speed 99mph / 0-60mph 9.7s
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 15.3mpg / (extra urban) 25.6mpg / (combined) 20.4mpg
Safety: four wheel ABS, traction control, stability control, twin front airbags
Dimensions: Length/width/heightmm 4782/1989/1912mm
Ready for Stares?
Our Rating: No Rating Available
Anyone who has ever driven a car like the Hummer H3 understands what it is like to be the most gossiped about person in high school. People are looking at you, but you are not always sure if they are staring because they are impressed or if they are staring out of hatred. Judging by the sneers one receives when motoring around town in a H3 it is a good guess to say they are looks of hatred.
Granted there is plenty not to like about the H3 from an outsiders view, but people have to keep in mind that for various reasons people need large cars. At the end of the day the Hummer H3 isn't much bigger than some of the larger-size MPVs on the market. So why don't people give evil stares to a big SUV or MPV? I suppose you would have to ask them.
People are going to have to get over their hatred and start to accept the Hummer H3 because it is finally being offered in a right-steer version which will most likely mean more of them on the UK roadways. The Hummer H3 will be motoring down the motorways powered by a 3.7-litre five cylinder petrol engine with twin overhead cams and variable valve timing. The engine comes with 244bhp of power at 5,600rpm and 328Nm of Torque at a high 4,600rpm.
Hummer is giving the driver a choice of either a 5-speed manual or the 4-speed GM Hydra-Matic auto. Most testing says that the auto gearbox is the better choice. The 5-speed manual will get the H3 from 0-60mph in about 9.7 seconds. That is a pretty impressive numbers for a huge vehicle. Petrol is the only option for now though rumor has it that BioFuel and Diesel version are on the way. The Hummer H3 is equipped with Traction Control and StabililTrack stability control to help keep the car from turning over. The maker says the car will get through water as deep as 407mm.
Overall styling of the H3 keeps to the military style roots that made it famous, but with an interior that is much more user-friendly than the original Hummer or H2. Some of the finishings are a little pedestrian, but the center console is nice. H3s are not made for the basketball players of the world given the small amount of head room. One bad bounce and the driver may be bumping their head on the grab handles.
One might be surprised though at how nice the H3 feels to drive. It is less like a 4x4 and more like a luxury car. The steering is responsive and the suspension takes most road hazards without too much bounce. The H3 is light-years ahead of the original Hummer in that respect.
The Hummer H3 is not for the weak at heart. Driving a vehicle like this will require a thick skin and the ability to ignore people who taunt you over your lack of judgment. Most of the insults will relate to the perceived bad gas consumption which is actually misinformed. The H3 doesn't get high mileage by any means, but the estimated 20.4mpg in combined driving is in the range of a lot of luxury cars on the roads today.