Hot in the Lot
Dillon Zaro’s 2007 Hummer H3
NEIRAD enilno editionCan anyone recall the Hummer commercials on TV a year ago, with the unstoppable SUV effortlessly rolling over extreme terrain? These trucks need little introduction. Behold senior Dillon Zaro’s 2007 Hummer H3. The Hummer is the epitome of an off-roading, monstrous machine - the H3 is just a miniature version in comparison to the original H1 and large H2 models. But if you somehow feel so inclined to hop over to the hummer dealership to check one out, you will be terribly disappointed. The reason why you no longer see these commercials on television is because the Hummer brand actually does not exist anymore. GM ‘dissolved’ the company slowly and humbly within the past year. It can be sure however, that these impressionable machines will never be forgotten.
Although the H3 is the baby of the Hummer lineup, do not get the notion that it is in any way incompetent when it comes to crossing continents. The H3 is still a large SUV, and Dillon demonstrates this by plowing over a curb as if it was a small twig.
Dillon bought the 2007 H3 used last fall. He originally wanted a BMW but when Dillon came across the H3 he knew it was the vehicle for him. The large 33” all terrain tires on 16” chrome wheels give the Hummer a wide stance and a ground clearance of 9.1”. The H3 is four 4 inches taller and 5 inches longer than a comparable Jeep Grand Cherokee. All of this, coupled with muscular, boxy framework gives the Hummer its unmistakable look and presence on the road. Dillon plans to lift the H3 a little more by installing new suspension, which will make his H3 about 6.5” tall!
“I liked it because it is great in the winter and I need room in the back for my hockey bags,” Dillon said. But don’t let the aggressive tires and rugged body fool you; the Hummer was also designed to be a luxury SUV. The ride is smooth thanks to soft suspension and those mammoth tires.
The H3 packs many comfortable features on the inside and out. On the exterior, Dillon’s H3 has chrome accents around the gas fill cap, door handles, and side mirrors. There is a front chrome brush guard, which will help in case of an unsightly encounter with anything that tries to get in Dillon’s path. The brushed aluminum side steps add a great touch to the exterior but are absolutely necessary to enter and exit such a high SUV. The front and rear each have two tow hooks so the H3 can come to the rescue when others get stuck. The interior is luxurious with bucket leather seats in the front, a spacious rear passenger area, and a large trunk. Other interior amenities include a 6.5” Kenwood touch screen multimedia system with integrated Garmin navigation, and a rearview camera mounted on the trailing hitch. The size of the H3 makes it almost necessary to have the rearview camera, especially with the large tire mounted on the rear door impeding Dillon’s visibility.
Dillon’s H3 has a four-speed automatic transmission and three step four wheel drive system that operates by using an integrated electronic transfer case that sends power through a central differential to a solid live rear axle. This allows the H3 to manipulate its rear suspension to best fit the terrain it crosses.
You will get a lot of dirty looks if you park this gas guzzling SUV in a “Hybrid Only” parking space at the Darien Library. It is a bad idea, probably just as bad as wrongfully taking up a handicapped parking space at a nursing home. But any Hummer will. Hummer’s infamous reputation of enormous gas-guzzling SUVs is anything but acceptable since the price of crude oil drove-by $60 a barrel in 2005 and reached its high of $147.30 per barrel in 2008. But the truth is, that is exactly why GM’s brand Hummer decided to create an entirely new vehicle apart from its massively large SUV lineup. So did the creation of the H3 work?... You be the judge.
The Hummer H3 was introduced in 2006 with a starting price of around $33,000 but Dillon’s H3 new, with all the options was likely had a sticker price near $38,000; it is good though that Dillon saved half that by buying it slightly used. It was however Hummer’s first, and last, attempt to be more economical. Hummer introduced it as a revolutionary luxury SUV that retains all the rugged attributes of traditional Hummers but with fuel economy for the new energy crisis.
So how did Hummer achieve this? It’s simple… make everything, well, smaller. The H2, was a ridiculously large creature, weighing 3.2 tons (6,400 lbs) and used a 6 liter V8 to crawl over rocks and anything else one would drive over in a Hummer. The H1, the first, original Hummer needed a 6.5 liter V8 to move an astonishing 3.8 tons (7600lbs). It is clear, that Hummers really are “Like Nothing Else,” as their slogan goes.
Hummers have an unmistakable presence on the road with their tall ride height, wide stance and notorious seven-slotted front grille. The new family member carries the same genes however the H3, shows its eco consciousness by boasting a 4,700lb curb weight moved by a 3.7 liter inline five cylinder engine… or in other words, half of an H1.
Fuel figures of 14 city, 18 highway, and 15 combined mpg are decent for the H3’s class but poor for its engine. The H3’s unique 3.7 liter inline five only produces 242 horsepower and 242 ft/lbs torque, making it sluggish to accelerate its hefty body. Despite the size of the engine, the power output is lacking especially considering its 4,700lb curb weight. The acceleration is slower than desirable but it is nonetheless a smooth revving engine. “I wish it had a little more power, but it fits my needs,” Dillon said. This is partly due to the unconventional five-cylinder engine. Most automakers find the greatest bang for the buck, or power for the size of the engine, is achieved using traditional arrangements of four, six, or eight cylinders. Five cylinders are rare and the engine is not seen in any of GM’s other vehicles. This uncommon engine means H3 specifically knowledgeable mechanics will be needed for these repairs, and since the demise of the Hummer brand this year, the availability of them will be increasingly scarce.
Hummer should have adopted one of GM’s other six-cylinder engines for use in the H3. There is no shame in sharing especially when it will yield many benefits. For example, the 3.6 liter V6 seen in the 2007 GM Acadia and Cadillac SRX produces 275 hp and 251 ft/lbs torque, a noticeable difference. The Acadia is also 250lbs heavier than the H3 and it gets better fuel economy at 16 city, 22 highway, and 18 combined mpg. The engine from the 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer and GMC Envoy was also a viable option. It was a 4.2 liter inline six cylinder that produced 291hp and 277ft/lbs torque, a substantial gain in power with near identical fuel efficiencies of the H3, 14 city, 20 highway, and 16 combined mpg. By incorporating engines shared by other GM vehicles Hummer could have improved the H3’s performance, fuel economy, and maintenance costs, which could have saved the company.
