NRMA Car Review - Hummer H3

The H3 Hummer was first introduced into Australia at the 2006 Sydney International Motor show. The single yellow H3 Hummer on display racked up an impressive 400 pre-release orders. Now available in 3 models the H3 has attracted its fair share of attention, some good, some not so. The name Hummer comes from the iconic American military vehicle the HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) or as we have come to know, the Humvee.

Value for money

Pricing

The base model H3 manual starts at $52,990, the H3 Adventure $58,990 and the H3 Luxury (auto) $60,990. Our test vehicle H3 Adventure with optional auto starts at $60,990.

Standard features

Standard features on the base model include cruise control, electro-chromatic rear vision mirror with eight point digital compass, power windows, remote control entry with panic alarm, single in-dash CD player, front fog lights, 16x7.5 inch alloy wheels and 60/40 split rear seats. The H3 Luxury includes automatic transmission, leather seat inserts, electric heated front seats with eight way power adjustment, leather wrapped steering wheel, exterior chrome package including door handles, roof cross bars and mirror caps, six-disc in-dash CD Monsoon sound system and glass sun roof.

The H3 Adventure comes with manual transmission as standard (automatic is an option) and the same level of specifications as the Luxury excluding the sun roof. However the Adventure has the full off-road package that includes fully locking, electronically controlled, rear differential and heavy duty, two speed transfer case with a super low range ratio of 4.03:1 that provides good off-road performance.

Design & function

Space & practicality

The H3 is deceptive as rear storage space is poor due to bulky interior trims and large wheel wells that intrude into the cabin. This lack of space is also evident when sitting in the front and rear seats. The Hummer's interior storage compartments consist of a small passenger side glove box, centre console arm rest box and storage compartment in the rear cargo area. The other storage areas are front seat back map holders and small front door pockets that would be lucky to hold a couple of pens or a small brochure. There are two cup holders in the front centre console and a fold out, two drink holder located in the centre of the rear seat base trim.

Comfort

Seat comfort for the driver and front passenger is good, helped by the eight-way, power adjustable front seats. However, bulky interior trims and small front, side and rear windows make you feel rather enclosed. The front seats are well padded with a comfortable driving position. The driver's biggest concern is the very small, uncomfortable foot rest which tends to send your left foot to sleep. The remaining seats are a bit of a let down. The rear seat base is low to the floor and not very wide resulting in an uncomfortable ride for adults. Children should find the rear outer seats comfortable but the centre rear seat back trim is hard and the rear drink holder intrudes into the seat base trim by 160mm.

Ergonomics

Dash layout is very plain and simple. There are three large knobs for the air ventilation system while the four-wheel-drive selection switches are located conveniently at the top of the dash just below the centre vents. The radio controls are easy to understand and operate. The only concern was the indicator stalk (mounted on the left of the steering column) which also housed the cruise control and the front windscreen wiper/washer controls. With all these systems on one shaft it was difficult to operate the windscreen wiper switch.

Rear vision was very poor due to the rear mounted spare wheel. Vision to the left was restricted by the large "B" pillar and forward vision was also restricted by the large "A" pillars and broad rear vision mirrors. A rear mounted reversing camera should be the first thing to consider when optioning the Hummer.

Safety

At this stage no ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety score is available but the H3 scored "Acceptable" in the US Insurance Institute crash test program. Safety features include Stabilitrak Control System (Hummers version of ESC), anti-lock brakes, dynamic rear proportioning brakes, traction control, pre-tensioning seat belts to the front, dual front air bags with passenger sensing system and curtain air bags with roll over protection.

Build quality & finish

The H3 is solidly constructed inside and out. Exterior finish and panel gaps were good. Our test vehicle was Arctic Silver which blended in nicely with the black window tint, bumper bars, sill and wheel arches trims. The whole vehicle felt taut and rock solid but some of the hard plastic interior trims looked and felt slightly down market.

Security

At the time of testing NRMA Insurance had not assessed the Hummer's security. Remote entry, central locking and panic alarm are standard across the range along with a vehicle theft deterrent system PASSlock.

On the road

Fuel

The 3.7 litre 5 cylinder 180kW engine used ULP and achieved an average fuel consumption of 14.36 litres per 100km during testing. We recorded 14.01L/100km on the highway and 14.72L/100km in the city.

Performance

The Hummer's power and performance was a little disappointing around town and on the open highways. The engine struggles under load when going up hills and the automatic transmission finds it hard to find a suitable gear under varying loads. However, this poor performance is more than made up for when the Hummer hits the dirt.

Ride

When touring on the open highways the H3 provided a comfortable ride with the only concern being some noticeable body roll evident when corning at high speeds. It had no trouble absorbing bumps and large potholes on our poorer dirt roads and felt quite at home on the deteriorated mountain tracks and isolated sandy beaches of the South Coast.

Handling & steering

The front suspension on the H3 consists of independent torsion bars, 46mm monotube gas-charged shocks and a 36mm tubular stabiliser bar. The rear is fitted with multi-leaf, semi-elliptic dual stage leaf springs, 46mm monotube gas-charged shocks and a 25mm rear stabiliser bar. With all this gear, the H3 displayed its true calling on the dirt tracks in the mountains of NSW's South Coast. In previous tests, the H3 has more than proven its off-road capabilities when negotiating steep inclines and clawing its way out of nearly waist deep ruts. The Hummer is made to climb mountains so it's not surprising its steering felt loose and unbalanced on high speed bends, something to be expected from a vehicle with such a high centre of gravity.

Braking

The H3 has four-wheel disc brakes, four-wheel anti-lock braking system, four-piston opposed fixed front calipers and single piston rear calipers. This combination pulled the H3 up with an average braking distance of 28.44 meters at 80 km/h, which is very good for a vehicle of this size.

Smoothness & quietness

Substantial wind noise is generated by the Hummer's boxy shape, and there is a significant amount of tyre and engine noise infiltrating the cabin. Otherwise the H3 has a smooth and comfortable ride that really comes into its own on unsealed roads.

Summary

This Hummer H3 turns heads wherever it goes with people more than happy to say what they think about it. For the most part the reaction was good with its size and aggressive styling most frequently commented on.

The Hummer H3 ticks all the boxes when it comes to its four-wheel-drive ability and off-road performance. But as a city dweller it can be difficult to get around in and reversing out of car parks can be a nightmare. A Sydney Hummer dealer indicated to us that at least 75 per cent of orders are for the luxury model and he believed that most of them wouldn't see the off-road environment they were made for.

Test vehicle supplied by Hummer (GM) Australia.

By NRMA Motoring, February 2008.

Back to top