prashok
Oct 17, 05, 12:44 pm
Wanted to get something nice for a weekend road trip to Austin, so I dropped off the Mazda 6 I had for the week at DFW, and tried my luck at an on-the-fly Prestige reservation (hopefully for an STS or A6). No luck at first -- all they had were minivans. :(
But a few more minutes of searching by the Gold agent ended up with a possible unreserved Hummer H2. At this point, the thought of driving such a gas-guzzler for the 200ish mile trip wasn't particularly appealing, but neither was the thought of cruising around 6th Street in a Ford Freestar, so after some quick negotiating, I took the H2. :)
http://www.hummer.com
From the HUMMER website, my H2 (in Adventure Series trim) was equipped to the tune of $57,005.
Powertrain: With GM's Vortec 6.0 V8 pumping out 325 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque, the H2 was able to keep up with traffic with little drama. As with GM's other V8 engines, the pushrod motor was relatively quiet, and provided a nice sound when pushed. The four-speed automatic was also responsive, providing smooth, prompt shifts. I averaged about 13.6 mpg during my trip, consisting mostly of highway miles.
Ride/Handling: For a large SUV, the H2 was quite competent, with the ride being comfortable and smooth. Steering was not as direct as I would have liked, and handling was generally composed, though a fair amount of body roll existed. Most likely, the H2 was purposely tuned softer to make it more "carlike," and in general it accomplishes that. Brake feel is firm and easy to modulate, and the standard AWD system provides solid traction without ever being intrusive.
Interior: The interior of the "midsize" HUMMER was IMO not up to its pricetag. While I liked the "industrial" theme the designers were going for, the materials were of questionable quality, and standard GM switchgear was evident all over the interior (especially the awful "multifunction stalk" :mad: ). Some of the "metallic" trim pieces were also not all that convincing either. Similarly, interior space was not up to the standards I was expecting for a vehicle of this size. To be fair, the same could be said of the H1, but like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, that is a military vehicle fitted to civilian specs -- unlike the H2, which was a new from-the-ground-up vehicle.
Features: Other than the requisite power and luxury accessories, notable features include an adjustable suspension and multi-stage heated seat system.
Value: I wasn't all that impressed by the H2's value, both in terms of a purchase and as a rental. While the H2 drove well and got plenty of looks, it didn't feel like it was worth its pricetag (especially inside), and as an SUV, it's still not as practical as some of its competitors. Similarly, as a Hertz rental, its going rate is almost double that of a XJ8 or A8L and significantly more than a Cadillac Escalade, all of which are a pleasure to drive and worth their "premium" status.
Overall, the H2 makes for a good toy, but IMO isn't a well-rounded luxury SUV (remember, these won't be used by most for off-road/towing duties anyway :D) like the Range Rover, Lexus LX470 or the Cadillac Escalade.
To sum it up:
The Good
Attention-grabber
Pleasing to drive
Powerful
The Bad
Cheap interior components
Not very spacious inside
High pricetag
But a few more minutes of searching by the Gold agent ended up with a possible unreserved Hummer H2. At this point, the thought of driving such a gas-guzzler for the 200ish mile trip wasn't particularly appealing, but neither was the thought of cruising around 6th Street in a Ford Freestar, so after some quick negotiating, I took the H2. :)
http://www.hummer.com
From the HUMMER website, my H2 (in Adventure Series trim) was equipped to the tune of $57,005.
Powertrain: With GM's Vortec 6.0 V8 pumping out 325 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque, the H2 was able to keep up with traffic with little drama. As with GM's other V8 engines, the pushrod motor was relatively quiet, and provided a nice sound when pushed. The four-speed automatic was also responsive, providing smooth, prompt shifts. I averaged about 13.6 mpg during my trip, consisting mostly of highway miles.
Ride/Handling: For a large SUV, the H2 was quite competent, with the ride being comfortable and smooth. Steering was not as direct as I would have liked, and handling was generally composed, though a fair amount of body roll existed. Most likely, the H2 was purposely tuned softer to make it more "carlike," and in general it accomplishes that. Brake feel is firm and easy to modulate, and the standard AWD system provides solid traction without ever being intrusive.
Interior: The interior of the "midsize" HUMMER was IMO not up to its pricetag. While I liked the "industrial" theme the designers were going for, the materials were of questionable quality, and standard GM switchgear was evident all over the interior (especially the awful "multifunction stalk" :mad: ). Some of the "metallic" trim pieces were also not all that convincing either. Similarly, interior space was not up to the standards I was expecting for a vehicle of this size. To be fair, the same could be said of the H1, but like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, that is a military vehicle fitted to civilian specs -- unlike the H2, which was a new from-the-ground-up vehicle.
Features: Other than the requisite power and luxury accessories, notable features include an adjustable suspension and multi-stage heated seat system.
Value: I wasn't all that impressed by the H2's value, both in terms of a purchase and as a rental. While the H2 drove well and got plenty of looks, it didn't feel like it was worth its pricetag (especially inside), and as an SUV, it's still not as practical as some of its competitors. Similarly, as a Hertz rental, its going rate is almost double that of a XJ8 or A8L and significantly more than a Cadillac Escalade, all of which are a pleasure to drive and worth their "premium" status.
Overall, the H2 makes for a good toy, but IMO isn't a well-rounded luxury SUV (remember, these won't be used by most for off-road/towing duties anyway :D) like the Range Rover, Lexus LX470 or the Cadillac Escalade.
To sum it up:
The Good
Attention-grabber
Pleasing to drive
Powerful
The Bad
Cheap interior components
Not very spacious inside
High pricetag