2008 4x4 Of The Year Contestants

Hummer H3 Alpha

We have had a Hummer H3 in the test for the past three years and every year it gets a little bit better. As you may know, we require a major change for a vehicle to even qualify for the event, and this year the military mini-ute finally showed up with a V-8 under the hood and was christened the H3 Alpha. We have been asking for a V-8 H3 every year since this awesome little four-by was introduced and so you can imagine the discussions in the parking lot as we prepared to leave for this test. Whispers of "finally a real engine," "I can't wait to drive it," and "winner," were heard while discussing the possible performance of the H3. Where there used to reside an inline five-cylinder that reminded us of something from an anemic tractor now lives a 5.3L V-8 from GM's famed LS small-block engine line. This power outlay was sure to impress when mixed with the selectable rear locking differentials, flexible leaf-sprung rear and independent front suspension, and 4.03:1 low-range Borg-Warner transfer case.

Oddly enough something wasn't right. Yes, the H3 has more power than before (58 more horsepower than the 3.7L I-5 to be exact), but maybe we had our hopes up expecting to have this Alpha dog pulling at the leash every time we touched the throttle and it just wasn't there. The rugged Hummer styling is still great and the undercarriage skidplating was impressive, but we were expecting this truck to be a rocket. It felt finally adequate but not impressive.

This micro-Hummer still has the loves and hates of years gone by. The low roofline and small windows make visibility upwards toward steep climbs and downwards toward rocky trails difficult, though some judges like the protective cocoon feel that this invokes, plus the optional rearview camera and monitor help the parking impaired. The interior is comfortable, though the seat controls are still hard to reach down between the seat and the door. We feel the big tow hoops front and rear are great but the traction control still leaves a bit to be desired especially when mixed with the independent front suspension on steep climbs, where the same old bouncing-for-traction dance was replayed like the previous two years.

Even with these issues, this is still one of the most capable off-road machines in the GM line, and with a bit more tuning under the hood, we're sure you could turn this little dog with a big-dog complex into a true Alpha dog.

Likes
Finally a V-8 H3!
* Classic Hummer looks
* Selectable rear locker and flexible suspension

Dislikes
V-8 feels like a V-6
* No front locker
* Side window openings too small

Verdict
It gets better every year, but we still want more capability.