2009 4x4 Of The Year Participants

Hummer H3 Alpha
Weighing in at 4,698 pounds with a 300hp 5.3L V-8 engine for an overall power-to-weight ratio of 1 hp to every 15.6 pounds, in this corner is the '09 Hummer H3 Alpha. We have had a Hummer in the test several times, and every year Hummer was denied the top spot. For 2009 Hummer has all the right stuff-on paper, at least: 5.3L V-8, 4:1 low-range transfer case, nimble 112-inch wheelbase, and finally locking differentials both front and rear. It sounds perfect. It should win hands-down, right?

Four-wheeling attributes revealed the same great things as the H3T: big burly tow hooks front and rear, excellent skidplates, and big tires with awesome approach and departure angles. Oddly, the superb rock-slider options of years past weren't included on our test truck, though they are still available. We liked seeing the iron front axlehousing as a reassurance that the front locking differential won't overstress the case like all the competing aluminum IFS axles do.

Again the interior is a mix of delight and disgust. The seats are great but hard to adjust because the controls are blocked by the door. Visibility is lousy where you need it, but the sunroof's gigantic. Controls are easy to reach, but the transmission shifter has an annoying button that needs pressing for shifting. The engine/transmission hump encroaches on the throttle foot for anyone with over a size 6 boot. The black leather and plastic have an adventurous look, but showed dirt more readily than the tan and cloth interior of the lesser-priced H3T. That said, the addition of a front and rear locker button on the dash earns a gold star from an off-roader's viewpoint.

As much as we like the idea of the V-8 in the H3, the performance wasn't always included. We knew something was amiss when the V-6 Suzuki Equator walked away from the H3 during an impromptu drag race. And though the suspension is ultraflexy, it also allows considerable tailend squat under hard acceleration.

Getting into the twisty rocky dirt trails with the H3 was like showing up at prom with the homecoming queen. The short wheelbase, approach and departure angles, ground clearance, and lockers made short work of obstacles that had other competitors spinning wheels and dinging rocker panels.

Unfortunately, the hillclimb gave the H3 a right hook that left it dazed and confused. Even though the lockers front and rear had all four tires looking for traction, the suspension returned the weird front wheelhop of previously tested H3-not as bad as before, but still there. The H3's short wheelbase also lacked the stability on steep climbs that the fullsizes and H3Ts offered.

In the high-speed sections the H3 was again a contender, but for some reason the V-8 felt locked up like a chastity belt on your prom date-it seemed there was more available, but someone back home wasn't letting it all out, again maybe due to the short wheelbase.

Once the truck was in the sand, it got mixed review. Some judges found the truck a great little dune buggy, and others were scared by the incessant pounding in the rearend as the axle battered the bumpstops.

So, do all the features in the world add up to a great off-roader even if the cool-looking but visibility-hindering body gets in the way? Even though this truck should win on paper, combining all its specs into a truck that works great all around in the dirt isn't as easy as dumping ingredients in a bowl and mixing.

The Goods
* Approach & departure angles
* Front & rear lockers
* 4:1 low range

The Bads
* Needs more power
* Bad visibility
* Hard to shift trans