2010 4X4 Of The Year

Hummer H3T Alpha
The Hummer brand is in a state of flux. It has new Chinese owners, but no one is sure yet what effect this will have on future products. Selling Hummer means that GM has lost its strongest off-road vehicle. We have tested a Hummer almost every year for the past seven years, and it has never won our test for some reason or other. Unfortunately for Hummer, this year was no different. The truck we tested, an H3T Alpha with a 300hp 5.3L V-8, should have been a serious contender, but halfway through our second day of testing the truck slid off a rock in our rockcrawling test and the aluminum rear driveline broke in two.

We foresaw great things from this truck, what with its V-8 power, front and rear locking differentials, big aggressive Bridgestone tires, and a nimble suspension. Unluckily, the driveshaft injury would prove fatal to the Hummer's chances. We have had other trucks with aluminum driveshafts across this same section of rocks, and have damaged and repaired them in prior years, but in this case a replacement couldn't come without a two-day delay. The judges decided in a meeting to repair the shaft (a truly amazing job by All-J Products in Big Bear, California, www.boulderbars.com) and limp it along with the troupe until the replacement arrived. However, because the vehicle had missed at least a day of testing, we figured that it was likely out of the running. The repaired rear shaft lasted an amazing 175 miles at highway speeds, and we were less than 10 miles from the replacement driveshaft when it came apart and sent the H3T to the sidelines for good with a now busted rear yoke.

The H3T is an amazingly capable truck nonetheless and would be perfect for the small family that likes to get out and explore yet still needs load-carrying ability. The front and rear lockers and V-8 power mixed with a 4:1 low range transfer case should make it the perfect trail machine.

The high-belt-line low visibility has always been one of our complaints of this truck, and its 134-inch wheelbase puts it in fullsize truck territory even though its 65-inch track is narrow like a mini truck or SUV. This gives the truck a long, narrow, weird look from the outside but isn't as noticeable inside. In fact, it's a very comfortable size for both urban and trail driving while still bringing a lot of storage space-but only1,031 pounds of cargo, the least in the test. However, due to the spring-under rear suspension the H3T doesn't suffer the rear axlewrap that the Raptor does.

We also still hate how tight the doors are to the seat controls, making it hard for fat-handed people to get comfortable. Plus foot room is cramped with the engine tunnel impeding throttle foot space. The giant sunroof is still best in class and does relieve much of that trapped-in-a-cave feel Hummers have. The high doors' small windows have always hindered trail visibility but also give a secure feeling inside during high-speed driving. This is the "function follows form" styling Hummer has come to be known for, like it or not.

Hummer's have always fallen just shy of First Place, and this year's predicament pushed it out of the running completely. Will the Hummer brand prosper under its new owners? Will the rumored two-door Wrangler-fighter H4 ever make it to production? Will Hummer someday win our truck test even after so many disappointing attempts? Will GM bring some new capable 4x4 to the market? We hope the answer to all is yes.

The Quotes
•"I can't see out!"
•"You can tell the V-8 has been electronically governed."
•"Dead in the water."