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Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 8:28:26 AM

jbb6811

Posts: 66
Joined: 3/23/2006
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Really thinking of trading mine for new Alpha. Anyone here thats had both and can tell
what they like or dislike from one to the other.

whats the new upgrades? other than the V8....... mpg? safety locks? controls(radios etc.)

only thing i've seen i don't like is i can't get it in superior blue like my 06.

thanks Brandon

< Message edited by jbb6811 -- 10/29/2007 8:30:12 AM >

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 9:55:27 AM

jman_in_minnesota

Posts: 143
Joined: 12/13/2006
From: Minneapolis/St Paul
Status: offline

i'm in the same boat, want to upgrade but waiting for some incentives to appear, however, I do have a GMS to use

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 1:24:14 PM

jbb6811

Posts: 66
Joined: 3/23/2006
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whats your best mpg?
is your superior blue too? (judging from avitar)

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 1:42:52 PM

hilljob26

Posts: 2069
Joined: 9/2/2007
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i wish i could help,all i can say is if i could get the v8,i would

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 1:53:18 PM

08ALPHA

Posts: 43
Joined: 10/24/2007
Status: offline

Just got home from Colorado. Total miles were 1693 and we averaged 16.14 mpg.
Our best was 18.25 and the worst was 14.1 mpgs. Considering what the H3 is and
what its intended for, I'm very happy with the milage.

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08 H3 Alpha

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 1:57:24 PM

NJTEX

Posts: 270
Joined: 3/26/2006
Status: offline

I don't have one but the most noticeable difference reported here has been with highway driving. No or much less downshifting on hills and much more passing power over 65 MPH. I'm curious about the H3 SUT to be released next year. For me, that may be a more interesting time to upgrade to the V8.

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 2:03:05 PM

Doc Olds

Posts: 3805
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Boat Town USA (Michigan 48045)
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The Alpha and its V8 is better, but costs a hellava lot more. My I5 can hold its own and I do not trailer anything heavy for very far.

We have a search feature for the forums

Check out this RE: Alpha vs. I5 and bunches more.

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 2:41:03 PM

NJTEX

Posts: 270
Joined: 3/26/2006
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Doc Olds

The Alpha and its V8 is better, but costs a hellava lot more. My I5 can hold its own and I do not trailer anything heavy for very far.

We have a search feature for the forums Check out this RE: Alpha vs. I5 and bunches more.

The problem with the I5 is not the I5 but the fact that there was no V8 option when H3 launched with '06.

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 2:44:11 PM

CCMDoc

Posts: 219
Joined: 12/5/2006
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: jbb6811

Really thinking of trading mine for new Alpha. Anyone here thats had both and can tell
what they like or dislike from one to the other.

whats the new upgrades? other than the V8....... mpg? safety locks? controls(radios etc.)

only thing i've seen i don't like is i can't get it in superior blue like my 06.

thanks Brandon

Well, I have had both and have posted my experiences here, so it is probably worth searching for that, not for my opinions, but for the responses of others. Some have agreed and others differ.
Here is the short version:
Power and torque: there is an improvement, but not as much as you would think. In fact, after having my Alpha for a while, I got a loaner while it was being serviced. The loaner was an '08 H3 Lux. I was again impressed with the acceleration and power - not for what it is or isn't, but for the similarity between it and my Alpha. Yes the Alpha is a bit quicker, but some of the "feeling" of power is from the sound of the V8 vs. that of the I5.
My '07 Slate Blue had the Adventure pkg and my '08 Boulder Gray Alpha has the same. The other notable differences between the two are the location of the window switches to a more convenient place and the steel rahter than aluminum front differential.

I went for the Alpha only because I tow my Esprit to the racetrack and wanted a little more of a buffer since my car/rig combo was just under the tow limit of the I5.

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/29/2007 10:37:38 PM

3hummers

Posts: 11819
Joined: 9/23/2007
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The Alpha has gotten a pretty consistent 16mpg on the highway and 14 mpg around town. Both my brothers had H3s with the I5. I personally think it has a lot more power and torque. Mine has the Adventure pkg. In Ca and NV you can get an option pkg with the navigation system, back up sensors, etc for a net $750.00. I could have gotten a much better deal on an 07 and 0% financing, but I like the Alpha enough more to skip that. I paid $41,500.00 and most of the non Alpha H3s were in that price range. We love ours.

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/30/2007 7:18:48 AM

jman_in_minnesota

Posts: 143
Joined: 12/13/2006
From: Minneapolis/St Paul
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: jbb6811

whats your best mpg?
is your superior blue too? (judging from avitar)

yup, the now dead color of superior blue, happen to like it better than the current slate or midnight blue...i think it died with the 2006s

best I got was about 19 1/2 on a 400 mile trip (thats been my longest, only have 8600 total)

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/30/2007 12:44:48 PM

jbb6811

Posts: 66
Joined: 3/23/2006
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my best is around 16 may be 16+

does the 08 have child locks?

and i was hoping for better mpg may be in the 19-20 range but i still don't get how any one get 19 in the I5. the other reason for the 5.3L was the upgrade market is huge out there unlike the I5.

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/30/2007 1:42:33 PM

SpeedNut

Posts: 248
Joined: 8/10/2007
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Remember that the EPA mpg rating tests changed for the 2008+ model year to better reflect real world conditions. New '08 I5 H3s now have stickers of 14 city, 18 highway, so you're looking at a 1mpg city and 2mpg highway for adding 3 cylinders and 50+ HP.

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/30/2007 11:28:31 PM

H3 Xman

Posts: 150
Joined: 9/17/2007
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I have driven both of them and i am 100% satisfired with my I-5. The only reason i can give for going with the Alpha, is if you tow heavy loads or you just want to be able to say you have a V8. Besides that, i'd stick with the I-5. It does have more power, but that doesn't mean excelleration. I already found that out when i raced and alpha at a stop light. Although the growl was nice from the start, he still ended up in my rear view!!

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RE: Alpha ? - 10/31/2007 10:25:11 AM

EJPhoto

Posts: 16
Joined: 10/19/2007
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Before buying my Alpha I drove both extensively to make sure the extra money was worth it. I drove them in city and highway conditions. The Alpha has better off the line acceleration but not a ton more. where the Alpha shines is in mid and high speed acceleration such as what you would do on a highway or city street to pass another vehicle. If you want to pass someone in the I5 at Arizona's 75 MPH Interstate limit you basically have to floor it and then wait (I think I can, I think I can...) while the Alpha just smoothly accelerates and its no big deal. Similarly the acceleration from say 35 to 50 on major roads is dramatically faster and you just have to push the accelerator a bit rather than having to floor it or manually downshift.

All of that said, my other car is a high performance sports car so the lack of mid and high speed acceleration in the I5 was probably a bigger deal to me than many.

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