I agree with lojac and mix. Not a fan of the 08/09 interiors. Seats are thin and hard and no dash boobies!!! Very tahoe. Imo. That being said I do wish I had the extra power of the 6.2 and 6spd transmission. Also if you can get your hands on an 09. They will be the ones that will be worth the most from a collector stand point as they had low production numbers of 900 units (according to Wikipedia). But the initial purchase price will be far greater than an older model.

I wouldnt be worried about high milers so much. Especially if you could pull one out of somewhere that has never seen salt. The 6.0l is a pretty bulletproof motor. The trans not great. Make sure the one you buy has an external cooler or put one on as soon as you buy it. This will prevent you losing the trans when the rad lets go. The money saved buyin an 03-07 could easily cover a new crate motor or partial duramax swap.

 

Oh damn! Of the seats in the 08 are not as plush and comfortable the I can almost toss that idea out the window. I didnt think about it but the seat must be designed like the ones in the Tahoe, hard and thin. That interior may creek less but I dont care about that. Just turn up the radio until you're satisfied. Personally, as a gay man, I can do without boobies on my dash LOL but they dont really bother me like they do my bf. He says the dash vents look like they came out of the ****ty pontiacs back in the day. Maybe I need to get him in one an H2 to fully fall in love.

The thing I dislike about 09 is the captains chairs in the second row and they are expensive. Im with you, the price difference between high mileage and low mileage almost makes it worth it to get a high mileage and save a few for a crate motor and a few HP boosters to get on par with the 6.2. Seems like a fair trade off to me.

Idk about you guys but I'd rather have a hopped up 6.0 vs a duramax. Nothing better than the sound of a good running gas v8 with no mufflers. IMO

 

I do love the sound of a well done V8. I've already done full exhaust (end to end stainless, long tube headers, etc) and have been debating on a very mild cam.

So you just need to find someone (or a dealer) with an 08/09 and someone with a 03-07 and both of you take a ride in it. Pick the one both of you like the best! If both of you are in it, then may as well make sure both of you like it.

 

I say do yourself a favor and give that H2 a little cam. It will enjoy it and so will you. Obviously nothing crazy because it shaking and jerking at idle would be unpleasant and stupid on an off roader.

Someone needs to bring one into my work so I can work on it then drive it . I'm sure if I really wanted to I could convince a dealer to let me drive them. Personally, I'm starting to lean towards 06-07 territory. Easier on the wallet which is always the deciding factor.

a lot of 03-04s for sale. Is anything notably different about them vs 05-07? Other than a small hp bump and the button to roll all windows down ( which is cool and I want it so badly).

 

I owned a pewter 2003 through about 140k miles and sold it (one of the best running vehicles I ever had) to a silver2009 that had 114k miles.

The 2009 is significantly faster than the 2003. I am really picky with the plushness of seats & I don't feel that it's much of a downgrade, if at all, from the 2003. I recall a thread discussing putting 1st gen seats(03-07) in the 2nd gen H2 (08/09). I think they are compatible, but don't quote me on that. I'd have to find the thread again. This is something I'm looking at for long term, or just having someone make the seats plusher when they wear out. I have chronic back pain and I find the seats comfortable on long drives. This is not the case with most vehicles for me. Both versions of the seats are great in my eyes, but you'll have to sit in them to find out for yourself. No one's opinion is right on this as it's too much of an individual issue. If you get an 09 w/ captains chairs in the 2nd row, they are amazingly plush. You also get a full 3rd row, not just 1 seat.

If you plan on buying & keeping, upgrade the tie-rods. The factory ones snap offroad. This never happened to me, but they are far too thin. I'd also upgrade the rotors & break pads. There's no need to go larger, but performance rotors make it stop on a dime. I can say that I avoided hitting a woman who turned right on red in front of me and did not accelerate (she was going about 15 in a 55). Worth every penny. You can basically upgrade the entire suspension as if it was a chevy 2500. Larger anti sway bars & end links, boxed upper control arms, lots of shock options (billstein, fox, king), etc etc.

There are other options for bumpers other than the main ones people go with. HNC will make you bumpers. There's options if you dig enough. Find a local fabricator. Any accessory can be built, rack, bumper, etc.

I am unsure how long an 03-07 will last in terms of the interior. I've heard of people taking apart the interior & lining all parts felt where they make contact with other pieces, then putting the whole interior together again to fix the creaking. I forget who did that. The 08/09 is missing the boob vents. I really miss those. The vents on the 08/09 models are temperamental. I won't move mine. The fins will snap over time. I'm certain an epoxy would fix the problems, but I have no interest in testing it. If I get over the boob vents, I do like the newer interior better, overall. I'd say one of the main upgrades is the AC system. Instead of just having 4 vents up front & 2 small ones for the 2nd row, the 08/09s have the GM ceilnig vents. Each seat gets it's own specific vent you can rotate & close, even the 3rd row. This really helps cool your rig down if it's been sitting in the sun all day.

The main reason I got the 2nd get was for the side air bags. I've been in enough crashes and I was all the safety I can get (in a hummer).

Power trains can be discussed endlessly. The 6.0 is arguably more reliable/upgradable. Depends on budget & what you want out of the rig. I'm sure you can find build guides for both. Money is the main enemy here. Sky is the limit, otherwise.


I like both rigs. If I had my choice, I'd keep my 2009 for every day driving & buy an 05-09 (would depend on price) for offroading/hauling. The new model grew on me the longer I've had it. I have no regrets.

 

I also forgot to link this: These are all the changes for each model year.
Hummer H2 model year changes and buying guide.


2007s all have rear cameras.



I'd probably get an 07 for the rear camera alone.
Glacier Blue & victory red were limited color options that year. The Glacier is one hell of a color. There's nothing else like it out there & just looks phenomenal on the H2 body.

The only benefit of the 03 (and very early 04s) was the Sage Green color as it looked closer to an army green.

 

I have read over that link a few times. It is great to have to know the small changes. Yes, the glacier is a great color and I could never turn down a blue that gorgeous. That sage green is a great color and I cant believe it was discontinued. Sadly, it may come down to local availability vs getting the perfect year and color. Traveling a couple hundred miles isnt a problem. I have done long trips for car hunting and it gets old quick. It was very helpful to hear from someone that had and an early model and the last one. There is an 04 in town that I might wander into the lot this weekend. They asking to much but I'll do what I can to drive it.

 

There are some steering issues that are "underbuilt" on the 03/04 models, in terms of offroading.
If you plan on rebuilding the suspension/steering components, then it's a non-issue.

I didn't see you seat question. I'm being lazy & not reading through the whole thread, lol.
The 03-07 had a single seat, but there was a bench available through a 3rd party. They are still around, but go for a pretty penny The 08 was the first model w/ the full 3rd row. You can fold down each seat individually. The 09 has a slight modification (center cup holder). All 3rd row seats can be removed.
Also, someone converted the 03-07 models to dual 3rd row seats: https://www.hummerforums.com/forum/h...8-model-23573/
Also here: Hummer ? Cerullo Seats

 

Personally, I feel a rebuild on the steering components is a must. If anything at least the tie rods because they are so small!
There is becoming a lot stuff on this thread so I can blame you for just skimming. I hope this thread is able to help others than just me. Let's be honest, I'll probably never use that back seat. If I did and I only had one seat the someone can sit on the floor. If you do use the back seats then there is no room for cargo. In other words, I'm not going to make my decision based on 3rd row seats especially since I probably wont end up with an 08. As long as the spare tire is outside, which is an easy fix.

 

When I paid mine off and it became my weekend offroad/shooting rig I beefed up the front suspension. It is an absolute must. I put massive HD tie rods and went with Moog HD parts throughout the entire front suspension. Added Bilstein shocks with a Bilstein steering stabilizer. The only thing I haven't done is the A-arms. I also did aftermarket rear trailing arms which made a massive difference as well. Eventually I needed new hubs so it has new Timken hubs. Now I cruise through the AZ desert around 45mph with no worry of something snapping.