Well first off I would like to say that being a Land Rover and Jeep owner I have always given the H2/H3 crowd the "yeah right" look or comment. Well I actually saw my first H3 in person on a Jeep used car lot about a year ago. It was unlocked so I went about looking at it without a salesman to bother me. I thought it was laid out nice, had plenty of armor, cool hard plastic in the back vs delicate cloth, and nothing hung down in harms way like the EVAP box found on the newer JK's.

Then my wife said she was expecting our first child so I had to sell my 05 Rubicon and I went with a Ford F150 FX4 since we were thinking of building a house at the time. Well we got the house built by a local contractor so I never used the truck, and then on trips we had to put the gear in the bed of the truck and hope it didn't get stolen or wet.

Well I started to want an SUV vs the truck so I started looking at mid size SUV's like the Xterra, Grand Cherokee, and LR3's. None of them were really what I wanted and then I remembered the H3 I had looked at over a year ago so I started doing my research. I wanted a V8 and I could get that with an Alpha, I wanted a frame vs unibody, and I didn't want something you see on every street corner like the new 4DR Jeeps.

I looked around and I couldn't find an Alpha to save my life. Then I found my H3 Alpha on Autotrader!!! Exactly what I wanted and it even had an ARB Front Bumper, and a Warn M8000 winch! I called and this is the first vehicle I have ever bought that I basically did a key swap. My trade was dead even with the H3 Alpha so I just paid for the Title fee's and Registration.

The dealer just fully serviced it with new rotors, brake pads all the way around, a new windshield since the original was cracked, and 4 brand new BFG AT KO's. I got a full tank of gas and the dealer even cut me a new key and programmed a remote for me (since the H3 was only traded in with one set).

I am honestly upset at myself for downing the H3 all these years. It is very well built, and the only downside is the MPG, but it's so much fun to drive, I really don't care about the MPG!! I love the V8, and I am very happy to have my very own H3 Alpha!

 

Hello from MI!

Congrats and Welcome to the darkside. You know, the stereotypes. That HUMMER owers are snobs, smallunits, soccer moms, earth killers, etc, etc.

Most of us here just drive them cause they are very comfy and wheel very well!

 

Hello Best,
That so sounds like my H3 story. My first Jeep was a ground up restoration 1959 CJ with a Ford 289 and all of the extras. As the years went by I owned a couple of other Jeeps, a 1895 (purchased new) full side Jimmy etc. The only reason I didn't purchase a Hummer was the price tag and the need for better gas mileage. I bought a retirement home... to be used in a few years... in the Rockies and needed a 4 wheel drive. Found a perfect 2008 Alpha a couple of months ago and wished I had purchased one earlier. Don't know why, but i consistently get 18-19 mpg on the highway and it runs like a scalded cat. She is also a very comfy and bullet proof ride. Congratulations on your new purchase and welcome to the Hummer world I have found.

 

Congrats and welcome to HF from another 08 Alpha owner.

 

Yeah I remember being stereo typed for wheeling Mitsubishi Montero's back in the day. Then I had several Rover's and they just wanted to wheel! Then I bought an 05 Rubicon and joined the "jeep" world. They named the new Wrangler perfectly IMHO JK = joke. The jeep owners I know do nothing but bash anything that isn't a JK... They all say Hummers are just bling, but I see more JK's blinged out vs H3's in my neck of the woods. At least Hummer didn't make the mistake of making a 2wd model like Jeep tried with the JK..

I like to go off-road no matter what I'm in!!! The Alpha is just the perfect combo of comfort, power, off road ability, and styling. Jeep refuses to stick a V8 in their JK and after my 08 unlimited test drive I'd never drive or own one! Thing was dangerously slow to get out on the road. The 5 banger hummer I drove had more power!

Thanks so much for the welcome! I had about half an hour to look at my Alpha after bringing it home and the dealer had the windshield replaced. I am missing the trim piece across the top of the windshield... Does anyone know where I could find one? I tried looking online but got nowhere before I had to put my 11 month old daughter to bed.

 

Welcome to HF from another 08 Alpha owner. We have about 90K on ours and it has been a great vehicle.