I guess it's good to say in my first post that I bought an H3 on Saturday... I expect to pick it up on the 4th (if all goes well with the dealer getting it in and ready)... It was a pretty easy purchase but I hoped sharing the experience might help some people...

I started with the test drive and took it out for 10 miles or so... I had read ahead so knew it would suffer from not so much power and it did... I would call it enough especially being that this type of 4 wheelin is done slow not fast... The saving grace was that there are already aftermarket intakes and exhausts so bumping it up to 250 hp will be no problem... The better news is that with it being so low stock, someone will come out with a super charger in no time and that will bump it to 350 hp... Of the Turbo or supercharger, I would certainly prefer the supercharger (next to no maintenance/cool down care)... Based on all that, I disregarded the power problem...

The second issue was the peddles... Gas and brake are WAY too close... Not sure how I'll fix them but no doubt it can be done fairly easy... It is so bad I am going to wait on a recall that will probably happen because it is only a matter of time before someone accidentally catches the brake and with 4 wheel discs - it could be memorable... These brakes grab very well and there is no other way to say it...

I am 6 foot 300 lbs (yup too big) and I love the fit... Virtually ever single car I have had I drove with the seat all the way back but not this one... I would say it had plenty of head room and leg room and if it lacks at all, it’s side to side... It didn't for me but it could for someone...

Next was the deal... I have been reading online and it seems some areas are getting screwed by local dealers... Prices well above MSRP... My area, central new England does not have that problem but they are in high enough demand that they are not as willing to deal as standard vehicle makers/dealers... $2000-$3000 off MSRP should be invoice but here they will go no less than $1000 or so... They simply don't have to so we are stuck with it I guess... What struck me as odd was the lack of room for movement in options... Of the 20 or so options 15 or so are from the factory and can not be swapped on or off at the dealer... That means they either have it on the lot or you ain't gettin it... I wanted no chrome - all black and with 60 on the lot they had to order it from a local dealer... Mine is a yellow automatic with the adventure package, aluminum rims, black handles and mirrors, a single disc stereo, black tube steps and a black brush bar... I got the ebony interior (but wanted the cashmere)... I also wanted the XM radio but again, this is a factory option so could not be added... Of all of it, the one and only thing the dealer could alter was the adding of the brush bar... The rest is from the factory as such or you’re out of luck... That kinda means that having 10 or 20 on the lot really isn't a good selection... Not unless you are open to more than a few setups... I was dead set on most of mine... I guess that means if you want one either be prepared to order it and wait or get there while there are lots to choose from... The web site shows and says it but I just didn't understand how fixed they were when they were from the factory options...

As for the colors - I went with the Yellow but would have loved to see a Gun Metal Grey... The silver, boulder, superior blue, and red did nothing for me... The white lit the truck up very well but was just too bright for me... The green I loved on the website but did not love on the lot... Which leaves the slate blue, black and yellow... I liked all 3 but the wife hated the slate blue so I got vetoed on that... The black and the yellow were equally nice to me but having had 2 black corvettes in the past 10 years, I have had my fill of waxing... That left the yellow which is one of the hate it or love it colors indeed... The wife wanted black s

 

Hi, Rayvyn! congratulations on your new Hummer H3, and welcome to the forum. I'm glad you chose the H3. It's a good ride. Feel free to post pics once you get your vehicle from the dealer. That was pretty good info you shared with us, thanks! Hope to see you here often.

 

Welcome, hope to see you here alot!! Check out the H3 pic on my "Maine" Hummer happenings post in the H2 section. The H3s that went on the trip kept up the whole time with the rest of us and no problems navigating the terrain. I was very impressed. I too went to buy an H3 and was dissapointed that there were some real lack of models available on the lot and that they wouldn't negotiate. So I walked out with an H2. My wife would like an H3 and we will probably get one when her mini van lease is up.

 

Thanks guys... I will post pics as soon as I get it in... Nice pics on the Maine thread too... I LOVE Maine and it look like great fun... I am no off roader just yet but hope to play around with it once I get going... The H2's look really nice but I didn't want a payment this time around and could only swing the H3 so hopefully it will at least be a good place to start...

 

The H3 is great vehicle and I'm sure you'll love it. It my first time off roading and I loved it. I'm glad I got the chance to do it.
What part of New England you from?

 

Central Mass... Worcester area...

 

I got good news and bad... My dealer called me today and said the one he tried to get for me was gone already but that he had one on the lot they would do for the same money... This new one has a few more options like a 6 CD system and XM radio... Sweeeeeeet...

 

Seems like you might be getting a good deal. Let us know how it all turns out.

 

check out the northern california hummer group main page, it has a pic of an h3 (humbebe) doin' its thing. the fact that the bus is on the main page too has absolutely nothing to do with sending you there. can't find the link right now, i'll send that later in case you can't google the site.

 

here's the link, lots of other pics of the h3 if you go through the picture gallery.

http://www.norcalhummergroup.org/