Figured I'd post this in the actaul H3 area.
Since I'm close to biting the bullet I have some questions for you owners ofthe H3. I have a shot at getting either an Alpha or the "regular" H3. Immediately my testosterone tells me the Alpha - BUT then the rational side - where did that come from - oh yeah my ring finger - tells me get the 3.7 and then do some performance upgrades (like FIPK, exhaust, etc). I can add I presume 20hp or so with some of the fairly inexpensive ideas I've read about here.
I know this sounds like a dumb question but with gas prices, tight budget and a wonderful wife I need to make a well educated choice - 3.7 and then upgrade or Alpha.
My travels include vacations to the mountains and then the home front is in the mighty flat plains of Nebraska. Nothing to tow i.e. boat, camper or the like. Might want to tow a camper in the future - maybe.
Thanks for any input and advice.

 

I have the 3.7L's and have no issues with them at all. Put a CAI and modified the exhaust though. My understanding is that Alpha owners state the MPG aren't any worse and sometimes may be better than what we get due to larger engine not working as hard.

 

This Alpha owner is hard pressed to get 16 mpg. I wasgenerally getting around 14 mpg but because of the cost of fuel I’ve eased off the pedal a bit and slowed down and the last time I checked I was getting a tad over 16. My mpg actually improved as I put more miles on my H3. When it was brand new I was getting a dismal 12 mpg but I now have just over 5k on the truck and it has improved slightly. But like I’ve always said, your mpg depends on your driving style and tire size.

 

Mine is a 07 3.7L I5 with the Adventure Package and included 33" tires. I am getting 17mpg in city driving and have to traverse a couple of foothills to get around. Not too shabby in my book. I am also pleased with the power of my I5, though I haven't driven the Alpha to compare. I did have a Z-71 crew cab 4wd however and while the power was nice, I averaged 14mpg. Good luck!

 

07 3.7 with 33" BFG ATs and CAI. Averaging 18 MPG witha mediumfoot weight and mostlyinterstate driving.

 

I'd get the 3.7L H3. Only buy the Alpha if you plan on towing something. I drive mine thru everything on and off road and it has plenty of power.

 

My H2 gets about 12 MPG and is used sparingly by my wife and then our ski vacations. I drive about 3500 miles per month with my business. My H3 with the 35" MT gets about 16 MPG. I waited for the Alpha because of the V8. The power is there should you need it for passing or climbing hills, especially with the larger tires. I once owned a four cylinder jeep wrangler with 33" tires. I sold it because it had a four cylinder engine that was trying to pull the 33s. Top end on the highway was 60 MPH. Mark

 

like others said, if you're not really planning on towing something heavy or don't drive in a lot of hills, i'd get the 5 cyl. for regular driving, i haven't found its power lacking at all. on the highway, a push of the pedal will have it downshift, and it gets up and goes.

 

Thanks for the info. I missed out on a 3.7 with the Adventure package (due to my being uncertain)2 weeks ago and have been kicking myself since.
I again apologize for posting in two areas asking the same questions. Whatare the "best" performance mods to do?
Exhaust
PCM - by the way what does this really do?
FIPK
Anything else that's not $$$$$$$$$?

Again Thannks for helping out.

 

[sm=WTFsgign.gif] Y'all keep crowin' about your hyper-mileage H3's but I don't get much over 14-15 MPG. This is completely in line with the new federal gas guessing standards. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm Florida is not known for being overly hilly,I'm not a lead foot, my truck mis not loaded down with stuff, my tyres are 38 psig, clean air filter and 11 K miles on the clock. What in the devil am I not doing that you are??? [sm=wtf.gif]