Hi,

I'v been following this forum for several weeks now but this is my first post. I learned a ton from this site but still have a few questions that I hope you can help me with.

I'm considering a base H3 with Adventure PKG, I plan to take if off road, and do not want the chrome on it. I looked at a Unlimited but since it will be my DD, the safety of the Jeep is not up to my standard. So its between a 4runner and a H3, pretty sure it will be an H3 thought.

So to the point.

1) How does the latest version of I5 perform in term relability? I dig the Alpha but don't think it worth 6k premium. Unless it becomes an a 2-3k option in 2010.

My wife loves the inline 5, think its fine. She does not allow me to buy fast cars
2) I'm having a very hard time finding a local Hummer club (DFW Area), I would love to participate, and attend events. Can you point to the riight direction?

3) Have anyone here done any mods to increase horse power?

I hope to build this rig into an expedition vehicle, and would love to have a piece of my mind to know that the rig will be ok with over 100k miles. I know the 5.3 vortec can last a lifetime but not sure about the 5 cyl.

Do you think the incentives might be bigger when the 2010's roll out in October?

Thank in advance, I hope to meet you guys at Hummer events.

 

Welcome here! I bought my 09 H3 in march. love it so far. I just came off of a 1900 mile trip out east. The H3 has great on hiway manors. great handling and a nice ride with decent milage . I have the 5 cyl. and had no problem with the cruise set at 73mph on flat and hilly areas. The seats werent the most comfy but maybe it was my posture. I wonder if the incentives might be even better now rather than waiting.

 

WOW, when someone comes on the forum for the first time and tells us he's planning on buying an H3, it is hard to know where to start.
It's like explaining sex to an alien. All of us here know many of the ins and outs (not a pun)
but just where do we start explaining all this ?
I would start with key note words in this forums search engine.
Believe me all your questions you have can be answered, ad nauseam.
Punch up "DocOlds" posts, that guy seems to have some the best advice on this forum.
And welcome future H3 owner

 

i have an I5 engine and i would say its ok since im a big fan of speeding
i have a base H3 and it performs great off-road and if u decide to go with the adventure package then u would love to take it off-roading
as for relability, ive had my h3 for about 6 or 7 months .. everything works amazingly .. i drive about 200 miles weekly .. i would say its the most comfortable ride out their but u can live with that i mean its not that bad
as for increasing power, u have alot of things to choose from .. beginning with an intake to twin turbo kits


3bo0odi

 

The inline 5 3.7 Vortec is amazing. you'd think a car of that size and heritage cant go on without a V8. but the 3.7 is brilliant. great acceleration in my opinion. and great on highways. even better offroad. feels at home. it's definitely the best choice for you.

but for deeper info. DocOlds is your man.
Goodluck!

 

I have an '07 Adventure and love it. No reliability problems with the I5 yet. Not a screamer on power, but does better than you might expect. One note, the OEM tires (even on the adventure) suck offroad. I can't believe that GM couldn't have picked a better all terrain/road tire.

BTW, our other vehicle is an '09 4DR Unlimited and that's a great car too. Not nearly as quiet and comfortable on the road, but a lot of fun offroad with the top down. Different vehicles for different purposes.

 

I hope you choose the H3!!! There's nothing like a Hummer!


Go with the base ( I5 3.7L ), skip the adventure pack. Spend the money on some nice 35" tires and level your rig, so they fit. I leveled mine by just cranking the torsion bars, but make sure you get an alignment. If the rig is too bumpy then you can get some new shocks for the front as cheep as $200 for a decent set. I bought 35"X12" Dick Cepek Mountain Cats.

What I have found through my time wheelin' is that the tires, clearance, and suspension are the most important starting points to focus on! Luckily the H3 has great suspension and clearance!

Also, get a K&N air filter (just the filter, no need for a cold air intake in the H3), royal purple oil with a K&N oil filter, then finish with E3 spark plugs. I did these upgrades and gained 2 miles per gallon and a noticable increase in power and response.

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

The only reason for adventure pkg are the oem lockers. My local dealers only have adventure pkg with the fully loaded ones. They are being ******.

 

AND a lower range transfer case
which is a huge help when off road, especially with the 5 speed