2006 HUMMER H3 Test Drive and Review

From Jason Fogelson

I try to be an enlightened 21st century guy. I recycle. I clip coupons. So why does the idea of driving around in a big red HUMMER make me feel so tough? It's the truck! There's something about that chromed grill, flat hood and squared-off body that just works. I've been able to ignore the allure of the over-the-top H1 and too big H2. Though both made me fantasize about being an Army guy, neither one would fit in my driveway or my day-to-day life. Too big, too expensive and too hungry for fuel.

The H3 is the sensitive man's Army guy toy. It's got the HUMMER look, from the ladder-on-its-side front grill to the pillbox slit windows to the big wheel wells and squared-off fenders. There's no mistaking the H3 for anything but a Hummer. And that's a good thing.

The H3's styling makes it seem bigger than it actually is. I parked next to a 2005 Nissan Xterra and a 2005 Toyota 4Runner one day, and I was shocked when I realized how close in size the three SUVs actually are (the H3 is 8 inches longer than the Xterra and an inch shorter than the 4Runner).

You'll get a lot of attention driving an H3. HUMMER has softened up the edges enough that drivers of both sexes gave it the eye on the road – or was that me they were winking at?

Previous

• Meet the HUMMER H3
• First Glance at the 2006 HUMMER H3
• In the HUMMER H3's Driver's Seat
• On the Road in the 2006 HUMMER H3
• 2006 HUMMER H3 Journey's End

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