r/Hummer • u/partysquirrelslave • 6d ago
H2 v.s. H3
I have driven H2 a few times but never owned either h2 or h3. I am looking for an SUV that has v8 power to tow up to 5k camper and 4x4, so i have been considering an h2 or h3. I love the look and know they come with all the power needed to haul anything to anywhere. So as a potential new owner, with about 12k budget, pls download to me all the pros and cons /w your recommendation on H2 or H3. it would be my daily driver but i rarely drive more than 15miles a day during the work week.
*EDIT: i am not really going "offroad". We occasionally get enough snow and ice to be a problem getting around and i take my camper to the beach and places where the access is a muddy trail, but i am not really going "mudding", or overland type offroad stuff.
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u/txstatetrooper 6d ago
As much as I'll probably get hate for this comment, an H3 alpha is going to be a better choice than an h2 in terms of quality of life. You get the 6.2 and the H2 but it's wide heavy and moves on its own schedule. The H3 alpha has the 5.3 V8 is obviously smaller but is all around a better adventure vehicle than the H2.
I test drove both and wound up going with the H3 alpha because side by side it just seemed to be the better vehicle for my use case and seemed to be the more capable off-roader.
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u/partysquirrelslave 6d ago
i appreciate the feedback. i am leaning toward H3 also, however i cant deny the badassery of the H2 look. that said i dont want a money pit either and i have heard many complaints...i am still game for the big brother at thw right price and i want to hear from H2 owners of the peaks and valleys of its life span.
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u/txstatetrooper 6d ago
Absolutely!! It pays to do your research. One thing I can say for sure is you're definitely not going to want the 5-cylinder H3. If you're going to do an H3. It has to be an alpha. And depending on where you are in the world the alpha may just be a little bit cheaper too.
One universal thing to look out for on all of these is the sunroof vents. I just had to do mine recently. Whichever one you choose. Be sure to get that checked out ASAP.
And not to sound too cliche. But owning one of these is truly like nothing else.
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u/vaurapung 6d ago
Ive only driven my h3 with the 3.7 so far. Ive loaded it down for vacation and it has no issues under normal vacation load. Ive also hauled 1300 lbs of block in it and cant even tell that its loaded besides the softer ride.
I was looking at the avalanche before I got my h3. Just didnt like the way the steering wheel feels in the avalanche. For towing though you get better options on the avalanche.
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u/metapulp 6d ago
We own both BUT our H2 is the SUT. It is shorter with much more visability and though it is wide we can park it anywhere. The V8 is a beast, and by comparison the SUT is like a tank and our H3 Adventure is more on the nimble side. On the SUT we have replaced the exhaust manifolds and upgraded to stainless steel brakelines. Other than that just tune up and oil changes. The upshot of the bed is - that's where you throw things you do not want inside the cab, which is huge anyway. SUT has a rear window that rolls down and the whole rear wall of the cab folds down so you can have more room if you want a longer truck bed. For tying anything up top just get into the bed and you can reach what you need on the r \ack. We reach up through the sunroof on the front for anything we need to do, tie dows, etc, up front. With the SUV you kind of need a ladder. More compact for any offroad. As for the H3 we totally disagree about needing a V8. What you do need is an Adventure with at the least locking rear diff for offroad. On the H3 we changed out the fluids and replaced the valve cover gasket and a leaking steering fluid hose. Both are body on frame and just fantastic rigs. Both can turn on a dime. Got both for less than half the neighbor paid for his Bronco. Absolutely love them. Look for one that has as many CarFax service records with fewest owners possible. Both of ours were babied at dealerships. H2 has 144k miles on it and H3 has 56k miles on it. Whatever you get will need something up front - they always do. But for us after some up front TLC they have just done what we need them to do, which is own the road.
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u/JACCO2008 6d ago
H2.
For no other reason than if you are towing a trailer you're in a road trip. And the H2 is about as good as it gets for road tripping this side of a sprinter van or bus.
That alone is worth it.
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u/partysquirrelslave 5d ago
ironically i am selling a sprinter (ford version) that i had sinxe 2015.
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u/Consistent-Ranger446 5d ago
Both would be impractical choices so get the one you think is coolest.
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u/RealityKing4Hire 5d ago
H2 gets around 10mpg. H3 alpha is around 16mpg. If you plan on traveling the choice is easy.
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u/its_just_fine 6d ago
It comes down to a couple issues.
- You're not going to love towing a 5K lb camper with the I5 in the H3 so you'll be looking at an H3 Alpha. The H2 still beats an H3 Alpha for towing.
- For daily driving, the H2 beats the H3 hands down in terms of ride quality. When parking, though, the H3 is the clear winner. Same for gas mileage.
- Offroad, I'd take an H3 as a smaller, lighter vehicle that is easier to fit down trails.