HUMMER evolves intelligently to H3

The HUMMER H3 – product of evolution or intelligent design?

In a sense, it’s no contest. In a huge Darwinian leap, the larger-than-life HUMMER H1 crawled out of the primordial ooze of military development and into the culture at large.

HUMMER, now partnered with General Motors, followed that bold move with two lesser leaps — the full-size H2 and now the midsize H3. It’s 6.5 inches narrower than the H2 and 17 inches shorter, so the H3 is the runt of the litter. It is however, no less assertive than its siblings.

It has the same brutish aspect — the pillbox-style greenhouse; the squared-off corners and emphatic wheel wells; the blunt grille and trim overhangs.

And just as Darwinian evolution is all about survival of the species, the H3 is HUMMER’s great hope for long-term viability. It competes in the heart of the SUV universe, where the big numbers are, against such stalwarts as the Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota 4Runner.

Its $29,500 (including destination) base price makes the H3 the first widely affordable HUMMER and its 3.5-liter, five-cylinder power plant earns better-than-expected fuel economy ratings.

Alas, our evolutionary storyline falls apart under closer scrutiny; neither the H2 nor the H3 is genetically related to the H1. So here’s where one might say ID takes over.

The H1 rides on a platform purpose-built for military use by AM General, while the H2 and H3 are based on a pair General Motors platforms: the H2 on the Tahoe’s and the H3 on the one underlying the compact Colorado and Canyon pickups.

Like its siblings, the H3 claims exceptional off-road capabilities. It’s built back-roads-ready on a ladder frame with boxed sections. Its front suspension is independent, while a one-piece Hotchkiss rear-end keeps the tail firmly planted during off-road sessions.

Full-time four-wheel-drive is standard and includes a 4Lo mode for low-speed control. An optional transfer case offers a 4-to-1 ratio that’ll have the H3 creeping down steep slopes.

Adding to its off-road ability, the H3 has 9.1 inches of ground clearance, protective underbody skid plates and burly off-road tires. Its short overhangs and aggressive ground clearance gives the H3 exceptional angles of attack, departure and breakover.

And for those convinced only a standard transmission cuts the mustard off-road, the H3 is the only HUMMER offered with a five-speed stick.

Of course, most buyers of the newest HUMMER are unlikely to coax over 16-inch rocks, through 2-foot-deep streams or up 60-degree slopes.

Nope, most will use the H3 like their neighbors use their Explorers — as a tall, four-wheel-drive station wagon.

Fittingly, the H3 interior is as nice as any in a GM vehicle, with broad, supportive seats, excellent fit and finish and quality materials. While it lacks the jumbo center console of the H2, with its aircraft-style shift lever, it boasts more human-size dimensions.

Command central is straightforward, with large knobs, decent ergonomics and an easily understood interface.

Otherwise, the cabin suffers from a handful of hard-to-forgive flaws. I’m not sure how engineers who started with a clean slate wound up with virtually no interior storage space and a single rear-seat cupholder, but they did.

There also is so little room between the door panel, with its protruding armrest, and the power-seat controls that it hurt to wedge my hand into that space. The power-window switches, located in the door-panel armrests, are positioned so far to the rear that reaching them requires yet another act of contortion.

The short, square windows and fixed rear-seat headrests cut into rearward visibility and drivers who don’t regularly check their side mirrors may overlook surrounding traffic.

And finally — then I’ll quit whining — climbing into the H3 is its own challenge. The seats are too high to slide into and the optional tubular running boards on our tester stuck out too far to allow access without their use. Yet in using them, I was left too high to slip into the cabin; instead, I rotated my body toward the street and backed in, butt-first, bending at the waist to clear the doorframe.

It’s a different story once one is in the H3 and under way. Aside from the visibility restrictions, the H3 is a pleasure to drive. The steering system is ideally weighted for my tastes — GM seems to have made no attempt to mask the size of the tires by providing too much assist; instead, the system is direct and responsive, with excellent on-center feel.

The H3 enters and exits turns with more surefootedness and less body lean than other GM SUVs and, though you don’t want to mistake it for a BMW X3, the H3 is an engaging driving partner.

GM wanted to keep fuel economy numbers in the land of the realistic, and opted to use its 225-horsepower, 3.5-liter, inline five for power. Unfortunately, it’s not sufficiently strong, and the H3 lumbers its way from 0-60 in 10.3 seconds. Two-lane passing requires great care.

The ride is firm but by no means truck-firm. They may not be coddled, as in a Lexus, but passengers will be comfortable.

I leave it to you to decide the evolution versus intelligent design question. Compared to the knuckle-dragging H1, the H3 is an evolved entity. However, like the human body, with its weak knees, ill-considered lower back and convoluted plumbing, HUMMER’S newest exhibits flaws that may cause one to question the designer.