Comparo: 1978 Le Car Vs. 2004 Hummer H2.

[2strokebloke]

Just some quick comparisons...

Both the H2 and Le Car feature forward opening hoods! On the Le Car this is usefull, becase the engine is located behind the front axel, and would be impossible to access with a traditional rear hinged hood, even so it's still impossible to work on. On the H2 the hood tips forward, presumably for the ease of access that Renault engineers were looking for, but with it's high wheel arches, much of the same result was obtained. But it looks cool anyway.
The Le Car features wheels placed at the at the very corners of the body, eliminating overhang. The H2 engineers couldn't figure out how to get the wheels to the very edges of the vehicle, so instead they just raised the bumpers to a life threatening window smashing, head decapitating height to achieve the same great departure and approach angles that the Le Car has... besides the H2 is an excercise in styling (which is why it's a big rectangle, attached to a smaller square) not an excercise in safe design.
Whereas the renault features giant windows in comparison to it's overall size, the H2 features small square windows, apparently either to save money, or to highlight it's total lack of aerodynamics. In the Renault everything is visible, so long as you have the highly desirable passenger side mirror. In the H2, little is visible, but that's O.K. because when you own an H2 little else other than yourself matters.
As for fuel efficiency, let put it this way, in order for the renault to compete with the H2's lack of efficiency, somebody would have to pump a couple of shotgun rounds into the bottom of it's gas tank before filling up, but look at it this way - it's not like gas is really very usefull, or oil supplies are going to be needed in the future anyway.
The Le Car floats over speedbumps, potholes, and dips like the goodyear blimp - you feel nothing, you hear nothing. The H2 on the other hand, dulls the bumps away using it's immense weight, rather than any sort of fancy "engineered" suspension system.
Both vehicles are fitted with very comfortable seats, but the Le Car IMHO has better front seats, of course the H2 has more seats, so that kind of evens it out in some way, I guess.
But the Le Car doesn't have AC, though the windows roll up and down.
With it's big windows, wheels placed at the extreme corners, quick, tight steering, and short overall length, the Le Car maneuvers with all of the agility of a forklift, the H2 on the other hand occaisonally needs the assitance of tugboats to ease it into tight docks. The H2 is far to wide to be parked on most city streets, without disturbing the flow of traffic - but if you own an H2 who cares?
I didn't get a chance to take an H2 off road, or even out of a parking lot for that matter, but I think we can safely assume that a Le Car owned by somebody with a block and tackle can go anywhere an H2 can.
Finnally, I must get to the bottom line: price. An H2 costs about as much as 40 used Le Cars, however the expense of maintaining 40 Le Cars is slightly above that of maintaning one H2, so far as cost is concerned it comes down to personal preference mostly.
So how about styling?

The H2, believe it or not, takes styling cues from a vehicle that existed long before it did, and is more competent off road, though a little unrefined - the innfluence the Suzuki LJ20V had on the H2 is clearly seen in this photo. The sylists also took elements of styling from the Hummer, and various cardboard boxes.

The Le car is completely original, and like some H2s, some Le Cars are painted yellow. The roof rack on the Le Car is both larger than the H2's and functional.

In the end you have two choices, 40 Le Cars, or one big H2 - which is more usefull to you, is up for you to decide.

[drdisque]

you'd be hardpressed to find 40 Le Cars still running in the US.

[evw]

although I prefer the Le Car I also prefer not to push my cars

[DinanM3_S2]

One of my neighbors still owns a Le Car, kinda as a joke though as he also has a BMW 540i...

[clawhammer]

i'd pick an h2 over a lecar anyday

[Jimster]

I'd take the Le Car.


It'll get awesome fuel mileage, an H2 won't

Parts (At least in Europe where we call then R5's) are insanely cheap

The Le Car will be easier to park and totter through traffic in

The Le Car will provide much more of a driving experience

The Le Car looks far better (Like it's not trying to prove something)

[crayzayjay]

My gf has a Le Car (R5 here in Europe). I'd take it over an H2 anyday because i'm perfectly comfortable with the size of my penis.

[Neutrino]

Le Car for me too, and to add two more reasons to the ones above:

1.LeCar(aka R5) has a rally pedigree so it saw more offroad than the H2 ever will
2.The wheels don't come off randomly off the LeCar at freeway speeds.

[crayzayjay]

Racing pedigree indeed!



Clio V6 anyone?