Sick of the H2 bashing!

If you want to rag on people who buy H2s and never take them off-road go for it, but I'm sick of people saying H2s can't handle off-roading and that they are just Tahoes with a different body and big tires.

This article (http://www.cars.com/carsapp/national/?srv=parser&act=display&tf=/features/mvp/hummer/h2/h2_overview.tmpl) shows the H2 is not a Tahoe and GM put a lot of work into making the H2 one of best SUVs you can buy for off-roading.

Here is a video (http://sajeeps.billmcgaw.com/video/1_den_04.wmv) of stock H2s running the same trails as modified Jeeps, Toyotas and Land Rovers

Unlike most new SUVs the H2 is designed to perform better off-road then it does on pavement. I like that. Even though most won't use it the way it was designed to be used doesn't change the fact that it's a good vehicle!

Bravo! Stand for what you believe.
I think that that H2's are puffed-up pieces of marketing boondoggle, but if H2's are what you really like, damn what others think!
If not for consumers like you, we'd all be still be driving the VW Rabbit/Plymouth Horizon/Dodge Omni.

Props on coming up with that video.. I watched the whole thing... thats a big middle finger in the face of anybody who says the H2 is just a pretty little sister of the humvee.

Props on coming up with that video.. I watched the whole thing... thats a big middle finger in the face of anybody who says the H2 is just a pretty little sister of the humvee.

Well, it is.

It is built on the Silverado SS frame and has the power to weight ratio of a Toyota Corolla.

Buy what you like, but don't bitch when people point out legitimate faults in the vehicle. I can show you a video of an H2 doing some VERY light rock crawling and it snaps a tie rod.

show it.

http://aimforum.net/funnyvideos/KilledIT.wmv

right click save as

there you go

"built on the Silverado SS frame"

This is what I'm geting sick of. Clearly you didn't read the article so hear is a excerpt:

Ride & Handling
The H2’s chassis is a Frankenstein’s monster of GM’s large truck platforms, with a frame that combines a front section from the three-quarter-ton 2500 series, a custom fully boxed middle section and a 1500-series rear section selected to accommodate a five-link coil spring suspension and then fortified for a higher gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). (The 2500-series rear end uses leaf springs.) The standard front setup is an independent suspension with torsion bars, where the rear axle is solid.

"power to weight ratio of a Toyota Corolla"

The Wrangler Rubicon has about same power to weight ratio too. You see the difference in chassis and drivetrain weight cause......wait, this is retarded, you and everyone on this web site knows why you can't compare a Corolla to an H2. This is just another cheap shot at the H2.

"legitimate faults"
The only legitimate fault I usually hear is that it is too big to go where a Wrangler can. Of course most SUVs are bigger than a Wrangler anyways. The rest of what I hear is baseless H2 bashing.

About the broken tie rod, he probabaly just gave it too much gas. It may have been bad from the factory. The H2s tie rods are not weak they're the same tie rods GM uses on their 3/4 ton trucks.

Here's (http://host1.cj-8.com/) one that got stuck in a parking lot.

WASHINGTON - Federal regulators are investigating the Hummer H2 after receiving three reports of wheels falling off the vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday.

Involved in the investigation are Hummer H2s from the 2003 and 2004 model years. General Motors Corp. said there are about 59,670 of those on the road.

Four drivers reported problems that were attributed to a fracture in the steering knuckle, which allows the wheels to turn. All said they lost control, including one driver whose H2 veered into oncoming traffic and ended up in a ditch on the other side of the road. In three of the cases, a wheel fell off.

On Oct. 24, 2002, Bee Auto Editor Mark Glover was putting a 2003 H2 through its paces for a Driver's Side review when a wheel came off the vehicle.

Here's his description of what happened:

"My memory is that the next three things occurred in approximately one second:

"The vehicle veered about 45 degrees left without me turning the steering wheel, there was an instant of white-hot fear as I realized I was no longer steering the H2, and then there was a crunching impact on the left side.

"The H2 lurched, nose-down, onto its left front corner, and I remember a terrible grinding sound as I endeavored to keep my nose off the steering wheel. No air bags deployed.

"I somehow unloaded myself from the now-unbalanced H2. The left front tire, wheel and wheel housing had somehow been removed from the vehicle. There they were, resting about 15 feet away from the H2 and a few feet away from a concrete light standard that had been clipped by the left front of the H2."

Until this time, Glover had driven hundreds of vehicles for 31 years without being at the wheel of one that crashed. Glover never found out what caused the wheel to come off, but he said he was willing to give the vehicle another chance.

After the crash in the test Hummer H2, Glover filed a report with NHTSA, something any motorist can do after being involved in a crash that may involve a mechanical problem of unknown origin. Glover checked in periodically with NHTSA over the past couple of years, but heard nothing further about an investigation of the crash in the Bee employee parking lot.

A little over a month ago, however, NHTSA contacted Glover by phone at The Bee and asked a few questions about the 2-year-old crash. Glover asked if a formal investigation was under way, but NHTSA said it was at that time making inquiries into the specific report Glover made after the Hummer crash.

About a week later, NHTSA called and asked if there were any photos of the Hummer crash. Glover said there were photos - taken by Bee photographer Jay Mather - and voluntarily sent them to NHTSA. Again, Glover asked if a formal investigation of the H2 model was under way.

NHTSA repeated that nothing was formal at that time, but that photos of the Glover crash might be helpful in determining a possible cause. NHTSA said it was difficult to confirm aspects of Glover's original report based solely on his verbal recall of the incident.

The Hummer H2, which starts at about $50,000, weighs 6,400 pounds and is one of the largest sport-utility vehicles on the road.

GM said it is cooperating with the new investigation. NHTSA investigations can lead to vehicle recalls.

> http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/auto/story/11685956p-12574968c.html

This is just another cheap shot at the H2.

And the H2 was a cheap shot at the car buying public. Seriously, that much money for something that looks so cheap and plasticy inside, as well as having poor fit and finish, poor visibilty, poor handling and manueverablity, poor gas mileage - and just poor at everything in general - an all around loser.
Perhaps if the H2 weren't such a bad vehicle, less people would be ripping on it for being such a bad vehicle.
From what I've read and heard from H2 owners, they were happy with the looks of the vehicle, and that they were the first on the block to own one, but soon realized that they had been suckered into buying a stinker, thus sales of H2s keep falling, and thus the reputation that the H2 has earned, usually the people who are defending them, don't own them.
The H2, supposedly only took 18 months to be developed from a drawing into a "real" vehicle, the only other vehicle I can think of to be rushed into production so fast to get a profit before the bugs were ironed out was the AMC Gremlin :rofl:

EDIT: reading some reports right now, apparently the tie rod problem is common, it's common that the H2's front alignment gets "out of whack" very quickly, and that broken tie rods aren't all that uncommon.

Hey now, this isnt a gremlin bashing thread, gremlins were great cars.

I dont really have a serious oppinion about the H2, I like the way they look, never drove one though. Most of the people that bash on it are just hipocrits anyway, I'm not worried about it.

Hey now, this isnt a gremlin bashing thread, gremlins were great cars.
The Pacer was better. :p

I knew I would like Wayne's World the second I saw him driving a Pacer...

The H2, supposedly only took 18 months to be developed from a drawing into a "real" vehicle, the only other vehicle I can think of to be rushed into production so fast to get a profit before the bugs were ironed out was the AMC Gremlin :rofl:


The Ford GT took less. Remember time is your enemy, not your friend. And less time does not reflect a poorer vehicle.

I'm not really a big fan of the H2's either, but hey its their 50k, not mine.

hypocrites in what sense?


I hate H2's.

I think they're a worthless gimmic that don't hold thier own off road

I think they are hideously ugly things, easily the most vulgar vehicle on the road

I think they are a senseless waste of declining fuel reserves

The fit and finish is terrible for the price that you pay

I think that like all SUV's, that they are a constant danger to other road users, with bumpers that over-ride most other cars crumple zones.


Of the three cars I possess, none of my cars possess those qualities


Point is that the segment for SUV's designed to tackle the great urban jungle was already overcrowded before, AM General should have seen that the H2's be a 15 minute fad, much like the New Beetle or PT Cruiser, they didn't so that's thier problem

The Ford GT took less.
I guess that makes the H2 effort seem even worse! :iceslolan

I guess that makes the H2 effort seem even worse! :iceslolan

:lol2: Now I just feel bad for the Hummer......ok, bad feeling gone :biggrin: .

If you want to rag on people who buy H2s and never take them off-road go for it, but I'm sick of people saying H2s can't handle off-roading and that they are just Tahoes with a different body and big tires.

It's true H2s aren't anything special off-road, why argue it?

Here's one that got stuck in a parking lot.
Breakover angle H2:25.8 Grand Cherokee:20.6 Liberty:21.8 Wrangler Rubicon:25.4 As you can see, if he was driving a Jeep he would have gotten stuck in the same place, but no one would have made a web site dedicated to it.

looks so cheap and plasticy inside, as well as having poor fit and finish
Looks are subjective. Plastic is light, doesn't rust, dent, absorb water and it's easy to clean. What would have been a better material to use? Give me an example of what's wrong with the fit and finish.
poor visibilty
The visibilty could be better.
poor handling and manueverablity, poor gas mileage
Let me guess, compared to a Toyota Corolla on pavement.
Perhaps if the H2 weren't such a bad vehicle,
The H2 is not a bad vehicle. Like I said at the beginning, the H2 is designed to be used off-road. If someone buys an H2 expecting car-like handling and fuel economy, that means the person who bought it is stupid, not that the H2 is a bad vehicle.

I hate H2's.
Well I'm sure this will be a intelligent and fact based post.
I think they're a worthless gimmick that don't hold their own off road[/qupte]
Do you have any facts to back up that statement?
[quote]with bumpers that over-ride most other cars crumple zones
The H2s high bumpers are one of the reasons it's the second best GM SUV you can buy for off-roading. You see, the higher the bumpers and the closer they are to the wheels the better the approach and departure angles. (http://skidplate4x4.tripod.com/The_Breakover_Angle_explanation.htm)

Ground Rat
Name sume SUVs full size that are better then the H2 and don't say the H1 because it costs twice as much of course it's better.

Ground Rat
Name sume SUVs full size that are better then the H2 and don't say the H1 because it costs twice as much of course it's better.

How well any other SUV performs has nothing to do with how well the H2 performs. The H2 was marketed as a great 4x4 and was riding on the H1's reputation. Why do you care what other people think of the H2 anyway? Do you own one?

The following is just counterpoint. No flames intended... just my little opinion. :)

I don't think that the H2 is a "bad" vehicle. I think it maximizes your cash spent for a minimum of "vehicle". It excells at nothing. It is nothing more off road than its weakest point, which makes it no better than a K1500. Its no better at accleration than the Corrolla (which someone else pointed out) and its no better at cornering than any other SUV. Combine that with GMs legendary (and I don't mean that in a good way) assembly quality and materials that come from the lowest possible bidder, and you have a $50,000 investment in the worst possible place I can think of. I'd rather pay $50,000 for corvette. At least it excels at one thing; going fast.

I can understand liking the new H2 if that's your flavor. Some people love bucket T's. I love my 73 Impala Station wagon, but I realize its shortcomings. I don't defend it as being great at getting me laid, or the best at getting good mileage. I bought it because it was a low-mileage classic that evoked an emotion in me. And yes, I paid too much for it, too, but I don't inflate its abilities. It carries all of my contracting tools in style, and gets thumbs up on the highway.

Someone else said it very well; legitimate shortcomings. Every car has them. Embrace them. Love them. Celebrate them.Name sume SUVs full size that are better then the H2 and don't say the H1 because it costs twice as much of course it's betterBetter how? Better reliability; any of the Japanese or BMW SUVs, or (gulp) the Fords have much better reliability than the GM right now. Better accleration; darn near any of them. Better resale; Rover, Toyota, BMW. Better assembly; pick one. Better turning radius; all of the above. Better interior noise; BMW, lexus/toyota, Rover, Porsche, Touareg, Jeep. Better off-road crawling; Toyota, Rover, Jeep. Its so much more than power and approach angles off road. Its gearing, tires, torque bias, wheelbase, strength of parts, center of gravity; all of which are way over-shadowed by the other SUVs when compared to the H2. The only real exception there is the 9.5" ring gear in the H2 which is a touch stronger handling torque than the others. Any off-road driver will tell you that driving will conquer more obstacles than one more degree of approach angle. And (as that earlier video showed) who cares how much log you can clear if the axle snaps in half while your crossing it.

I don't wish to offend anyone who has an H2, but the fact is that internally at Chevy, they wanted to make an accessible Hummer that bridged the gap between high-end SUVs and the H1. What they got was the ability to charge very high retail prices for a Suburban with a hummer looking box on top. If you really look at the guts, its nothing special. Certainly nothing that warrants a base price of almost $53,000.

For $53,000 I could have two jeeps, each one more capable of off-roading than one H2.The H2s high bumpers are one of the reasons it's the second best GM SUV you can buy for off-roading. First of all, this is like saying, "The spitfire is the second most reliable roadster Triumph ever produced." There were only three to start with, and they all sucked. And when you compare the off road ability of the H2 with things like the TrailBlazer and Tracker as your basis, of course it sounds good. When you compare it with the myriad of trail-worthy SUVs on the market, I would place the H2 well below the jeep, rover, and toyota. Let's face it, if it were designed as an off roader, it wouldn't have a 4L65E tranny with a plain old GM electronic transfer case and a pansy low-bias limited slip diff. It would have a proper final drive ratio and the chassis to handle it. It also comes with non-floatation 315/70-17 metric rubber which is bling, not capability.

Before we go any further with this, let's really dig into what it takes to be good off road. Let's take a look at suspension parts and the things that really matter with off road capability instead of listening to GM's marketing telling us what is off road. Heck, GM could market it as a Rubicon-ready vehicle and the general public would believe it because no one will ever take it off road to prove it.

Its all marketing, and if you believe that the H2 is a genuine off-roader, then you've listened to GM's marketing, not formulated your own opinion. Its a $53,000 half-ton suburban. Period.

you know why people by H2's.... *cough compensation cough*

yeah..
http://host1.cj-8.com/slides/h2stumped4.html
My guess would be that it has open diff to get stuck on something that small? If it did, why would an Open diff be on this thing anyways?!

You see, the higher the bumpers and the closer they are to the wheels the better the approach and departure angles. (http://skidplate4x4.tripod.com/The_Breakover_Angle_explanation.htm)

Too bad the long wheelbase of the H2 gives it a poor breakover angle, making the approach and departure angles worthless. Too bad the H2 is not used off road by hardly anybody who buys them, and too bad it is being marketed to women for use on roads, not off road.
The H2 is just a gimmick to cash in on the gullibilty of the American car buying public.
Plastic is light, doesn't rust, dent, absorb water and it's easy to clean. What would have been a better material to use? Give me an example of what's wrong with the fit and finish.
Example?, have you seen any H2s? :iceslolan My 1978 Le Car used better materials! (not to mention was more comfortable - though it did lack AC, but it rode better, and was certainly more stylish than the H2 :) - as well as more original) :2cents:

Breakover angle H2:25.8 Grand Cherokee:20.6 Liberty:21.8 Wrangler Rubicon:25.4 As you can see, if he was driving a Jeep he would have gotten stuck in the same place, but no one would have made a web site dedicated to it.


Looks are subjective. Plastic is light, doesn't rust, dent, absorb water and it's easy to clean. What would have been a better material to use? Give me an example of what's wrong with the fit and finish.

The visibilty could be better.

Let me guess, compared to a Toyota Corolla on pavement.

The H2 is not a bad vehicle. Like I said at the beginning, the H2 is designed to be used off-road. If someone buys an H2 expecting car-like handling and fuel economy, that means the person who bought it is stupid, not that the H2 is a bad vehicle.


Well I'm sure this will be a intelligent and fact based post.
I think they're a worthless gimmick that don't hold their own off road[/qupte]
Do you have any facts to back up that statement?
[quote]with bumpers that over-ride most other cars crumple zones
The H2s high bumpers are one of the reasons it's the second best GM SUV you can buy for off-roading. You see, the higher the bumpers and the closer they are to the wheels the better the approach and departure angles. (http://skidplate4x4.tripod.com/The_Breakover_Angle_explanation.htm)

Ground Rat
Name sume SUVs full size that are better then the H2 and don't say the H1 because it costs twice as much of course it's better.
There are plenty of fullsize SUV's better than the H2.


A Grand Cherokee is a better offroader, as is a Range Rover, a Lexus GX430, much like a Nissan Patrol, so is a Toyota Landcruiser and a Porsche Cayenne/Volkswagen Touareg.

If you want a useless offroad Gimmic SUV like the H2, then there are still better SUV's, like the BMW X5, Ford Expodition/Lincoln Navigator or a Lexus RX330.





Perhaps if the H2 was competent offroad and people took it there, then the bumpers'd be worth a shit, they're not, instead they're just pointless and dangerous.

I'd rather pay $50,000 for corvette.

You can buy two C5s for 50k. :grinyes:

i'd rather have a humvee, there evreywhere at my job. they maybe slower than hell but at least you can rockclimb better than the H2. but a military issued new humvee cost around 120k with out the armor we put on them. and that weighs them down even more!. but in my opinion the h2 is worthless.

and AMG makes the humvee's

and AMG makes the humvee's

They aren't as great as people think they are either. They are too wide and their center of gravity is too low.

The H2 is the opitomy of kitch. Leopard print seats and gold plated switchgear would look discustingly at home in a H2.

Now the Range Rover... That is the definition of decorum, class and sophistication. It will also leave a H2 feeling like an invalid when it comes to off road ability.

I'm sure that there are some particulaly brash, outgoing, attention seekers who appreciate the "bling" factor of the H2, but IMO, I think that Bling speaks for it's self...

and too bad it is being marketed to women for use on roads, not off road.
The H2 is just a gimmick to cash in on the gullibilty of the American car buying public.


Okay, so what you are saying is that GM is cashing in on the gullable American public by telling them they are great off road vehicles, but yet, even worse, they arent even orienting sales to off roaders, but to housemoms instead, who wont even be taking it off road. Yea, sure, sounds like youve got a friend at GM... sike. Those are totally conflicting statements. You're just making stuff up.

I care about the H2!!! They are an overpriced piece of crap that's shaped like a box. Honestly, if you like the look of a boxy looking car get a Scion xB instead. They're like a major discount compared to the H2...

A weight of 6400 lbs? Its overweight. Its like the weight of two or three average sedans out on the road. Higher in weight means more momentum. More momentum means longer stopping distance. The possibility of crashes are higher...

The fact that the majority of H2 drivers are women around the age of 40 might make me take a bus instead because I can't take the risk of having a nice car worth my life savings being plowed and destroyed.

9 mpg for the city...is it worth it? How often do you need the luxurious space and cargo room? How about off-roading? Why don't you get a Honda Civic instead as a daily driver and then buy something like a Dodge "Stow n Go" Caravan or the Ford Winstar? You'll get more like 42+ mpg with the Civic, and its cheap as heck compared to your H2. Toyota Prius is another option as a hybrid vehicle, and they look decent. If not, get something more luxurious, like a Jag or a Lexus, which still won't burn up as much fuel. You're killing the environment by using that much energy. I WANT TO SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN HAVE A GOOD LIFE IN 40 YEARS.

I agree that they look awesome especially when they have 24' chrome spinners, airbag suspension, custom paintjobs, kickass interion and blaring sound systems. But its not worth it and the possibility of having an accident with an H2 is greater than a family sedan. I don't think that the Cadillac Escalade are much worse than the H2.

I'm just telling you what I think, everybody has their own opinions. I'm just not a big fan of SUV's, but some people like it. I think that its great to have a variety of automobiles on the road these days, but the H2 is just too extreme. Especially those with 10' lift kits and monster 40' wheels and that you don't take it for offroading but only use it in the city.

No one can honesty argue that the H2 has a high build quality. Come on! everything inside it feels like i could snap if u werent careful. Plus this is another example of american inefficiency. I weighs too much and the engine's output is disapointing when compared its size. The stock rims are also really ugly.