GM Introduces "Little Hummer" H3

[matcom]

<snip>

SHREVEPORT, La. -- Hundreds of workers from all over the General Motors plant in Shreveport burst into applause Monday afternoon as a bright red Hummer H-3 rolled off the assembly line.

A worker was sitting inside the big car, honking its horn and flashing its headlights.

It was the first "official" H-3 -- a smaller Humvee that gets about 20 miles a gallon, compared to nine miles a gallon for larger models.

The H3 will arrive in dealerships as gasoline prices continue to soar.

GM, the world's largest automaker, is banking on it to boost slumping sales of bigger Hummers and other GM models.


Since 2000, nearly 92,000 Hummers have been sold nationwide.

Shreveport's plant manager, Dave Gibbons, said the plant is expected to stay busy in the long term. Besides the H-3, the facility turns out Colorado and Canyon pickups.

Rebecca Lindland, a senior analyst with Global Insight, said GM hopes to turn the H3 into a popular vehicle that also gets consumers interested in other GM models.

http://www.wftv.com/automotive/4392244/detail.html

[Spinzonner]

1. Obviously a Girlie Car

[GOPisEvil]

2. At least this thing is relatively efficient.

It's a small step in the right direction.

[MrScorpio]

3. "Honey, can I get a little Hummer?"

Just a smidge

[Goathead]

4. It's the same friggin' car

:wtf: that looks just like an H2 to me. Oh I see, they took off the extended tall stack snorkel, that would make it smaller. But tell me, how are all those rich fucks going to ford all the swollen rivers between Greenwich and Manhattan?:P

[Huckebein the Raven]

5. It's based off of the Chevy Colorado truck platform

not the Suburban (or is it the Tahoe/Yukon platform ?) platform like the H2. With that said, it's ugly as hell.

:puke:

[notadmblnd]

6. I cut one off the other day, it was partially intentional

getting out of the parking lot at my sons school is very difficult, so you have to be pushy. I pick the expensive cars Lexis, Mercedes, Hummers and such to pull out in front of, (they're more likely to be insured besides the speed limit is 25 not 60) so I pull out and the guy slams on his horn. I just laughed and waved my pinky finger in the rearview mirror.

[RebelOne]

7. Even if those expensive cars are insured,

you would be the one at fault if they hit you because you cut in front of them. I get mad as hell whenever anyone cuts me off.

[notadmblnd]

10. No it wouldn't

in Michigan drivers are expected to have their cars under control at all times. So if I pull out and a driver on the road hits me..... it's their fault. Check your local laws.

[RebelOne]

11. My local laws are different than Michigan.

[jmowreader]

8. It will be popular, but probably won't have coattails

Meaning it won't get consumers interested in other GM models.

I also don't think it will boost slumping sales of bigger Hummers. In case they haven't checked, it costs over 25 cents per mile to drive an H2--just for the fuel. Don't count oil or any other fluid, don't amortize out your maintenance, and definitely don't amortize out the cost of the vehicle...it costs a quarter just to buy the gas to put the car in drive and travel one mile.

This is basically an ugly TrailBlazer--something like the H4 I suggested way back in the "how to fix GM" thread, but the H3 looks like an H2 and the H4 looked like an H1.

It won't boost interest in other GM cars because Hummer is a truck version of Mustang, or Porsche, or any other "name" car. If I want to buy a car, I'll choose several models, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and finally choose one with the features and price tag I like best. If I want to buy a Mustang, I'll pick the Ford dealer that employs the smallest number of assholes and buy the Mustang that comes in my favorite color. Same thing with Hummers, except that I cannot possibly imagine paying that much money for a truck that can't carry a sheet of plywood.

[wideopen]

9. 20 miles to a gallon!

I hate to be a party pooper but 20mpg really isn't bad for a vehicle like this. Hell,my minivan only gets 21. Maybe GM is heading in the right direction, give people big cars that use less fuel? If they would just put out a full size truck with 25-30 mpg I'd buy one tommorow.