What I hadn't expected was to find women, usually in their 30s with children in tow, admiring the Hummer nearly every time I parked it in upstate New York. Several times they stood waiting, questions ready, for the driver to appear.
Indeed, more than a quarter of H2 buyers are women, and many others play a role in the purchase decisions of men. This has not been lost on Hummer's marketing department, which introduced heavy artillery into the war of the sexes with an ad that suggested, "Threaten men in a whole new way."
Intimidation is part of the package, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. Manic cabbies don't mess with Hummers, which are also persuasive against left-lane road hogs on the interstate. Drivers who dawdle in the passing lane, refusing to move right no matter what, eventually take the hint when a taxi-yellow H2 fills their mirrors.
The H2 is plenty big, though it looks larger than it is -- partly because all the components were set on or above the frame, partly because the windows are shallow and the sides are vertical. The truck is actually shorter and not much taller than a Tahoe, and the lack of overhangs beyond the tires is a boon to off-roading; you can roll right up and over a 76cm wall. The H2 can ford 50cm of water and climb over 40cm rocks.
Uncommon
The H2 has little in common with the original Hummer, the H1, beyond their look. Both wear a seven-bar grille (one that DaimlerChrysler unsuccessfully tried to stop GM from using, asserting that it infringed on a Jeep trademark).
The H1, a somewhat civilized version of the military Humvee, costs more than US$100,000 and has a diesel engine with awesome pulling power; the US$50,000 H2 borrows its 6-liter gasoline V8 from various GM trucks.
The H2 also has a sophisticated electronic four-wheel-drive system that offers five driving modes, including a low gear range with a locking rear differential.
While H1 is cramped and noisy, H2 is comfortable and reasonably quiet. But first you must get in, and the first step up is a 63cm doozy. Unless you play professional basketball or don't mind ripping your inseams, the optional running boards are essential.
Once the driver has clambered onto the overstuffed captain's chair -- with individual armrest and multiple power adjustments -- he or she can practically look long-haul truckers in the eye. In keeping with the big-rig theme, the H2 has clearance lights around the roof.
Although spacious and plush, the cabin is no more subtle than the exterior. The focal points are huge round vents that protrude from the dashboard, including a pair in the middle reminiscent of the cone-shaped bras that Madonna used to wear.
The shift lever for the four-speed automatic, the only transmission offered, is a wide, thick bar of the sort that Buck Rogers might have used to engage warp drive.
The controls work well enough -- save for the antiquated multifunction turn-signal stalk that GM won't let go -- though there are lots of bits and pieces to the interior, in the company's usual fashion. And the quality of the dash materials, especially plastic panels with an unconvincing metallic look, are unlikely to age well.
RSS