Automotive Reviews
Emmy Jackson
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2003 Hummer H2
01033 days
I don’t understand. If the ultimate off-road vehicle, the Hummer, appeals to you, but it’s just a bit too crude for your taste, then perhaps the Hummer isn’t really what you want. Land Rover and Mercedes are happy to offer vehicles with similarly extreme abilities (most of which will go to waste) that are more civilized for the drive from the country club to the yacht club. So there’s no need for Hummer to compromise, right?
Right?
Evidently, Hummer didn’t think so. Say hello to the 2003 H2. It’s a kinder, gentler Hummer. No, seriously. The brick-like design is instantly familiar and the phenomenal off-road ability is still a part of the package, but the H2 treats the human beings inside of it like passengers, rather than ordnance. With Hummer looks and a comfortable leather interior, it’s aimed directly at those who wanted the street cred of the military-derived Hummer H1, but also want to drive it every day. In fifty years expect it to be placed right up there with Ford’s gigantic excursion as a quaint example of the silly things we were driving “back in the ’00s.”
Upon first meeting the H2, it’s surprising to imagine that Hummer is pitching this as the H1′s “little brother.” It’s enormous! The H2′s eighty-two inch height insures it will tower over most of its drivers at the curb. The block-of-cheese styling only gives the H2 more curb presence. The face carries the Hummer design trademarks of narrow windows, a vertical-slot grille and close-mounted headlamps, a tall body, and a tilt-forward hood. The rounded edges and bold details give the impression that the H2 has been drawn by some cosmic cartoonist. It’s even got clearance lights atop the cab, front and rear. Thirty-five inch tall tires dwarf the 17″ wheels.
Inside the H2, everything seems to have been scaled up. The console and shifter are about twenty percent larger than they need to be, and chrome and leather are abundant. You could be inside the world’s largest, most expensive Tonka toy. The view out is somewhat better than in an H1 but the windshield still resembles a gunner’s slit. Most noticeable are the much more luxurious appointments. Try getting heated seats for all four occupants and a leather interior in an H1! The H2 is ready to give any of its European off-road luxury trucks a run for the money. There are some parts borrowed from General Motors’ component bins, most notably the Suburban door handles and instrument panel, but they don’t detract from the H2′s toughness. Behind the second row of seats there’s a big boxy cargo area that will swallow up to 40 cubic feet of stuff, but a lot of space is taken up by the giant spare tire. A single third-row jumpseat is best reserved for extremely naughty passengers.
Under the hood, the H2 opts for a conventional gasoline V8 engine rather than the big diesel used by the H1. With 316 hp, the 6,400-lb H2 is only slightly sluggish on the road, not that anyone will be rushing anywhere in an H2 anyway. The acceleration-friendly 4.10 axle ratio that’s standard equipment keeps the big beast from being left too far behind at traffic lights. The low gearing isn’t intended to boost zero to sixty times, of course. With the standard dual-range transfer case and four-wheel drive, the H2 is ready to go climb rocks and creep down steep, muddy hills. A locking rear differential is also standard equipment. The H2 drives a lot like the H1, but with less engine noise. The bank-vault solidity is there, and it’s easy to imagine that you’re driving an unstoppable vehicle.
It may seem be civilized on the road, but the H2 is still hungry for mud and rocks. The H2 rides the same chassis as a Chevy Tahoe, believe it or not. A Class III trailer hitch is integrated at the back, and there’s also a receiver hitch in the front. If you’re not sure what it’s for, any off-roader will tell you that it facilitates a front-mounted winch and makes it easier to pull your friends out, or for them to pull you out should you manage to get the H2 stuck. This is highly unlikely. The H2 features an independent torsion bar front suspension, and a live axle supported by five links and coils in the rear. Ground clearance is a startling ten inches. An optional air suspension allows the rear of the H2 to be raised up to two inches for additional clearance. Try that with your Chevy SUV! The Tahoe doesn’t share the H2′s massive skid plates and fuel tank protectors, either. H2s ordered with the optional onboard air compressor have a protective shield for that as well.
The H2 is equipped like a civilian vehicle when it comes to safety as well. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard, and unlike the H1 this Hummer’s got airbags. Two-stage traction control is also included. This system prevents wheelspin on dry pavement, but can be made to allow an amount of slippage in situations where it can be helpful (in sand, for instance).
Hummer reports that since August, the H2 has outsold both the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade, its domestic competitors. One of the factors making the H2 an instant success is its price tag. $48,065 is a healthy bit of change, but it’s still only half the cost of the legendary H1. Since H2 drivers aren’t giving up that much in the way of ultimate-activity ability, the junior Hummer is actually something of a bargain.
For once, you can have your cake and eat it too. It almost seems unfair, that the Hummer’s off-road prowess is available in a truck with this many creature comforts. Whether or not it makes sense is up to you. Chances are, half the population is going to sigh sadly and watch the country’s fuel consumption creep ever higher. The other half will be giving enthusiastic thumbs-ups to Hummer H2 drivers. The power of choice is a wonderful thing!
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2003 Hummer H2, which we tested.
Length: 189.8 in.
Width: 81.2 in.
Height: 82.0 in.
Wheelbase: 122.8 in.
Curb weight: 6400 lb.
Cargo space: 40 cu.ft.
Towing capacity (if app.): 7000 lb.
Base price: $48,065
Price as tested: $52,870
Engine: 6.0 liter V8
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 315 @ 5200 (preliminary)
Torque: 360 @ 4000 (preliminary)
Fuel capacity: 32 gal.
2002 Honda CR-V
01033 days
Way back in the dark days of the 1980s, Honda built a handy little four-by-four station wagon on the Civic chassis. The high-roofed wagon made an excellent all-around companion for small families with its cavernous cargo area and ability to tackle inclement weather and minor obstacles. Trouble was, it wasn’t ever remotely cool. It was barely interesting, except to 4×4 station wagon enthusiasts…all twenty-four of them. The Civic Real Time 4wd wagon vanished quietly in the early 1990s.
That 4×4 lives on in spirit in the 2002 Honda CR-V, and this time it’s stylish to boot. Honda’s popular urban mini-ute has been redesigned from the ground up for 2002, with more modern looks, Real Time four-wheel drive, better fuel economy, more power, and standard anti-lock brakes.
The CR-V’s face is almost the same, but like the rest of the Honda lineup, it’s smoother and more aerodynamic. Multi-unit triangular headlamps are similar to those used on the Civic. The large gray front bumper is a bit too plasticky for our taste, and makes the CR-V look a bit cheap. At the rear, floor-to-ceiling taillights are visible to other drivers and give the new CR-V a unique look. The long body and high stance remain the same. There seems to be less glass area than in previous CR-Vs however; visibility to the rear is especially questionable.
Inside, the CR-V has been modernized as well. Honda knew it had a good thing with the CR-V’s previous interior, and the folding tray, removable picnic table, and high, chair-like seating has been retained. The dash is more modern, with scads of storage cubbies and a hefty grab handle for the passenger. A matching handle on the driver’s side operates the emergency brake. In automatic-equipped models, the shifter is also mounted on the dash, to keep the floor flat and clear of obstructions. The air conditioning controls are particularly nice, with large, dial-type knobs that fall easily to hand and look great. The rear door still swings wide, allowing easy access to a 72 cubic foot cargo area that’s big enough to swallow whole mountain bikes. The rear seat reclines, folds, slides and tumbles out of the way to increase cargo area. If your CR-V will be doing grocery duty, make sure you spring for cargo nets, however; there’s a lot of space for small items to roll around. The tall seats are comfortable for longish freeway trips.
That’s a good thing, too. Until recently, a road trip was the last place we’d recommend taking a CR-V. Thanks to a revised suspension however, the tendency to pitch and bob on the freeway has been drastically reduced. The CR-V has a MacPherson strut system up front, and double wishbones at the rear, and the ride has lost nearly all traces of the usual SUV tippiness. The front struts feature a toe control link, which keeps the tires from tilting inward or outward with suspension movements, as they do on many trucks. This keeps more rubber in contact with the road at all times, and improves responsiveness. Thanks to its narrow, tall proportions, the CR-V is phenomenally nimble and light, always eager to tackle heavy rush hour traffic. The CR-V is purely an urban-bred trucklet, like the old Civic wagon that preceded it. Buyers planning for off-road adventures and camping would do well to wait for the upcoming Honda Element, which is larger than the CR-V and designed for rougher treatment.
The CR-V’s interstate ability has also been enhanced by an all-new 16-valve four-cylinder engine which puts out 160 horsepower, up 14 horses from last year. Honda’s i-VTEC system is derived from variable valve and camshaft timing systems designed for Formula One race cars. Honda can spend thousands of words explaining the optimization of combustion chamber swirl effects and increased airflow, but the verdict is that i-VTEC offers great power throughout the engine’s range. The CR-V gets 26 mpg on the freeway and is Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) certified to boot. What could be finer? Best of all, the CR-V no longer runs out of steam at 55 mph or so, the way it used to. Low-end torque has also been boosted. The CR-V is available as a four-speed automatic and a five-speed manual.
The Real Time 4wd system is a full-time system in that it never needs to be engaged by the driver. Power is sent to the front wheels until addtional traction is needed, and then power is sent to the rear wheels automatically.
CR-V’s come in LX and EX flavors. Our test vehicle was a CR-V EX, the top of the line. Standard equipment included a moonroof, alloy wheels, tinted windows and a 6-disc CD changer. We really liked the price; an easy-to-stomach $22,740 out the door.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 Honda CR-V EX 4wd, which we tested.
Length: 178.6 in.
Width: 70.2 in.
Height: 66.2 in.
Wheelbase: 103.1 in.
Curb weight: 3347 lb.
Cargo space: 72.0 cu.ft.
Towing capacity: 1500 lb.
Base price: $22,300
Price as tested: $22,740
Engine: 2.4 liter DOHC 16-valve inline four cylinder
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 160 @ 6000
Torque: 162 @ 3600
Fuel capacity: 15.3 gal.
Est. mileage: 22/26
2002 GMC Sierra Denali
01033 days
There’s a price threshold at which a vehicle is forced to almost automatically defend its cost before any argument about its merits can be heard. The new GMC Sierra Denali is such a vehicle. Yes, it’s a $45,000 pickup truck.
Wait, don’t leave yet. It really is one heck of a pickup truck. Last year it was called the C3, but the name has been changed to reflect kinship with GMC’s flagship SUV, not to mention another infusion of high technology. With this vehicle, GMC has erased any doubt as to its position as the builder of “premier” trucks in General Motors’ lineup. The Sierra Denali combines the best elements of light- and heavy-duty pickup trucks with the spacious luxury of the Yukon Denali premium SUV into a single, distinctive package. It’s also the first full-size pickup truck to feature four-wheel steering; more on that in a moment.
The Sierra Denali shares the Yukon Denali’s cool front-end sheetmetal, with projector-style headlamps, an aluminum grille and a body-color front bumper with big round foglamps. It’s available only as an extended cab short-bed, and the bed is slightly widened at the rear, dually-style, because the rear track is wider thanks to the standard four-wheel steering system. The powerful stance conveys at a glance the Denali’s more-than-average status. 17″ polished aluminum wheels are shared with the Denali SUV. Tubular step rails and smooth clearance lights on the roof further identify the top dog in GMC’s pickup heap.
Inside, the Sierra Denali is just as luxurious as any Cadillac. Plush two-tone leather seats coddle driver and all passenger (even those in the rear jumpseat), and a large-cubbied console features a grand total of four power points and a notepad rest. Perhaps to show up the average minivan, the Sierra Denali has six cupholders. The only pickup truck-ish aspect is the standard GMC dash, which features full instrumentation in easy-to-read white on black. The front seats are heated, and have integrated armrests. A computerized driver information center and sound system with eight speakers, a six-disc CD changer, and rear headphone jacks are standard equipment as well. As on all of General Motors’ premium vehicles, the OnStar emergency assistance system is standard. The Cadillac Escalade EXT and Lincoln Blackwood obviously aren’t the only players in the luxury-pickup game.
Unlike the EXT and Blackwood, however, the Sierra Denali is ready to do more than just look fancy in front of the country club. It’s ready to work. The Sierra Denali is offered only with the Vortec 6000 V8 engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. This six-liter (that’s 364 cubic inches) motor is shared with the Yukon Denali, and cranks out 325 horspower and 370 foot-pounds of torque. At no time does the Sierra Denali feel underpowered, with that much brute force under the hood. Also thanks to the large motor, the big pickup feels relaxed and refined around town. However, with a 4.10 rear end GMC’s most prestigious pickup can tow up to 10,000 pounds. All-wheel drive is standard, and provides a form of continuous traction control by monitoring all four wheels for slippage. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are also standard.
The most obvious departure from standard for the Sierra Denali is the Quadrasteer four-wheel steering system, which uses an electrical control unit to turn the rear wheels. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn opposite the front wheels, drastically reducing the turning radius and making the pickup easy to maneuver. At highway speeds, all four wheels turn in unison, for added stability. When towing, the rear wheels are able to act as steering wheels for the trailer, also enhancing nimbleness. Does it work? It’s nothing short of amazing. A Quadrasteering truck feels almost twitchy at first, but that’s just the feeling of a full-size truck that isn’t clumsy. The Sierra Denali has a 37.4-foot turning radius, close to that of a subcompact Saturn. Crowded parking lots or job sites are dispatched with ease. Quadrasteer can also be switched off with a button on the dash. GMC plans to offer Quadrasteer on other trucks in the Sierra lineup later in the year.
Quadrasteer requires a higher-capacity rear axle, so trucks thus equipped enjoy a higher GVWR. The Sierra Denali is rated at 7200 pounds, an improvement of 400 pounds over last year’s C3. The rear track is also five inches wider–hence the unique cargo box, which flares to cover the wheels.
The Sierra Denali features a selectable suspension which allows a choice of firm or soft shock absorber settings. Like the rest of GMC’s light-duty pickup line, the Denali has an independent front suspension and a leaf-sprung rear. Heavy-duty shocks and a trailering package are standard on the Denali. Contributing to the smooth ride is a frame which uses hydroforming technology and tubular crossmembers to provide a stable, strong platform. Compared to competitive trucks, the Denali has one of the smoothest rides. Unlike the Toyota Tundra, however, it still feels like a truck. There’s a degree of resistance in the steering and feedback from the tires that many “truck people” have come to expect and appreciate.
Okay, so it’s an insanely expensive pickup truck, but unlike the other “ultimate pickup trucks” from Lincoln and Cadillac, the Sierra Denali actually has quite a bit to offer in the way of above-and-beyond. With its four-wheel steering, ultra-luxurious interior and increased payload capacity, it comes close to justifying its $43,385 base price. Everything is standard, of course. Our test vehicle stickered for $44,105 after destination charges were added.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 GMC Sierra Denali, which we tested.
Length: 227.6 in.
Width: 83.5 in.
Height: 73.9 in.
Wheelbase: 143.5 in.
Curb weight: 5478 lb
Payload: 1722 lb.
Trailer towing: 10,000 lb.
Cargo space: 56.9 cu.ft.
Base price: $43,385
Price as tested: $44,105
Engine: 6.0 liter OHV V8
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 325 @ 5000
Torque: 370 @ 4000
Fuel capacity: 26 gal.
Est. mileage: 12/15