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Whether the Hummer H1 or the Hummer H2, the vehicles are so distinctive chances are you’ll never lose one in the parking lot.

But, having driven the H1 and the new-for-2003 H2 now arriving at dealerships, we’d much rather have the H2 than the gargantuan H1 that gained popularity by running over, under, around or through anything in, on, off or alongside the road, sand dune, stream or mountain.

Both look alike, wide and squat and cartoonish, but H1 is wider, squatter and more cartoonish.

H1 is the product of AM General of South Bend, Ind., the civilian version of the military vehicle that starred in the Persian Gulf War, and at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s urging was bought to market for ordinary people such as him.

Hummer H2 is the first product of an alliance in which GM bought the Hummer name from AM General and then bolted the front end of a Chevrolet Suburban to the rear end of a Chevy Tahoe and attached a Hummer badge to it.

AM General builds the H2 at a plant adjoining its H1 facility. It also will build the H2 sport-utility truck in a couple of years, the SUT being the front end of the H2 bolted to the pickup rear end of the Chevy Avalanche.

GM will build its own H3, a smaller midsize sport-utility vehicle coming after the SUT that will be a Chevy TrailBlazer upfront bolted to the extended-length TrailBlazer EXT in back. The H3, with a price of $30,000 to $35,000, is expected to attract 80,000 to 100,000 buyers annually while the $100,000 H1 boasts about 800 and the H2 hopes to attract up to 25,000.

H2 comes thisclose to doing what the H1 will do. The H2 will crawl up 16-inch boulders (H1 22 inches) and ford 22-inch deep streams (H1 up to 40 inches). But H2 starts at about $50,000, half that of an H1, so you’ll just have to learn to use a yardstick before crawling or fording.

H1 is rugged; H2 rugged, yet refined and a lot more civil. H2 is about six inches shorter overall than Tahoe to better climb off-road. It is also about five inches wider than Tahoe to provide a spacious cabin. The H1 is six inches shorter than H2 to allow for steeper off-road climbing, but almost six inches wider and nearly 1,000 pounds heavier.

We tested the H2 on- and off-road, and while it has less muscle off-road than H1, it has far better manners on-road. H1 fills the lane, H2 leaves a little room to roam.

H1 is a crude machine meant to take you anywhere, though not very comfortably and certainly not quietly. The H2 is far more cozy.

H1 holds four people spaced so far apart they need binoculars to see each other, and with all the racket from the 6.5-liter V-8 turbo diesel they need cellphones to hear each other.

H2 holds five with an optional “third row” seat ($500) for six. That third “row” is one seat in the corner of the cargo hold. The monster 35-inch diameter spare sits alongside that seat and leaves no room for a wider bench. GM hopes to move the spare to the liftgate to regain several cubic feet of cargo space.

The H1 diesel V-8 wakes the neighborhood, and the 6-liter, 316-horsepower V-8 gas engine in the H2 is whisper quiet, yet with 360 foot-pounds of torque peppy enough to move a machine with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 8,600 pounds.

By topping 8,500 pounds, the H2 is not required to post a mileage rating on the window sticker. Best guess is 11 to 12 m.p.g. city/highway mileage combined. The tank holds 32 gallons. You’ll need every one of them.

H2 comes with full-time four-wheel-drive with “hi” settings for the open road and “lo” settings when you travel off it. And there’s a “traction” setting when the hill gets very steep or the sand gets very deep.

On AM General’s off-road proving ground in South Bend, we engaged the traction control when approaching a steep water-soaked hill with deep sandy ruts about two-thirds of the way up. An H1 would blush with pride on how w l the H2 maneuvered without dancing.

Riding shotgun was GM President and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner, who exhibited his natural leadership when we reached the summit only to find the H2–and its occupants–sitting at a 60-degree angle and the only thing visible through the windshield was blue sky.

“Go straight,” he advised, which we did and that resulted in the H2 pointing 60 degrees downward on a wet mound of mud. The H2 motored down the incline in control of the situation–as did the passenger, though not necessarily the white-knuckled chauffeur.

The more brutal the course, the better the H2 responded, including a lengthy trip through a stream much deeper than 22 inches. Neither H2 nor Wagoner showed concern.

If only the H2 was that user-friendly on the open road. You sit high for a panoramic view, but the center of gravity isn’t so high that you feel wobbly–though considering the size and weight of the vehicle, it’s wise to back off the accelerator a tad in sharp corners.

Problem is that those giant 35-inch all-terrain tires are meant to grab sand and soil better than concrete or asphalt. Because sidewalls are vulnerable when off-roading, a special triple seal design was used to strengthen the sidewalls, which makes them a little harsh on pavement and more comfortable off-road. And each tire weighs 98 pounds, ample reason to rely on Hummer’s standard roadside assistance should any go flat.

Another concern with all-terrain tires on pavement is road noise. Though, as one colleague noted, “H2 has the aerodynamics of a billboard,” neither road nor wind noise was an issue in the H2.

One big on-road benefit, however, is that being 1,000 pounds lighter than the H1, the H2 doesn’t require that you apply the binders a quarter-mile before the stop light or sign to bring the weight under control.

And prepare to attract gawkers, though have to admit it’s nice for passersby to wave a finger in the direction of a big SUV and have it be a thumb pointing up.

H2 went from concept to reality in only 16 months, in large part because it is derived from the Suburban/Tahoe and incorporates many of their parts.

The AM General plant where it is made has capacity for 40,000 units (46,000 with overtime). H2 is expected to account for 16,000 to 25,000, with the remaining capacity reserved for the H2 SUT.

Base price is $48,065. Standard equipment includes such necessities as four-wheel anti-lock brakes, dual front air bags with a passenger side on/off switch, and such amenities as power reclining seats, power windows/door locks, power folding mirrors for off-road or carwash trips.

The test vehicle added the adventure series package for $2,215 with air suspension, brush guards, first-aid/tool kits, luggage rack, six-disc CD changer and carpeted mats.

Individual options include power sunroof at $995 and heated, leather seats at $1,400. To get in or out, you’ll need tubular assist steps ($425 separate or in the $2,575 Luxury package) or flat single steps ($450).

GM’s Service Parts Operation will offer a host of dealer options–a metal step that attaches to the rear trailer hitch so you can load the roof rack, off-road bikes for that rack and shirts, jackets or mugs.