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A Hummer for under $30,000?

Yes, it’s the all-new 2006 H3 (base price $29,500, including freight), and it’s here, looking almost identical to its bigger brother, the H2, but with more-manageable dimensions and a much-more-manageable price.

Oh, and did I mention also much-more-manageable fuel economy? Sure, 16 miles per gallon city and 19 highway (with automatic transmission) might still seem a bit thirsty in these days of gasoline that costs more than $2 a gallon, but when compared with the H2, that’s downright economical. The H2 is lucky to average 10 miles per gallon in city and highway driving.

So what do you give up in the H3 that you would pay $20,000-plus more to get in the H2? More power, increased towing capacity and a third row of seating are probably the most important upgrades, but if you don’t need any of those, then the H3 might be a better choice anyway.

It’s certainly a more-economical way to go, both with purchase price and operating costs, giving us, finally, a Hummer that we could feel good about driving every day. The fuel economy is in line with most of its competitors, including such truck-based midsize SUVs as the Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy/Isuzu Ascender/Buick Rainier, Nissan Pathfinder, and Dodge Durango.

The biggest difference is that those vehicles all offer V-8 power as an upgrade to their base six-cylinder engines, while the H3 trucks along with just a single engine offering — the same inline five-cylinder that comes in the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups upon which the H3 is based.

That engine cranks out a respectable 220 horsepower and 225 foot-pounds of torque, enough to propel this baby Hummer from zero to 60 mph in 10.3 seconds (with the standard five-speed manual gearbox).

The biggest complaint I’ve heard about the H3 so far — not from customers, but from vehicle reviewers — is that it is “underpowered.”

I don’t agree; I found our test H3 with the optional four-speed automatic transmission ($1,695) to have all the power I needed for highway cruising, freeway merging and even hill-climbing. (StabilitTrak, a computerized stability control system, is standard with the automatic, but not offered yet with the manual gearbox).

Granted, I don’t have a big trailer to pull, but if I did, I probably would buy something other than the H3. But it can handle trailers weighing up to 4,500 pounds, so most small boats, two-horse trailers and reasonably sized campers will ride just fine behind this vehicle.

On a lengthy highway cruise, the H3 was quite comfortable, which is surprising considering that the original civilian Hummer, now known as the H1, costs about three times as much yet is not even close to being comfortable. The H2 does offer a high level of comfort, of course, but it’s nearly twice as expensive as the H3.

The H3’s comfort compares well with that of the competitors in this class, especially the 4Runner, Explorer, and TrailBlazer/Envoy/Ascender/Rainier, the vehicles whose creature comforts are well-established.

Why some of my auto-writer colleagues might complain about the H3’s power has more to do with their skewed perceptions than the reality. Unfortunately, many auto writers are performance addicts who think every vehicle they test should have the power and handling of an exotic sports car.

My tastes are more down-to-Earth. I prefer to balance economy of operation with power and performance, giving me a more-practical vehicle that I can feel comfortable driving every day and not feeling guilty about it, or without going broke having to refill the tank every other day. That’s why I’d consider an H3. It’s probably just about the coolest almost-affordable and almost-economical-to-operate midsize SUV on the market. Also, it fits in my garage. That’s because it’s 16 inches shorter in overall length than the H2, which is six inches wider and six inches taller than this new H3. With its narrower profile, the H3 is a better off-road vehicle, much more able to negotiate narrow trails than the H2 or the even-wider H1.

And negotiate trails it will, thanks to its full-time four-wheel-drive system with two-speed transfer case for serious off-road cruising. A fully locking rear differential is available, but the standard four-wheel-drive system already is good enough for most situations.

This vehicle has a ground clearance of 9.1 inches, a maximum approach angle of 40 degrees, a ramp-breakover angle of 25 degrees, and a departure angle of up to 37 degrees, well-suited to many off-road trails. The H3 comes with the largest standard tires in the segment — 32 inches. But 33-inch tires are optional, the largest in the class.

I found those 32-inch tires to be suitable for eating up fairly good-sized rocks and negotiating other off-road obstacles. They dig into sand very well, giving the H3 great traction.

To get the H3 to the crawling stage as you can do with Jeep CJs and Wranglers — letting it run in first gear at a virtual walking speed — the H3 offers an “Adventure Package” ($1,025) that adds a 4.03:1 transfer case and a lower, 4.56:1 final-drive ratio. That gives the H3 a 69:1 crawl ratio. The package also adds the locking rear differential and the 33-inch tires.

Six interior-trim packages are offered — three cloth and one leather — but I was happy with the base cloth package of our test vehicle, which came with few options. It was so well-equipped as it was that the extras weren’t really necessary for my needs, and here in Texas, where the weather is often so very hot, I prefer cloth over leather seating surfaces anyway. Cloth is much cooler.

To get the leather interior, the “Luxury Package” ($3,125) can be added to the base H3, tacking on such other extras as OnStar, StabiliTrak, six-disc CD changer, power heated seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and carpeted floor mats.

Front and rear head room are best-in-class, and the rear seat was more than adequate for two adults to sit in comfort for even long stretches, and for three to ride relatively painlessly at least for a while. The front seats were as comfortable as some of the cushier and more-expensive luxury SUVs, including the ones from Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

The interior trim around the center dash stack is a polished plastic with the look of brushed metal. Instruments are easy to read and controls are well-placed for easy reach. Getting into and out of the H3 is a bit of a challenge for short people, including my 5-foot-3 wife, but there are handholds to grab, and our test vehicle came with dealer-added black tubular “assist steps” ($595). These are better than the flimsy running boards you’ll find on other SUVs — you know, the running boards that get knocked off the first time you do any serious off-road driving.

Other extras on our H3 included a trailer hitch and wiring harness ($270), the automatic transmission, and dealer-added front black wrap-around brush guard ($600) and black roof rack ($399), great for stowing cargo for a long camping trip, for instance. Total sticker for our test vehicle was $33,059, including $565 freight).

Among other standard features of the H3 are four-wheel antilock disc brakes, air conditioning, automatic headlights, OnStar, fog lights, tire-pressure monitoring system, power windows/mirrors/door locks with remote, power rack-and-pinion steering, daytime running lights, manual front seats with lumbar adjustment, fold-flat second-row seat (60-40 split), cruise control, self-dimming rearview mirror with compass and outside temperature readout, AM/FM/compact-disc stereo with six speakers, folding exterior mirrors, outside rear-mounted spare tire (full size), 16-inch cast-aluminum wheels, traction control system, and both front and rear tow hooks.

Other options include the largest sunroof in the segment, GM says. The H3 is built on the same assembly line with the Colorado, Canyon and the new Isuzu midsize pickups at Shreveport, La. But General Motors, which owns marketing rights to the Hummer brand, says the H3 shares only about 10 percent of its components with those pickups.

The vehicle weighs 4,700 pounds and has a payload of 1,150 pounds. The tank holds 23 gallons of fuel, and unleaded regular is recommended.

Owners of motorhomes will appreciate that the H3 can be towed with all four wheels on the ground, without having its driveshafts disconnected.

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G. Chambers Williams III is staff automotive columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and former transportation writer for the Star-Telegram. His automotive columns have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@star-telegram.com.

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At a Glance: 2006 Hummer H3 sport utility wagon

The package: Midsize, five-door, five-passenger, five-cylinder, full-time four-wheel-drive, premium sport utility wagon.

Highlights: This is the third line of the Hummer vehicles, adding a smaller and more-affordable alternative to the original military-style H1 and the luxury H2. It is roomy and comfortable for a midsize SUV, and has good ride and handling on the highway, and great off-road utility. It is built on the chassis of the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon midsize pickup.

Negatives: No larger engine is offered for those who need more power for towing. Length: 186.7 inches.

Wheelbase: 111.9 inches.

Height: 74.5 inches.

Width: 74.7 inches.

Curb weight: 4,700 pounds (automatic gearbox).

Engine: 3.5-liter inline five-cylinder.

Power/torque: 220 horsepower/225 foot-pounds.

Transmission: Five speed manual (four-speed automatic optional).

Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock.

Cargo volume: 29.5 cubic feet (55.7 with rear seat folded).

Trailer-towing capacity: 4,500 pounds.

Major competitors: Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy/Buick Rainier/Isuzu Ascender, Dodge Durango, Nissan Pathfinder.

EPA fuel economy: 16 miles per gallon city/20 highway (manual); 16 city/19 highway (automatic).

Fuel capacity/type: 23 gallons/unleaded regular.

Base price: $28,935 plus $565 transportation.

Price as tested: $33,059 including transportation and options (automatic transmission model).

On the Road rating: ***** (five stars out of five).

Prices quoted are manufacturer’s suggested retail; actual selling price may vary due to manufacturer and/or dealer discounts, incentives or rebates, if any.