2009 HUMMER H3T

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability
• Photos & Videos

Performance - What the Auto Press Says

Most reviewers think that buyers will be pleased with the H3T's performance, so long as they keep in mind that it is an off-road machine first and a comfortable cruiser second. While poor gas mileage and truck-like handling are concerns on the pavement, off-road, reviewers say the H3T has no peer.

• "On the highway, acceleration is healthy. Driving on 128, along the Colorado River, the H3T felt a lot like a truck. " -- Jalopnik
• "It makes both a great highway cruiser and off-road explorer, which is a hard combination to achieve." -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• it crawled up rock steps, ran through sand washes, and navigated steep ledges with confidence and capability to spare. " -- Motor Trend
• "The H3T may ride better than its SUV sibling due to its longer wheelbase, but the dead steering, archaic transmission, and secondary chassis vibrations clearly show that there are better options if you're looking for on-road drivability." -- Automobile Magazine

Acceleration and Power

The 2009 H3T comes with a choice of two engines.  The first is a 3.7 liter five cylerder engine that makes 241 pound feet of torque at 4600 rpm, and 239 horsepower at 5600 rpm. The larger engine is on the H3T Alpha and is a 5.3 liter V8 that makes 320 pound feet or torque at 4000 rpm, and 300 horsepower at 5200 rpm. A five speed manual transmission is standard with the five cylinder engine and a four speed automatic is optional.  With the V8, the automatic transmission is standard.

Fuel economy is a concern for both engines.  When equipped with the automatic transmission, the EPA estimates that the five cylinder engine nets 14 miles per gallon in the city and 18 on the highway, while the V8 gets an estimated 13 miles per gallon in the city and 16 on the highway.

Most reviewers test drove H3Ts with V8 engines and recommend it over the five cylinder.  However, those that drove the five cylinder were impressed by its gear ratios and off road performance, if not its on-road chops.

• "Besides its shorter transfer case, the five-cylinder's pickup only comes with a 4.56 final drive ratio. That's a big help when offroading at low speeds, but a tremendous efficiency and power challenge when the truck is traveling more than 55 mph. If you're driving long distances in a five-cylinder H3T with the Adventure Package, leave plenty of time to enjoy the trip." -- PickupTrucks.com
• "At low speeds with the inline-5, there is sufficient punch to handle the cut and thrust of city driving. But when faced with freeway merging and inclines, the 2009 Hummer H3T grows winded, a result of its insufficient power for the vehicle's 4,900 pounds and bricklike aerodynamic efficiency. The H3T Alpha fares better. Throttle response is crisper with the V8 and it pulls harder through the midrange, but again, due to the considerable mass at hand, it's not the massive transformation one might expect." -- Edmunds
• "On long grades, the [V8] did as we expected, pulling the additional weight confidently and without protest. The rig with the five-cylinder i-5 still required pegging the tach and quick shifts to keep up." -- 4-Wheel & Off-Road
• We tested the H3T Alpha with the V-8 that has no trouble moving the 5,000-pound vehicle. Abundant pep, but the mileage rating is only 13 city / 16 highway" -- Chicago Tribune
• "The H3T Alpha, which we tested, is powered by GM's 5.3-liter, 300-horsepower, 321lb-ft. of torque V8. It offers pulling power of up to 4,400 lbs of towing capability. It's a refined engine, for sure, but one that we wish had an active fuel management system to shut off cylinders while cruising on the highway." -- Left Lane News

Handling and Braking

Several reviewers note that the H3T handled better than they expected it to.  Still, on road, many report that there are more comfortable and easy to live with daily drivers.

• "Given the ride height and center of gravity, this thing actually handles pretty well. The massive sway bars in the front and back help cornering a lot and the new steering gearing (16:1, 3 1/8 lock-to-lock) made parking and general driving pretty easy." -- Jalopnik
• "That off-road suspension can be a little jumpy on clear roads."-- Chicago Tribune
• "Given this off-road capability, the H3T performs admirably on pavement, with decent stability at speed. The ride is surprisingly smooth and belies the H3's tough-truck nature. But we would still advise you to steer clear of the H3T if you never intend to take it off the beaten path." -- Edmunds
• "As we pulled out of the hotel parking lot onto the paved road for a brief route to the trails, we were quickly reminded why Hummer chose to take us off-road for the majority of our drive." -- Automobile Magazine

Off-Roading

While some reviewers say that the H3T leaves something to be desired on road, several say that no other pickup can match it off-road.

• "Getting a chance to off-road a Hummer is a special treat, and doing it on the "Hell's Revenge" trail in Moab, UT is nothing short of heaven." -- Jalopnik
• "On the trail, our immediate thought was that the 134-inch wheelbase would require a football stadium to do a U-turn. However, the engineering team was two steps ahead of us with a tight-ratio steering box that almost makes turns as tightly as the shorter H3." -- 4-Wheel & Off-Road
• Rock-crawling, climbing and stream-fording seem to be second nature with the H3T."
• "The result is a vehicle that can climb 16 inches vertically and ford through streams up to 24 inches. The short front and rear overhangs allow for a severe angle of attack that sees the H3T crawling down into holes and back out again without getting hung up." -- Left Lane News
• "The H3T was impressive on the trail where we found that the combination of rock rails and skidplating allowed the extra long T to slide over tough terrain without damage. . . "New for 2009 across the entire H3 line is one thing we have been asking for, an electronic front locker to complement the rear locker. This makes the credible H3 platform as good as anything out there when the going gets rough." -- Four Wheeler