The H3 is a Hummer with Road Manners

The Miami Herald likes the new H3:

This just in: The Hummer beast has been tamed. The monster that many have frowned upon for its size and impracticality has been scaled down and taught to behave well enough for families to drop off their kids at school, fit into a garage and be parked with ease at the mall. And its price fits nicely into the midsize sport-utility segment.

That’s not to say this more gentlemanly Hummer H3 can’t handle the rough stuff. It can — more on that later. But it is to say that this baby Hummer, if you will, is a full 16 inches shorter than the H2, six inches shorter in height and 6.5 inches narrower — that’s about the size of a typical sedan. And, with a 37-foot turning radius, it’s ready to maneuver those sharp bends at school drop-offs and tight parking spaces.

And, equally important, it’s some $20,000 less than No. 2.

By most measures, the H3 is ready to take on its direct competition: the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Highlander. But take note, midsize sport-ute shoppers: The H3 is not for the timid. It’s for those whose conscience says a midsize is the practical way to go but whose heart says I gotta have some of that Hummer beast.

It feels bigger than anything else in the midsize class, from the big, square front hood and fenders to the beefy, thick steering wheel and shifter.

And yet, from the driver’s seat, it feels and handles much like a midsize sport utility vehicle, not like a mammoth Hummer. No worries getting through the toll plaza or navigating past parked cars in the neighborhood without taking off somebody’s sideview mirror.

Heck, it’s even fun to drive. It handles neatly on corners, with little body roll. It is considerably quieter than its big brothers, an issue that apparently was addressed after complaints from Hummer owners.

Read the rest of the review here.