I got this from CNN b/c the word "Prius" is in the story. http://money.cnn.com/2004/10/27/pf/autos/h...er_h3/index.htm
Let's analyse, shall we.... In other words, we've been building dealerships on the premise that everyone would want a Hummer but we were wrong. Please, please, please buy our bohemeths. That's just funny. Well said. I've seen speedbumps upwards of three inches high and there are drops in construction zones that have to be at least six inches. Oddly, I've never seen, in person, a Hummer off-road or even muddy. It goes without saying that I'm simply not impressed. Perhaps FDNY37 can go test drive one for the rest of us and give a report.
lol what a crackup!! i posted a thread yesterday about the new H3 and another news story later the same day when GM announced the layoffs of 9000 from a truck/SUV factory.
Heck, the H2 should be called a "hummer light". Aside from the body style, it's basically just a box on a truck frame. It has nothing of the independant raised suspension of the original hummer that made it such an awesome offroad vehicle. While I at least have SOME time/respect for original hummers (when used in true off-road conditions rather than as suburban assault vehicles), the H2 is a joke.. Dave
Poor babies! I bet they didn't know the H2 would get crap mileage when the bought it. Do the "less affluent" read Money? They might not get this valuable information. If it DOES get 20 MPG, at least it fits the mainstream better. Though I would be curious about a comparison to a similar sized competitor. I was really surprised to see how poorly the H2 stacked up to the Ford Expedition. For all that money and hype, I figured it would spec out as the more functional/versatile vehicle.
In the town in which I grew up, there was a mobile home setting very close to a creek that was prone to overflood. The home was in disrepair and it looked as though no effort had ever been made towards upkeep. However, there was always a bright, shiny, brand new red Ford Mustang parked in the driveway. Granted, I don't know the history, so there might be more to the story. Or not.
I read stories yesterday in my local rag about the H2 "pickup" and the H3. A couple of things struck me. First, the H3 is smaller than it's predecessors--is this a trend? Could it be that at least some of the target consumers are realizing that the H1 and H2 are ridiculously out of place on city streets and highways, and that maybe, just maybe, gas mileage and ease of parking, etc. are important? Or am I just dreaming here...? Second, according to the review I read, the H2 "pickup" model is really fairly useless. The "bed" is not very roomy and is quite high off the ground, making it difficult to use. And this iteration has all of the impracticality of the other H2 model. I say, Good grief, folks, get a clue! If you need/want a pickup, there are literally tens, if not hundreds, of better models to choose from--cheaper, more practically designed, better gas mileage, etc. Is the Hummer going the way of the dodo? Probably not. I'm guessing it will either shrink into semi-practicality or be kept on life support by the very rich and very stupid. IMHO!
the trend to smaller vehicles doesnt really reflect the customer wanting a smaller vehicle. it reflects the fact that consumers want vehicles with better gas mileage. unlike Toyota, the big 3 have yet to figure out an economical way to increase mileage while maintaining size hence the shrinkage of the vehicle. iow, the big 3 are not willing to lose money in an effort to develop a comparably sized vehicle to what they have now that gets better gas mileage because it would involve a complete redesign of the vehicle from the ground up. (ioow, what Toyota did to get to the Prius we have now) it is apparent to me that they are willing to let Toyota do all the work, then reverse engineer the Prius (which nearly every car manufacturer freely admits having done) then figure out a way to get around the patents on the Prius to produce a half-assed thing that resembles quality and original thinking.
