maxg Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Boy did we have some fun. Tony borrowed a Hummer (H2) from a friend of his that happens to import the things into Greece. They are unbelievably expensive over here (about $135,000) - and I am still not quite sure how he did it - but we had the thing for the weekend and we did - some serious off-roading!!! As off-roaders go this thing is out on its own. I have owned a series off SUV's from small (Suzuki Vitara) to large (Land Rover Discovery 2) but nothing like this. 6 litre engine, wheels and tires the size of a kid's merri-go-round and the width of a wide bodied jet. Infinite torque. It is not exactly designed for narrow Athenian streets and there are many we simply could not fit down - but on highways and off them (!) it is staggeringly good. Very comfy - very quiet - you hardly know you have left the road. The biggest surprise - it is so easy to drive. Getting used to the size took me about 20 minutes but once that is done the thing is quite managable thanks to its really good turning circle (easier to weave in and out of traffic than my Chryster Stratus Cabrio). Parking is not its forte - finding somewhere to put it was a challenge as Greek parking spaces are for rather smaller vehicles, but we managed. My conclusion is that you would have to be totally insane to own one over here - but long live insanity say I. Best toy I ever played with! Attached is the picture - remember it was showroom clean when we picked it up!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmboydoug Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Hey Max, how did you like the bose stereo system in the H2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 Hey Max, how did you like the bose stereo system in the H2? We weren't really concentrating on the sound - but it was playing in background most of the time with Tony's dreadful RAP and such. It did not impress from the scant attention we paid it. The Bose system in my little A160 Merc is better - and that is crap too. Actually the best system in a car that I have heard - that is standard - is in the Chrysler. It comes with 4 very large speakers, a separate 100 wpc amp under the front passenger seat and a 6 CD changer in the trunk. From memory the speakers are infinities. The whole thing was designed for the car specifically and meant to be loud enough to hear the music when you have the roof down. Quality wise it is certainly well ahead of either of the Bose systems I have heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Max, You are the only person I've ever known who drove a Hummer off road! What a novel idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Max, you dirty man you! Messing up that man's nice H2 like that. Looks like a blast! Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 DD, Funny you should say that - just reading my own comments I hardly mentioned the off-road stuff... Suffice to say it is amazing where the tarmac ends. We did mountains and we did beaches (actually we did some sea too - about half way up the doors). The ground clearance is enormous and we went over boulders like they werent even there. It was probably at its worst on the soft sand - although we pulled through once we figured out how to switch into low gear mode (it seems you have to be in neutral to do this - a drawback as stopping on wet sand is something of a leap of faith). The problem is that large as the tires are the H2 is just too heavy for serious sanding. My old little Suzuki (2 litre) would fly across sand and one of its claims to fame was pulling a stranded Land Rover out (on skinny tires - the moron!!) Anyway - once we had the diff-lock figured the H2 did amazingly well - although it was fairly loathed to turn when the sand got heavy - it took full lock to get out of a rut of our own making. I would never spend this kind of money on a car (although I understand it is a LOT cheaper over there) and I dont think the environmentalist in me could live with the guilt of ownership - but for a weekend's play it is as much fun as I have had. Frankly - over here I can understand people not going off road in this. When I buy a Jeep I want something that I dont care if it gets dirty/scratched/dented and otherwise manhandled. With this kind of budget I think I would be too scared to risk it. In about 9 months the lease is up on SWMBO's car (hers in name only - she never drives). I am going to get a 2nd hand Cherokee (old type - 4 litre auto if I can find one). IF I get one of those - look out!!! I doubt it will ever hit the tarmac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago_Pete Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Hope you didnt return it looking like that! Great fun I bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 You know, ancient Grecians invented the Hummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 Pete, That picture was taken on Saturday evening - you should have seen the car by Sunday night - but Tony's camera battery ran out so you cant. And yes - that is how we returned it!!!! Actually Tony did whilst I was at work this morning - apparently they took it quite well considering and he stayed with them whilst they cleaned it. It took 2 hours and came up like new. Fini, I had no idea you were a Carchaelogist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago_Pete Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 If you are ever in Chicago, you wont get near my Discovery. Perhaps the wifes Accord, hate that car:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Hell no I enjoy off roading myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Pulling the car over in front of your house doesn't count.[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 $135,000 is almost exactly what a real Hummer will cost you here in the States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieHeartKlipsch Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 You look like a little boy in that car! ! ! J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 But what is more important Julie - I felt like a little boy in that car, a little boy on Christmas morning to be precise. Now where did I put that $135,000 I had lying around here somewhere? Dammit - you can never find these things when you are looking for them. Ah well - easy come easy go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 To pick up where Gilbert left off, for the same money here in the states, you can buy the REAL hummer, not the H2 p.o.s. off road wannabe! If you think you had fun in that overgrown Suburban, you should take a ride in a REAL H1, it will have you turning your shorts brown[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 You can't get those over here unless you are in the military - and 7 years service doesn't quite seem worth it - quite - could be tempted of course.... Anyway - we are hoping to get another play in the H3 - which I understand is a smaller version of what we tried. Sadly - Tony thinks they might not be too keen this time - although I can't figure out why. And let me tell you - for a "suburban" the H2 is not too shabby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Max, it's in those trousers you sent to the cleaners Friday, remember? Michael[6] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 You can't get those over here unless you are in the military - and 7 years service doesn't quite seem worth it - quite - could be tempted of course.... Anyway - we are hoping to get another play in the H3 - which I understand is a smaller version of what we tried. Sadly - Tony thinks they might not be too keen this time - although I can't figure out why. And let me tell you - for a "suburban" the H2 is not too shabby. The H1V is not the military version, quite far from it actually. But the H1 is consideralbly, no, lets say, significantly more agile and torquey than either the H2 (GM Yukon/Tahoe) or new H3 variants looky-likey's. The H1V is the only vehicle with underpinnings related to the Military Hummer. The H2 and H3 are GM's cash cows for the Look At Me crowd, but in all honesty, their off road worthyness falls way, way, way short of the compotition, i.e. Pre-Ford Owned Land Rover Range Rover, Toyota's FJ100, or Mercedes G Class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted December 6, 2005 Author Share Posted December 6, 2005 You can't get those over here unless you are in the military - and 7 years service doesn't quite seem worth it - quite - could be tempted of course.... Anyway - we are hoping to get another play in the H3 - which I understand is a smaller version of what we tried. Sadly - Tony thinks they might not be too keen this time - although I can't figure out why. And let me tell you - for a "suburban" the H2 is not too shabby. The H1V is not the military version, quite far from it actually. But the H1 is consideralbly, no, lets say, significantly more agile and torquey than either the H2 (GM Yukon/Tahoe) or new H3 variants looky-likey's. The H1V is the only vehicle with underpinnings related to the Military Hummer. The H2 and H3 are GM's cash cows for the Look At Me crowd, but in all honesty, their off road worthyness falls way, way, way short of the compotition, i.e. Pre-Ford Owned Land Rover Range Rover, Toyota's FJ100, or Mercedes G Class. Oh OK then - never heard of that version - and it has not been imported here. I had a post ford Discovery and I do not think it was better in the soft stuff than the H2 although it was better in the corners on tarmac (thanks to that clever self leveling rear suspension). The military here did use the Merc jeep until recently but I think that they are now moving to the Hummer - but I have no idea which version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.