I've said it it before, I'll say it it again, and I'm sure I'll be ignored and not believed. The "lack of power" of the I5 is misleading. I went from a 5.3 Silverado 4X4 to my H3. The H3 "feels" lots slower, but there are things to keep in mind. The H3 is AWD. You're not going to do burnouts with it. And when I finally "draged" my buddies Z71 I was surprized how well the H3 kept up. I was not blown away. But as they say, perception is reality. I know the the Alpha has more power but not enough to justify the current price. I'd buy a used H2 first.In the end whatever you decide, you still got a Hummer.

 

passing on the interstate with the 3.5L I5 was a chore, as was making quick movements that require a jump in speed...this was a big factor for me upgrading into the Alpha

I also test drove an H2- to me it felt sluggish vs. the Alpha. Now I like H2s, I actually think they look better, but after that test drive and the fact that I wouldn't be able to park in city ramps (or even get into them) would hinder me so I went with the Alpha

 

True That! I had a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 6 Cyl. and my i5 H3 would smoke it. It has more HP and gets better gas milage. For an SUV it has plenty of pick up! I test drove the Alpha (it sounds great) and it was a LITTLE more zippy, but not enough to warrant the extra $$$. The only reason I could think of for getting the Alpha is towing. The i5 rocks off road. The only other engine I would want would be a turbo diesel.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not Alpha "hate'n". What I am trying to point out is that the Alpha only has about 50 hp on the I5. You can almost get that much more out of an I5. The Alpha does have about 80 ft/lbs on the I5, but gives up some of that advantage when you go from 4.56 gears to 4.11's. Now if they would offer the Alpha with 4.56 gears and the 4.01 transfer case I'd be interested. Well if gas wasn't $3.00 a gallon, cause then the Alpha would get H2 mpg. About 12 on the highway.

 

A Question to Black_Impala:- Does your Hummer have any modifications? It seems to be much quicker than mine as mine feelssluggish compared to my Jeep V8 I had?

Ok I did not buy it for speed and LOVE THE HUMMER TO BITS as its attitude says it all!!!
But passing other cars I sometimes wish I did just had a little more power!

 

None yet, but many on here have done the PCMforless mod. It seems to help out a lot. There are lots of threads on the subject. All I can say about the Jeep is "seat of the pants" comparisons are rarely acurate. Example.... a gocart at 20 mph feels like your flying, and a H3 at 30 mph feels like your sitting still.

 

I bit the bullet and got the Alpha. I love it the power is perfect for it. I have plenty of passing power and can get off the line with ease. I would personally go alpha. Get what you will be happy with, thats the important thing. The extra 58 horsepower and 78 ft lbs of torque make a world of difference! Totally worth the extra money.

Later
Alpha

 

alpha, what color and options did you go with? any pics?

thx!

lil d

NEVERMIND! i found your newby thread. sweet ride!

 

I think there's a common thread in all of these Alpha vs. I5 discussions. Alpha people would never get anything but the Alpha, and most I5 owners are happy with their I5s. (Some of us are never happy, always want more[8D]).

The only power issue that drove me crazy on my I5 was the shift points on my automatic. Yes, passing on the highway sucked - until I got the pcmforless tune. The tune, airaid and catback exhaust make a big difference, the tune being the biggest one. The Alpha wasn't out when I got my I5 but I can't see upgrading. The extra 1000s of $ just isn't worth it to me but seems to be worth it to every Alpha owner.

So really the theme to all of these is - everyone loves their H3 regardless of engine. The Alpha may be worth the money, I was already stretching just to get my I5.
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well said, alrock!