That's great info. Pretty to close to my situation, I will be leaving lots of power behind, but it seems like it wont be that bad! And the two vehicles have two different purposes so..... my 2500 doesnt have 69:1 in 4-lo!

Your right on the 3%, I am struggling to find one to test drive before I place an order for one. I don't think I can find a manual with adventure package without ordering it. I am currently waiting the dealers best price on the order, I'll update when that comes in.

 

Yeah, I wanted the manual with the adventure package. Luckily I got the sunroof too, but I had the chrome package with it . I did find some black wheels and with the snugtop, I love the look of my T.

 

I concur with what appears to be the general consensus here. MT with the 3.7 is superior to AT (driven both, own MT), and has sufficient power to get the job done - especially at high revs.

I've never been wont for power during highway driving, but I don't have a heavy foot and I tend to go with the flow of traffic. At speed, highway driving, passing etc is no problem, but sometimes requires a downshift to 4th. Btw, I frequently get much closer to 400m/tank on mixed city/highway driving using a conservative throttle/shifting approach (on the '33s).

As an anecdote, I've driven the my H3T between DC and Charlotte, NC using the I81/I77 corridor. Just north of the VA/NC border, there is a long grade on I77 at Fancy Gap, VA running from the Piedmont up into the Blue Ridge Mountains. The grade climbs 1500 ft over six miles with a grade not exceeding 4.5%. Not the steepest thing in the world, but it's a long uphill climb that seems to challenge semis and econoboxes alike.

My 3.7 MT handles this climb in fifth easily (cruising), or would handle it in fifth if it weren't for idiots in the passing lane. To accelerate from a cruise, or in the far more common case of regaining momentum following idiot interference, dropping it into 4th is normally sufficient. I've had to use 3rd where I've lost all momentum thanks to the idiots in the left lane.

Similarly, on the same trip and route, there is a 600ft/3.5m climb (est) just north of Blacksburg, VA at Brush Harbor. The climb is not a consistent one, and some stretches are steeper than others. Again, not the most daunting climb in the world, but it is also a challenge to semis and econoboxes alike. 3.7MT handles it without much effort (I remember having to keep my old Saturn pipsqueak I4 at something like 4k RPM to keep her moving up this climb at 70mph).

I think mattreese really nailed it. The Duramax and many other powerplants are going to win in a street fight, but that's not what the H3T is built for. If you really value the street fighter edge, then hold out for the Alpha or keep the diesel. If your pragmatic like me and you want to strike a balance between cost/efficiency/capability, I think you could be very happy with 3.7MT, IMHO.

 

Sold! I-5 MT it is. Thanks for the detail, it was more than enough to convince me. On-road was my only concern with the power.

The search begins!!!