My wife currently has a 2006 H3 and I am thinking about replacing it with a -08 Alpha, is there anything specific I should be looking at, known problems etc?

 

I have an 08 Alpha and it just turned over 20k and at this point I've had no trouble!

 

I have had my 08 Alpha since new. Only one big issue, ECM crashed. It was replaced under warranty. The 08 Alphas also tend to run a little hot at low speed in high temperatures. Still within parameters but higher than many people like. I have run mine in the Mojave Desert many times and not had the operating temp be a problem. Run hotter than I like but not an issue. I have 60,000 miles on mine.

 

the heat problem is not a problem since I live in Sweden, on many US cars brought over here the temp runs to low for the engine so this would actually be a good thing

 

HMMM mine runs a little hot at lows speeds too.....anyway sticking to the thread....you will not be sorry....I have nearly 80K on mine and not a problem yet.

 

I have a 2010 Alpha since new.

About 6k miles on the clock and zero issues so far.

Your going to love the V8.

 

My wife and I had 2 different '06's. Loved them both (the second one was involved in a horrific crash---see my album). We bought an '08 Alpha after the wreck. WOW, do we love the Alpha. No substitute for the V8. Only problem we had was not a quality issue from GM. We had the roof marker light system installed and one of the terminals got bent on the terminal block when it was reinstalled. Straightened out the terminal and haven't had any problems at all since. We just rolled over 33k this weekend.

 

We bought my 2010 in January of this year. It had 9k miles on it. It now has almost 13k. I love my truck. The V8 engine is perfect and has much more power especially for freeway or highway driving.

Not one single problem and it was the best decision I ever made and will never regret doing so. (despite my user name - which is annoying - sorry)

I am due for the first servicing soon.

I have never had so much fun with a vehicle before. Even my husband loves driving it. Although he is afraid to be the one to get the first dreaded ding.

A while back we had rented an H3 for a cross country trip to see if it was a good ride. It was not the V8 and had issues driving up hilly areas or highways and trying to gain enough speed to pass a truck. But, it was the most comfortable ride we ever had.

 

Yes when trading an I-5 for an Alpha 5.3L there will be the danger of having an uncontrollable smile everyday when you turn the key and it comes to life as well as when you experience the absence of wild rpm's and shifting down constantly and automatically on gradual or steep grades.

 

Couldn't agree more about the uncontrollable smile. My wife and I comment almost every time we're in the Alpha about how much more solid and powerful it feels compared to the I-5's we had. Not a big difference in mpg either, which was/is a pleasant surprise.