1997 AM Common Hummer: Full Metallic Racket

From the June 1997 subject of Automotive and Driver.

Do not look now, however the wood-and-leather-lined halls of luxurious sport­-ute-dom have been invaded by a ruffian. It is an unsightly, uncul­tured, loud, smelly brute totally missing in social graces. This four-wheel-drive automobile was not conceived as a taking pictures brake for swells on safari (though loads of outgoing ordnance has been fired off its flanks). Nor does it put on a haughty German or Japanese nameplate.

No, this social climber climbed proper off the battlefield, hosed off, turned into civvies, and rolled onto Rodeo Drive. In fact, we’re speaking about AM Common’s Hummer, the vehicular star of the Gulf Warfare, roughly 7000 of which have now been bought sporting civilian colours. The primary two Hummers we examined (C/D, July 1992 and June 1995) had been such disagreeable and unwieldy conveyances on pavement that we naturally assumed they might be bought primarily to people who meant to make use of them to roam their 1000-acre estates or go exploring for oil or per­haps to invade weak neighboring counties.

However AM Common’s personal market analysis confirms that poseurs are shopping for the lion’s share of this sport-ute, too. Forty-two % of its consumers are recognized in market lingo by AM Common as “discerners.” These connoisseurs of tremendous wine, artwork, and journey are least excited about taking the Hummer off-road. One other 28 %—described as “conquerors”—worth the exclusivity of the Hummer and the eye it will get over its tech­nical deserves. Solely 25 % of householders—referred to as “realists” and “adventurers”—declare to have bought the Hummer pri­marily for its off-road skills. (The rest are bought for business responsibility.)

Has the Hummer been thor­oughly domesticated prior to now two years, or are most consumers simply nuts? To seek out out, we spent every week in a 1997 Hummer.

As soon as once more, our check automobile was a four-passenger hardtop mannequin priced at $63,827 to begin (that is up from $44,000 in 1992). The preferred mannequin is the wagon, which begins at $67,111. The fundamental two-passenger mannequin is yours for as little as $52,597. Should-have choices—like central tire inflation and deflation, a winch, and driveline skid plating—can add up shortly, as our $84,502 sticker attests.

A brand new 6.5-liter turbo-diesel engine tailored from those who energy GM’s new full-size vans has been added to the choices checklist at a value of $4523. It makes 195 horse­energy at its 3400-rpm redline and 430 pound-feet of torque at 1800 rpm. A 170-horsepower, 290-pound-­foot, 6.5-liter usually aspirated diesel engine is customary. The 5.7-liter fuel engine has been dropped. The turbocharger resides within the valley on the rear of the engine, which permits this turbo-diesel to suit between the Hum­mer’s slim body rails, in contrast to these diesels with facet­-mounted turbos. The engine begins shortly (after a 10-second pause spent ready for the glow plugs to heat the precham­bers) however clatters like a giant rig. Attending to 60 mph takes 15.2 seconds, an enchancment from 18.1 within the gasoline-powered Hummer and 21.7 within the outdated 6.2-liter diesel. Now, hurtling towards freeway velocity feels prefer it takes only a week as a substitute of a month. High velocity has risen to a very hair-raising 88 mph. We managed to get solely 9 miles to the gallon, however a brand new 17-gallon auxiliary gasoline tank extends the vary previous 350 miles.

Different enhancements embrace the addi­tion of a fresh-air consumption scoop and rear exhaust vents that enhance climate-con­trol airflow by 15 %, and a brand new electrically heated windshield. These upgrades had been aimed toward assuaging an inside fog­ging drawback in winter driving. The issue stays. If the temperature drops under 40 levels Fahrenheit, you could frequently reset the timed electrical defrosters and endure the din of the defroster blower on full blast to protect entrance and rear visibility. The facet home windows will nonetheless fog up.

A brand new sound-insulation package deal re­duces inside noise a bit in contrast with earlier diesel Hummers (the fuel mannequin was quieter), however dialog with the distant passengers over the 83-dBA racket at 70 mph nonetheless entails some hollering. Lastly, the seats have been redesigned for improved sturdiness and luxury, however they nonetheless produce saddle sores throughout lengthy stints on the wheel, and lateral area is proscribed for these broad of beam.

Nothing about driving a Hummer on the pavement is extremely nice apart from its potential to intimidate fellow motorists. The steering wheel looks like a loop of metal rebar coated with foam rubber, and it transmits not a jot of details about the highway floor. Flip the wheel in any respect shortly, and you might be instantly reminded of Sir Isaac Newton’s principle on the resistance of a 7580-pound brick to alter course. Take to a freeway off-ramp at something above the posted velocity, and the tall truck tires—good for simply 0.63 g—will first understeer like they had been product of piano wire after which all of the sudden lean over, leading to a queasy squirm off the meant line. Beefy suspension bits can all the time be heard clunking and banging round far beneath the motive force’s seat, and so they transmit loads of pothole really feel. One’s view of the correct lane isn’t nice, which makes passing and merging a bit tough, and the flat facet glass displays disconcerting full-size vir­tual pictures of site visitors passing on the oppo­web site facet of the automobile. Equally, your complete windshield turns into a rearview mirror at night time.

Having duly famous all these goal criticisms, we organized a particular closing check: a poseur’s night out to dinner and the theater within the Hummer. One in all our friends, sporting a De Wolfe unique mink coat, grumbled in regards to the undignified climb into the again seat, however as soon as aboard she was fairly blissful. On the way in which to the restaurant, we spied some mild rolling mounds of frozen earth in a subdivision that was beneath building. “Let me present you what this factor is basically designed to do,” I heard the “discerner/conqueror” in me boast. I mentally plotted a course throughout a small dry pile of filth close to the highway and headed towards it, not listening to the “adventurer/realist” inside, counseling me to first reconnoiter the trail on foot.

As quickly because the entrance wheels left the curb, they plunged by way of what seemed like terra firma from the motive force’s perch into a bit of ice-crusted ditch. I gave it a bit of throttle, however the wheels simply spun. We had traveled exactly one foot off the highway and gotten caught. I engaged low vary, locking the middle differential, and pressed a splash­-mounted swap to deflate the tires to fifteen psi. Then I utilized a little bit of energy in reverse. Extra mudslinging ensued, sans motion. The passengers had been trying involved. The rear tires could not grip the snowy pavement, and the fronts had been almost hub-deep in moist mud. “I am not pushing!” declared our nonplused mink-slung passenger. After 5 minutes spent gently rocking the mighty Hummer backwards and forwards and sawing on the wheel to keep away from deepening my ruts, the king of off-road automobiles managed to free itself.

Our social climber spent the length of the weekend conquering Michigan’s semi-pavement, and we had our reply: 70 % of Hummer consumers are nuts.