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Most sport utility vehicles never venture off-road, in fact, many can not handle harsher terrain than can be found between a suburban garage and the mall parking lot.
This isn't the case with the Hummer H2.
While the H2 is happy filling the pedestrian role of urban conveyance, its competitive differentiators include extreme offroading prowess and military-- inspired styling. At first blush, the H2 struck me as an overweight toy for professional athletes and rap stars. I was wrong. For a handful of uniquely SUV related tasks, it is the best tool for the job.
My first five miles in the H2 were an uninspiring drive from Gunbarrel into Boulder. One must come to terms with the H2's size on the road and make sure to prudently plan their braking maneuvers in this 6,400-pound urban personnel carrier. Five stoplights, three left turns and two right turns later I had piloted the monster into my work parking lot. The H2 requires large parking spots, which are not always readily available in Boulder.
Then, late that first evening, Dan Sawyer, president of Brock USA in Boulder (who is an accomplished off-roader), and I took the H2 off-road, very off-road. We started our adventure at the base of Flagstaff Road, and we drove up the entire mountain at a brisk pace.
Out on the more open road, devoid of, other motorists, the H2 performed well, handling the uphill incline and even the curves with a cool composure that you never would expect from a vehicle weighing more than three tons. The H2...