ROAD WARRIORS HUMMER OWNERS WILL PAY HIGH GAS BILL FOR COOL, COMFORT, 'PRESENCE' ON ROAD.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Nine miles to the gallon? No problem.

The Hummer H2's calling card is its juggernaut-like ability to push through any obstacle: rocks, rivers, even record gas prices. Its Vortec 6.0 liter, V-8 engine can run its way to fuel bills topping $2,000 annually, lugging a chassis that weighs more than three tons.

Yet the eye-catching sport utility vehicle's sales continue to thunder along, despite gas prices that reach new heights in Los Angeles nearly every day. According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, a gallon of regular, which the Hummer carries 32 of in its full tank, hit a record of $2.161 on Tuesday.

``You'll get eight to 12 miles to the gallon,'' said Christine Lobel, a saleswoman for Hummer of Sherman Oaks. ``And on a really, really good day, with the wind blowing behind you, going downhill with the A/C off, maybe you'll get 13. You won't be buying this for the fuel economy.''

Lobel might know the Hummer's economy, but the average shopper won't - because of their 6,400-pound weight, they're classified as heavy trucks and thus exempt from mileage reporting standards. Their window information sheets merely read 'not applicable' under miles per gallon. Though unlike many premium SUVs they use regular gas, they require huge amounts to top off. The H2 boasts a 32-gallon tank, more than the Chevrolet Suburban's 31 gallons, the Lincoln Navigator's 28 gallons, or the Range Rover's 26.4 gallons.

But shoppers, whatever their reasons, are buying the massive wagons. At Lobel's dealership, which leads the country in sales, they've rolled off the lot at an average rate of 65 each month since their arrival on the marketplace last July. With a base price of $48,455, far below its predecessor's $116,000 price tag, they've become a major revenue generator for local vendors.

Sona Hamassian, a Calabasas office manager, traded in her Suburban for a blazing yellow H2 - close to the color worn by her beloved Lakers. She's slogged through snow on four ski trips and its larger-than-life looks have made it a family favorite.

``They're cute, yet luxurious inside, and they're just cool,'' she said, running errands at The Commons at Calabasas. ``We needed a four-wheel-drive since we go to Mammoth and I needed it for shopping since there's so much space. When you go to Costco, where are you going to put all your stuff?''

Though General Motors, which manufactures the military spin-off in its South Bend, Ill., plant, announced an overall production cutback this month, the Hummer won't be touched.

``Our sales have been very consistent - we're running overtime in the plant to build enough to build up our supply,'' said Heather Hall, a Hummer spokeswoman. ``Los Angeles is our number one market - it's the income. The vehicle resonates with people there. They buy it because of its unique styling and the handling.''

Described as a cross between the Suburban and the Tahoe, with its progenitor Hummer H1 mixed in as well, the truck definitely boasts a striking look. Available in vivid shades of yellow and red, its roof sits 6 feet, 8 inches off the ground - so tall Hamassian had to find a new parking space so she could fit in her company's garage.

Bumper to bumper, its four-door frame stretches more than 15 feet and though lauded for its off-road prowess, most drivers don't strap in to plow through the mud.

``I'd have to say the larger percentage of our customers aren't off-road specialists,'' said Jerrold Whitmore, the Sherman Oaks dealership's sales manager. ``This might entice them to become off-roaders, but if you're going to have an SUV, why not have the latest, greatest, biggest, baddest machine out there? That's what people are interested in.''

Elvis Hong, an Encino resident whose family owns a health food business, test-drove a black H2 with Lobel, looking for a vacation vehicle to take skiing. Though he likes his Porsche Boxster, the roadster doesn't have enough room for long hauls.

``I'm ready to change my car,'' he said. ``I like these looks better, because it's so distinctive. I was thinking of getting a Mini Cooper, so I could have something really small and something really big.''

Most dealers report Hummers selling not as primary vehicles, but as fourth or fifth additions to personal fleets. With that many cars sitting in the garage, auto analyst Chris Cedergren of Thousand Oaks-based Nextrend doubts the spiking prices at the pump will have any effect on future sales.

``In general, since the sport utility phenomenon, gas prices have never had any impact on demand,'' he said. ``We've had these upward spikes in recent years and there's been no change at all. Even back in the first oil shock, we didn't see a significant change in demand patterns for vehicles. People didn't shed large cars for small.''

They're not shedding their large SUVs, either, according to Jeff Sammet, general sales manager for Parkway Hummer in Valencia.

``I don't think any Hummer dealers are seeing that,'' Sammet said. ``We met (last) Tuesday and no one had any problems. It's still so new and exciting, and there's such a small supply for them, we don't have any problems. Every dealer's sold as many as he can get.''

What could get people to alter their habits, Cedergren said, would be a change in availability. With rationing or lines at gas stations, Hummerheads might trade down for more-efficient wheels, but he figures most will think more about the heads they turn on Ventura Boulevard than their gas bill.

``The manufacturers want people to think that people buy SUVs for function,'' Cedergren said. ``But it's mostly driven by image, especially in Southern California. People are more self-centered now than ever, even with what's going on in the world. A Hummer shows you're aggressive, that you can go anywhere. It's a fashion statement, so people are buying it because it's cool.''

But while that cool look appeals to drivers, it raises environmentalists' hackles. Bill Corcoran, the Sierra Club's regional representative for Los Angeles, said classifying the Hummer as a heavy truck hoodwinks consumers about how much they'd be spending on gas and the impact the vehicle has on the environment.

``It demonstrates that GM is trying to find ways to sell the illusion that you can continue to look cool while warming the planet,'' he said. ``They don't want people to think about the reality of the car they're buying. Driving a Hummer means you want to make us more dependent on foreign oil. People should think about the legacy that you're leaving to your kids - transferring wealth to foreign countries and increasing global warming.''

Dealers argue that the sturdy sleds bring with them many other key attributes - comfort, room and safety.

``You don't feel like you're driving a little hot rod without a presence in the lane,'' said Ted Driscoll, sales manager for Hummer of Thousand Oaks. ``People want the more protection - if they get the big semi-trucks off the road, people would be more likely to go into more economical, smaller vehicles. I've had several customers who've had accidents and close calls. They simply won't get in a small car again.''

Frederick Chin, chairman of the Malibu-based Hummer Club Inc., owns two 1996 H1s, modified with winches and improved suspension for off-road use. He sees no problems with his gas bill, compared with the fun he gets from crunching through the snow and mud. A run-in with the Hummer's most famous backer got him hooked on the look and he's been crunching trails ever since.

``I almost got run off the road by Arnold Schwarzenegger in one, and that was pretty exciting,'' Chin recalled. ``It's engineered so you could drop it right out of a plane and take all the abuse. There's very little difference between a civilian one and a military one.''

Even with a looming war and a troubled economy, dealers express no fears that their sales will drop.

``We're insulated here in America,'' Whitmore said. ``We don't have war in our back yard, so people have a feeling that we'll go in, beat the bad guys, it'll be over and we'll go on.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Sona Hamassian of Calabasas, who works as an office manager, uses her Hummer H2 to do some shopping.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) Elvis Hong takes a Hummer H2 for a test drive through Sherman Oaks. Sales of the SUV are thriving, despite their gas-guzzling nature.

(3) Christine Lobel, a Hummer of Sherman Oaks saleswoman, talks to Elvis Hong, who came to check out the vehicle.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer