I always laughed at people with H2s that thought they were bad ass
and had no idea they were pretty much just driving a boxy suburban that cost $20k more.
That is a very common misconception. I have a book on the H2 and it's development. AM General told GM that "if you're not in to it to do a true Hummer, we can't do a deal".
GM was just launching the GMT-800 trucks and were very proud of what they had. GM thought they could just base the H2 on this platform and call it a day. AM General was a bit more skeptical.
Both companies took vehicles to an off road park outside Lexington Kentucky. AM General brought some diesel powered H1s, GM had a fleet of their GMT-800 products including the as-yet-launched Tahoe/Yukon (this is around 1999). While both sets of vehicles made it through the course, when it came time to rinse the vehicles off, the AM Generals had ZERO body damage...the GMT-800s had $400, $500, $600 worth of body damage.
To make the deal, AM General told GM that their vehicle would have to be able to return to the same course and not sustain any body damage.
According to the book, the H2 only shared about 40% of content with the other GMT-800 vehicles (most of that was probably in the interior).
The H2 had three transfer case settings, two rear differential settings, and two traction control options. Add to that the air ride rear suspension with the ability to raise the rear up to two inches and the fact that all running gear and underside "stuff" was mounted either above or flush with the frame rails and it was a pretty capable off roader.
I wish GM would have offered that trick rear diff to a Tahoe or something...or even the trucks.
Some good, some are not.
(Yes, I know I'm safe with that one... 
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