The interior appointments in the Hombre are about mid-level. The cloth
upholstery is decent, the sunvisors extend for extra protection against
glare and there are two additional 12-volt power outlets to run a cellular
phone, radar detector or other accessories.
Legroom and headroom for the driver and right-side passenger are adequate,
except the passenger's footwell has an unfortunate hump we've come to know
and hate in other GM-engineered products that accommodates the catalytic
converter.
The design of the Spacecab's split folding front bench seat may discourage
people from sitting in the middle. The cushion, in the center, is shorter
to make space for a dual cupholder that's built into the forward edge of
the seat. When the small, center backrest is folded forward it acts as
a center armrest, so the cupholders make sense. But if someone is forced
to ride in the center, that person won't have either a full backrest or
a full cushion, and his or her knees will be over the cupholder.
Behind the front seats of the Spacecab there's a fairly flat floor,
so stowing toolboxes or luggage should be easy. In the rear wall of the
cab there's a handy compartment that houses the jack and tools.
We have one gripe about the rear of the Hombre's cabin: the side-facing,
fold-down rear seats are uncomfortable and awkward for adults and children.
This same gripe applies to many extended-cab trucks, including Chevy and
GMC compact pickups, Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series pickups. We prefer
a simple, forward-facing rear bench seat, even if it is small, because
it makes a much better spot for briefcases and other items.
The Hombre feels like a truck, rather than a car with a big box in back.
With that in mind, we'll say that it rides and drives like a truck and
would never confuse anyone in a blindfold test into thinking it's a luxury
sedan. While the ride motions are predictably truck-like when empty, we
wouldn't expect it to be much better unless the cargo box was carrying
a heavy load.
The Spacecab we drove had a wheelbase of 122.9 inches, and it should
ride nicer than the shorter regular cab version with its 108.3-inch wheelbase.
Not to say this is bad, mind you, because even the most truck-like of today's
pickups would put many a car of the fairly recent past to shame. But, in
today's terms, the Hombre is a tool for hauling things and getting the
job done.
Handling is predictable and without surprises. Steering feel is about
average and the Hombre goes where it's pointed. Driving it around town
or down the freeway is easy, but it's unlikely to be a vehicle in which
you search out the long way home just because the roads are more fun.
We'll give the Hombre a big gold star for the 4.3-liter V6 engine. It
makes good power and the torque band is very useable, so there's plenty
of punch to get you going. Acceleration is peppy, and it feels as if it
wouldn't really have much trouble dealing with a loaded cargo box or a
5,000-pound trailer.