Overview & Reviews

Few vehicles are as instantly recognizable as a Hummer SUV. Unapologetically boxy and impossibly wide, these rugged vehicles were originally built for military use, and it shows. For Hummer aficionados, the fact that these mammoth rock-crawlers are tank-like both in appearance and nature is a selling point, not a flaw. Go to a Hummer dealer and all you'll see are SUVs. There is no such thing as a Hummer car, at least not yet.

The Hummer brand can actually trace its roots back to another military icon -- the Jeep. Designed by the Willys-Overland company in the 1940s, the Jeep became so popular that when Henry J. Kaiser purchased the Willys-Overland company in 1953, the name was changed to Kaiser-Jeep. In 1970, American Motors bought Kaiser-Jeep and renamed it the Jeep Corporation. At that point, Jeep was producing vehicles through two divisions: the Commercial Products division in Toledo, Ohio, and the Government Products division in South Bend, Indiana.

A year later, the Government Products division was spun off as a wholly owned subsidiary known as AM General. In the early 1980s, the company, now owned by the LTV Corporation, designed a vehicle to compete for a contract offered by the U.S. Army. Called the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee, as it came to be known), it was designed to serve as the military's main light tactical vehicle. AM General won a 1983 production contract (the first of many with the U.S. Army) that required the delivery of 55,000 vehicles over a five-year period.

AM General's Humvees distinguished themselves in active duty during the Persian Gulf War in the early '90s. The vehicle's wartime prowess garnered a great deal of positive publicity, and not just within military circles. As a result, AM General (now under the ownership of the Renco Group) decided to introduce a civilian version of the Humvee, dubbed the Hummer, in 1992. In 1999, General Motors bought the rights to the Hummer brand name and became responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of future Hummer SUVs.

The original Hummer, called the H1, was sold for a few years as the brand's flagship vehicle. Production ended after 2006, but Hummer has been expanding its vehicle lineup to include vehicles that still possess the Hummer bravado but with more civilized road manners.

User Reviews:

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  giant piece of junk - 2006 Hummer H3
  By lodown - June 7 - 2:44 am

  Bought this pre-owned at 5 years old. Conveniently everything started going down the drain at that point. Stupid things would break like the door... couldnt open the driver door from the inside. Sunroof leaks, passenger will randomly get quite soaked. It seemed like every week something would go wrong. Key fob just doesnt work... tried changing the battery..nothing. One day I tried to go to work and the truck locked me in park! Couldnt move the vehicle! Extremely unreliable. One day hazard lights just turned on its own and wouldnt turn off. Cant even drive up hills without a hard time. No interior lights that turn on when door opens - stupid. Poor handling.

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  Good for what it is! - 2003 Hummer H2
  By David - November 15 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this 03 H2 as a project vehicle for our contracting company. We are performing a Duramax engine swap. The stock 6.0 V8 gets dismal fuel mileage (5-10 mpg) here in the rocky mountains. The H2 will be used for remote utility work and we wanted an SUV for carrying sensitive equipment into the mountains with a rugged look and feel. Blind spot galore, but has that cool factor and the "get out of my way" look as well.

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  Nothing - 2006 Hummer H3
  By mariakh@nisswa.net - May 5 - 5:42 pm

  I bought on 3-17-2010 we had it for 2 weeks gas mileage is horrible, it wore one tire very bad had to go back in to check out, then one week ago the wiring harness burned up and we ended up paying for some of it, also the tire I had to pay for half of it. I personally think its a recall?

• 

  last GM product - 2009 Hummer H3T
  By mailman2000 - February 10 - 7:30 pm

  worst piece of junk. I left on vacation on 1/31 transmission burned up with 1,800 miles on it the truck is still at the dealership in colorado being repaired im in Dallas and GM saysits your problem getting it back to Texas.

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  AMAZING - 2008 Hummer H3
  By PaulD - February 8 - 6:46 am

  This vehicle is AMAZING. Yes, amazing in the fact that Im amazed at why anyone, other than a discounted GM employee would buy one of these things! I have the 5 speed and have driven old dump trucks with tighter linkage. The front seats....are the WORST I have ever sat in. Feels like Im sitting in a bucket. The side bolsters make my right leg fall asleep because they press in so bad. A cheap attempt at sportscar type seating. The fold down rear seats dont fold down flat. The steering wheel doesnt telescope and should in order to make up for TERRIBLE seating position. Dirt and mud and snow are thrown onto the door handles from the tires. Id write more bad, but out of "characters remainin

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  ALPHA gets an "F" - 2008 Hummer H3
  By ER in Cali - May 8 - 11:19 am

  First off,this car looks awesome! Just sit inside and look really cool, just dont turn it on. Had serious problems from day 3. Ive had this car 6 months and it has been in the service department 4 times. The engine however seem more powerful than the regular H3 (my loaner cars) but Im having a difficult time rating it due to the fact I dont have it most of the time!!! Inside is "space challenged" no room for anything other than the people in it. No backpacks, purses, phones etc... Vision is impaired, be very careful no one is in the crosswalk because you can only see directly in front of you and thats it. In the canyons I find myself leaning to the side so I can see the curves.

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  A real Let Down - 2007 Hummer H3
  By engineer - January 22 - 7:19 am

  Bought this brand new 5 months ago... injector issues,misfires,horrible fuel economy with only 5k miles. The vehicle averages 11MPG city and 14MPG hwy. The ride quality is nice. The interior room is poor... even with the back seats folded down, there is no usable space. The 5 cyl engine is always straining to keep it moving and not having a 2wd only option eats the front tires. This vehicle has no tow abilities and with the spare tire mounted in the middle of the rear makes it tough to see out the rear window. Overall, I wish I had kept my Yukon.

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  H3 - 2007 Hummer H3
  By bummerhummer - April 2 - 11:46 am

  Its a shame that after a year GM couldnt correct a problem that was occuring with their 5 cylinder engine. Maybe this is why the foreign cars are taking over the US market. H3 is not up with the times as far as technology and has poor engine performance.

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  Sorry I Bought H3 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Roger - February 16 - 9:13 pm

  I bought my Hummer on a Saturday and it was in the shop the following Thursday. Countless electrical problems from traction control sensors to interior lights illuminating when the brakes were applied. The truck has been towed in to the dealership 5 times because it fails to start. Its been in the shop over 22 days and the dealer cant determine what causes the problem.We just experienced our first significant snow fall here in NJ and my H3 was in the shop. I am in the process of filing for relief under NJ Lemon Law. GMs response has been luke warm at best. Bottom line not a vehicle I would recommend, not even to my worst enemy

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  Slow Pretty Box - 2007 Hummer H3
  By Sgt. R - December 6 - 4:17 pm

  The H3 is underpowered. It barely can maintain 75 MPH on the highway and if you go up any incline the MPH will drop. The SUV gets poor MPG for a five cyl. engine. I like the look and it is nice off road but dont do any long distance highway driving. Interior is bland. Lots of mods available.It just isnt a real hummer. Should have more power and that would make things a lot better.