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:

• 

  H3 Tactical Edition - 2007 Hummer H3
  By J75 - February 3 - 11:56 pm

  Overall, enjoy my H3! Drove a 2006 F- 150 supercrew before this, saw the H3 Tactical, and fell in love with the aggressive black on black exterior. Only negative would be, had some transmission problems at 3,300 miles. Apparently had faulty parts and installation. Still worry about a brand new vehicle with that kind of problem! Dealership did a excellent job with repair and outstanding customer service. I always hear about how small H3s are compared to H2s! Want to thank the haters for stating the obvious, thats exactly why I purchased the H3! Recommend this vehicle to anyone!

• 

  I love my H3 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By kenn - January 23 - 6:33 pm

  This is a great vehicle. Traded in a Isuzu Trooper. This thing feels like a race car. Ride is stiffer than a normal SUV. Off road it feels very safe and stable. Traction both accelerating on ice and braking on snow/ice is excellent. I have owned nothing like it in the past. Rear visibility somewhat less than normal but huge outside rear view mirrors help out greatly. Gas mileage is right on based on the window sticker. It took 5000 miles to get that. Might even get better, who knows.

• 

  H3 Alpha - 2008 Hummer H3
  By trader - January 20 - 4:45 pm

  I owned a 2006 H3 for 2 years and put 45,000 miles on it. Off road pkg. It was great off road, but lack power for pulling and acceleration. I have also owned a 2006 H2. Great truck. The new Alpha is what GM needed to build. The V8 is the answer to the underpowered I-5. I purchased this one with the Off road pkg also. I have not had the chance to take it to the mountains yet as I did the other two. I suspect it will outperform the 06 H3 with plenty of power to spare. I have not had the chance to tow my travel trailer yet, but has to be better at it than the 06. The redesigned window and lock placements were neccessary. Acceleration is great. These are trucks, not race cars.

• 

  H3 Rules! - 2007 Hummer H3
  By Blacksmith - January 17 - 11:15 pm

  My 04 Grand Cherokee was making a lot of engine noise so I thought Id go test drive a few. They had H3 base model on the lot at a blow out price. I really didnt want stick, but when I drove it, I fell in love. Big thick steering wheel and big shift knob. Im 6-4 and this is hands down the most comfortable vehicle for a tall guy weighing 260. I dont even have to put the seat all the way back! The stick is easy to drive, the engine has good low end torque. Even the sound of the Atlas 5 is great. The shifter is kind of stiff and there is some small noises in it Im monitoring with the service guys. Its still pretty new so I have just put in 4 wheel drive low/lock briefly in the dirt.

• 

  What a Hummer! - 2008 Hummer H3
  By Larry Leung - January 16 - 6:01 pm

  Just got a new H3 Alpha from Toronto. So far I am extremely pleased with it. Its so solid. Lateral blind spots are minimal with the over-sized side mirrors. I took it to Wal-Mart and Can Tire and it parks with no difficulty, due to its small turning radius and rear vision camera. (A must). Also, with the chrome tubular steps, my kids and 5 wife find it no problem to get on and off it. With the V8 engine, it has enough oomph to get to 80km. I have yet to assess how bad the fuel consumption is (I know..) I love my Hummer H3 Alpha on this day one and I will love it more every day.

• 

  Best vehicle ever - 2005 Hummer H2
  By hummer owner1 - January 5 - 2:25 pm

  This is a fun head turning vehicle with very few flaws. Handles great, looks great, and is safe to drive

• 

  Love the H3 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By We love our H3 - December 9 - 7:41 pm

  We love our H3 and would buy it again. Its been very reliable so far. It has 52,000 on it now. We taken through some of the nastiest offroading that no other out of the box straight from the show room floor can do.We have the adventure package. The turning is awesome. Easy to drive. Gas mileage is actually better than expected for this type of vehicle. Its better than Jeep and toyota. Toyota will break if you do the things that you do with H3. Land Rover is incapable of this kind of capabilities. Power is ok. Its an go anywhere vehicle not a race car.

• 

  2004 Hummer H2 - 2004 Hummer H2
  By rich - December 9 - 3:03 pm

  I finally found something I like to drive.Ii live in cleveland,ohio. and the roads are tore up. Also we have some heavy snow falls too. Driving the Hummer H2 on the highway is a joy. It has plenty of power and it rides very smoothly.

• 

  Hummer Baby! - 2007 Hummer H3
  By Walker - December 8 - 8:42 am

  We love our H3. Weve put it through its paces on the highway as well as off road (snow, ice, sand, shale, boulders, steep inclines, etc.) ... excellent performance. My wife and daughter love this car,they used to have an Audi A6 Avant. This car has so much more utility and the fun factor is way through the roof.

• 

  The best car Ive drivin - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Jose Fernandez - November 15 - 2:00 am

  The H2 has to be one of the best SUVs Ive have ever drivin and own.Its a monster,powerful,safe,and fun to drive and I like the body shape alot better than the old one.I all I got to say is that its taller,bigger,and safe.