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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  V-8 just right - 2008 Hummer H3
  By alpha dog - February 4 - 7:40 am

  Upgraded from an 06 I-5 to the new Alpha V-8. Not a huge difference in city driving or offroad but highway driving is improved 100%. Passing and merging much easier and much less annoying downshifting and hunting for the right gear. Big improvement worth the money.

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  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!

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  Looks Great . . . But Needs More Power - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Erik - February 2 - 7:36 pm

  Positives: The exterior detail and interior style are A+ for this SUV. The thick steering wheel felt comfortable in my hands while driving, better than any other car on the market (very similar to an F1 wheel). The turning radius of the H3 was shocking. After driving a Range Rover, I had low expectations, but the H3 was able to deliver a tight 180. The moonroof is large compared to similar SUVs, another plus. I thought the interior amenities would be cheap or lacking for the price, but again, I was quite pleased. Offroading is amazing in this car. Negatives: Needs more power. The I-5 Turbo that was originally intended would have been a nice balance of power/efficiency.

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  Well worth it - 2006 Hummer H2
  By engineer - January 30 - 7:02 am

  After buying a new H-3... I felt a bit slighted when I sat in a H-2. The search began for a late model used with warranty. I bought the H2 and it was love at first sight. Dont be foolish and buy new... you can buy a certified used for about 20K less and have the same warranty without the depreciation. I bought mine loaded with only 10K miles for $39K MSRP was $58K. Enough said. The drive and comfort cant be compared to any other vehicle. I get 13.5 MPG around town and was only getting 15 with MY H-3. The interior is very spacious however there is a lot of wasted space in the rear. The wind noise is loud at highway speeds and the low roof takes a bit of getting used too.

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  My girlfriend LOVES my Hummer! - 2005 Hummer H2
  By Hum1 - January 28 - 10:00 am

  Very fun vehicle to drive, rides as nice or nicer than my Expedition, big comfy seats, well placed ergos, panoramic view. Its like driving a tank in a parade every day. Onstar is a nice amenity to have. This is a vehicle you just love to own. It makes your commute fun...what more could you want?

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  Not Happy! - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Not Happy !!!!!! - January 24 - 1:42 pm

  Ive had my H3 now for 19 months and it has been in the shop 4 times. TV monitor went out, heated seats quit working. Ive had it in 3 times just for the 5 speed manual. It wont go into 1st, 2nd or reverse gears..I have to almost brake the gear shift to get it to go into gear. I get stuck at lights and traffic with people blowing their horns because I cant get it into gear. I took it in twice and they said it was fine, they couldnt find anything wrong until I went for a test drive with a mechanic and he said they would replace the stick shift. It worked great for 2 weeks and now Im back to not being able to get it into gear. Doors lock & unlock by themselves now, eletrical problem.

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  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.

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  H3 BRKDWN - 2006 Hummer H3
  By BLKJKD - January 23 - 7:33 am

  Sluggish response, quiet interior, good ac, smooth ride and good handling, good visibility - nice height, roomy intertior, plenty of elbow room from driver to passenger side, back seat could use some leg room, decent rear storage, heavy rear door.

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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 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.