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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  hummer h2 - 2004 Hummer H2
  By NaviDaddy2004 - March 21 - 2:00 am

  we recently bought the h2 and its not a very good vehicle. I dont recommend anybody buying it unless they are going to do any off-roading, which almost everybody who owns a hummer doesnt do. The interior design is not so good looking and has cheap plastics. Braking to the freeway exit is insecure when my family and i are all in the car. this car also accelerates like a snail compared to my 2004 lincoln navigator. all in all, its not that bad of a vehicle, but lacks the quality and luxury of a 53,000 dollar vehicle.

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  needs more power - 2006 Hummer H3
  By tennessee - March 3 - 1:33 pm

  the 5 cylinder engine is way under powered especialy when passing, this is due in most part to the 4700 lbs that it weighs which is almost as much as a 2wd nissan titan truck 2wd, the interior is very bland, and the abillity to shift between 2 and 4wd is not an option, for its size it feels very top heavy while cornering, this will be a good grocery getter , remember jeep liberty.

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  Biggest Mistake I ever made - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Spitfiretb - February 23 - 2:00 am

  Unmatched offroad capability, Next time Ill go by Kia.

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  absolute horror - 2004 Hummer H2
  By ray/jim1 - February 11 - 2:00 am

  the first night I brought it home, the heater was malfunctioning. Not a good thing when the ambient temp is 21 degrees!! The interior is full of cheap plastic. The external beams are awful..I already changed the lamps to some better halogen..In summary, If you have 55000 dollars laying around and you want to buy a suv, buy a toyota!!!!

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  American Junk - 2003 Hummer H2
  By SandyAL - January 11 - 2:00 am

  The manufacturer installed suspension wrong, as was evident by the stickers on the springs, i.e. the left was on the right and so forth. 4wd was none functioning for 5 mos of ownership, dealership informed that replacement part was soon to be released.....still waiting.

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  Bummer Hummer H2 - 2003 Hummer H2
  By hummerh2 - November 20 - 2:00 am

  Whatever you do, DONT buy a Hummer H2! We did and are we ever sorry now.

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  Just too big to park... - 2003 Hummer H2
  By Carson - May 25 - 2:00 am

  I was so excited about this car when I got it. I was jumping out of my skin. The thing is HUGE in a good way. The problem is that the truck is actually just to HUGE in a bad way as well. I literally cant park in 90% of the available spots. Im just driving around like a dork looking when I could have been parking even in a large SUV.

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  GMC ruined these vehicles. - 2003 Hummer H2
  By twz - April 15 - 2:00 am

  At the dealership, there was already rust forming on the undercarriage. The salesman was not polite and respectful at all. The ground clearance simply is not enough for true off roading. The inside is nothing more than a blazer or a suburban. The use of plastic for the bumpers is not up to par with the price tag. For the price range, aluminium should be used for the construction. A 6.0L engine should be paired with more than 8 cyl. To top it off, you cant get it in a standard!

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  ARNOLD WANNA BE!!! - 2003 Hummer H2
  By ARNOLD - September 10 - 10:00 am

  It looks cool because its new. But now I want to return it back to the dealer. Its not practical. Its like going out with the hottest babe and showing her off to all your friends but shes a ding bat. I feel like Im driving a BIG BOX. Oh well, its just $60,000 bucks ding bat.