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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  Awesome but Dangerous - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Aaron Kush - January 15 - 11:53 pm

  I always wanted a HUMMER and finally in November my wife let me get the H3 and I loved it until this weekend. While driving 40 mph my 2 year old son reached over to the "locked" door and opened the door. How did he do that? There are no child safety locks on the H3, even though I was told when I bought the vehicle that there was. Hummer told me if I disable the lock I will void my warranty, so instead is my son supposed to fall out of the vehicle. The option I was given was to ductape my door, $40k to put tape on my locks? Sorry, not good enough. IF you are without kids buy this vehicle; otherwise, be careful. See you in court GM.

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  Hummer Time - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Dan - December 31 - 1:26 pm

  Have owned for 3 months now. Just got back from a weakend at AM General Hummer course in South Bend IN. Dealer sponsored event. I am amazed at what the H3 will do. Went off roading with H1 and H2s. Thought I might be outclassed by bigger more expensive Hummers. The H3 will handle anything and H2 can and more. I have pics of H3 pulling the H2 out of the mudd. On road H3 is smooth and comfortable to drive.

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  Limited Victory Red Edition - 2004 Hummer H2
  By icecoldbeer - December 22 - 2:46 pm

  Drives great and handles like a charm. I loved this car up until it hit 95,000 miles, then it became a money pit and the market is so upside down (not GMs fault) that its hard to make sense what to do with it. It treated me well with no breakdowns for 3 years, then the instrument gauges quit one by one, the water pump went out, the a/c recirculation does not work well, the electric mirrors quit, the windshield gasket vibrates above 60 MPH. Repairs on high mileage cars are expected but it seems like everything on the H2 costs between $500-$1000 to get fixed. Probably wont spend $65,000 on another Hummer. They are really worth about $50,000 at most fully packed with all the good stuff.

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  You get what you pay for - 2009 Hummer H3T
  By bambeke - December 7 - 2:53 am

  The 09 H3T is as advertised. "The most versatile Hummer ever." The functional 5 bed, along with its ability to haul 5 adults makes it quite a utilitarian rig. Pros: Exterior styling, level of optioning, quality of build, V8 power, 4X capability. Cons: A little tight in the interior (i.e. 2 large guys sit pretty near shoulder-to-shoulder rear legroom is quite cramped), no lock on tailgate, gas mileage (i.e. The best I have obtained is 12 city 14 hwy), weak auto shift b/t 3rd & 4th gear. All noted, as a truck/SUV guy, I can not think of a vehicle in this price range that compares. Given the mid price point, you get what you pay for...perhaps even a little more.

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  I just love this vehicle - 2008 Hummer H3
  By ERIK - December 2 - 8:36 pm

  Still love it, very glad I purchased it. Dont those folks feel stupid now at fuel $1.81 a gallon. Very nice, I get a lot of compliments to boot.

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  Theres nothing like it! - 2006 Hummer H2
  By Clint Cord - November 25 - 12:58 am

  Having owned some very extravagant & exotic vehicles, there is nothing like a Hummer H2! Im embarrassingly proud to own such a magnificent & unmistakable machine! Id never even ridden in, let alone driven one before I bought online, sight unseen 2000 miles away - no disappointments! If youre looking and thinking about owning one - take the leap of faith and treat yourself!

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  Hummer - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Felix - November 7 - 5:39 pm

  I recieved this vehicle as a sixteenth birthday gift and have been happy since! This is a fun vehicle to drive. It turns a lot of heads when you are stopped at a stop light or on the highway. The only thing I would change is the power window panel, move it closer so that it is easy accessible by hand. And I would suggest a third row. Overall I am satisfied

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  H3 Tactical "The Anti-Bling!" - 2007 Hummer H3
  By H3 Tactical Rocks - August 19 - 1:14 am

  I love my H3 Tactical Edition, it sports NJ Devil colors-Red/Black. I get looks from other H3s with their lame chrome packages, as this one stands out even more than they do with all that chrome. Chrome on a mountain climber? What? Color matching grille and black brush guard and tube steps and unassuming black stealthy spare tire cover make this the sweetest factory version of all H3s produced and thank God (for me) GM only made 1000 of these! Turning radius is unbelievably tight and bigger 3.7 does just fine on fuel with a nice throaty growl!

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  Fun to drive - 2007 Hummer H2
  By G. Smith - August 8 - 11:24 am

  I like it but am disappointed with the quality. After only 3000 miles and none of it off road, all the paint came off the nerf bar brackets and the chrome is pitted. There is rust leaking out around the screw heads on the exterior chrome luxury package upgrades as well. The driver seat is too plush with little stiff padding. If you weigh 200 pounds or more you will be sitting on the actual outer seat frame. If you are tall, you will have to lower the seat all the way to not hit your head.

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  Good overall buy - 2007 Hummer H3
  By Hummer Cody - July 13 - 3:29 pm

  I really like this car. A lot of fun to drive, and pretty reliable. Wish that it got better gas mileage. I avg 14. Needs a little more power. Dont buy new. The MSRP of mine was $38,000 in Sept of 2006. Trade in on it now $21,500! If this is your daily driver, expect your yearly fuel cost to be around $4,500-5,000! Make sure you put a lot of money down when you purchase or else you will be upside down later on when you sell it. The new H3 Alpha seems to be better with the V8 engine, but gets worse MPG. Car gets a lot of great looks. The Hummer name impresses people.