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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  Cant wait to get another one - 2003 Hummer H2
  By SCUnited - December 6 - 4:52 pm

  I love my H2. Big and safe. I travel with ny family in it (5) all over the place. I love when it snows. Its like a big toy that you can keep adding to since there are many after market accessories. If you can afford the H2 you can afford the gas! Coolest car Ive ever owned.

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  Speedster307s Review - 2005 Hummer H2
  By speedster307 - December 3 - 10:00 am

  Over all a great SUV to drive and just relax. If you saw the movie Bad Boys 2, you could see how a Hummer H2 could go completely offroad. Over All Rating: 99.99%

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  Favorite Vehicle of all Time - 2003 Hummer H2
  By Joyce Khoury - December 1 - 9:48 pm

  I have had a wonderful time driving my H2. I dont have to worry about winter driving, as I live in the NE. This vehicle can go through and over almost everything. I have not had any problems with it at all. I feel safer driving my H2 than any other vehicle I have owned, including several SUVs and compact sports cars from two Miataa to a four Jaguars. It is reliable, and comfortable. The only problem, of course, is the gas milage! I get l2.3 mi to the gal. The worst of any vehicle I have ever owned, with a 12 cylinder Jag. coming in at about the same. I find that other drivers do not tailgate or cut in front of me anymore. And likewise I feel I have become a safer driver. H1 next!!!!

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  DJA - 2005 Hummer H2
  By H2 - December 1 - 8:13 pm

  This is the second one we have owned. We have a large piece of property with some horrible roads. My wife loves the vehicle and wouldnt want anything else. It is very durable and I feel safer with her in it. It does get horrible mileage and is as aerodynamic as a box which makes it hard to keep the wind shield clean. Other than the mileage, we are thrilled with the vehicle and the way it handles.

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  The Best - 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha
  By zokoye williams - December 1 - 11:03 am

  It allowed me to explore that part of the world we live in. that part is the wilderness and the mountains. I could not do it with out the hummer vehicle. It had all the features of most luxury cars and the workload better than any other vecihle known to civilian world.

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  Better by you, Better than me - 2003 Hummer H2
  By Bob - December 1 - 10:40 am

  Took it in the mud and tried to get it stuck and couldnt. Nice power and much better handling than Lincoln Navigator. No where near as nice as a luxury vehicle. Hummer is sporty trying to be luxury. Navigator is luxury trying to be sporty. Both failed.

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  h3 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By zack - November 24 - 2:23 pm

  Really a nice truck. Has typical GM lack of thought. Hard to reach seat controls, window controls just where you would put your arm to rest, mi- installed exterior parts (upper marker lights, forward edge exposed makes horrible wind noise), no grab handle for the driver, no mirror for the driver. Overall a nice vehicle for the money it has just gotten the GM penny pinching that would have made it great!

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  Its a TRUCK - 2006 Hummer H2
  By "KURLZ" - November 15 - 5:23 am

  This is absolutely THE finest vehicle on the road (and off). I have owned two and am one of the only female drivers to attend offroad outings, which I attend alot of, and I have been rated best offroad driver on a couple (-look out boys!) might I add I take great pride in the unmatched dependability and capabilities of this machine. I absolutely, without a doubt, love it and will, from day one forward, never never never live without one (maybe even two). NOTHING can compare, I challenge anyone to prove me wrong.

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  Hummer H2 - Good Fun - 2006 Hummer H2
  By ortygang - November 15 - 2:08 am

  I bought an H2 used and have driven it all over California and Nevada. I take it off road and then back on the highway. It handled the rough dirt trail well and then was very smooth on the highway. I have owned many 4x4 vehicles including Toyota and Jeep and this Hummer is the best combination of everything a person would want. Dont mind the gas mileage. It gets only two to three MPG worse than the Yukon XL I have with the same engine. The fun factor is worth the extra dollars spent on gas. The interior is typical GM quality which is good but not great. Beware underground parking - they build them too small for the H2. Otherwise - buy a Hummer - Have some fun.

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  Humming along - 2005 Hummer H2
  By mjleblanc - November 8 - 5:45 pm

  Perhaps the best SUV I have ever owned, can really go just about anywhere. Maintenance and repairs are costly, given the thievery rampant in the dealer/manufacturer scheme of hourly bilking. Gas mileage is the same as my Suburban. Love the car!