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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  a must have - 2005 Hummer H2
  By bobby - February 12 - 3:37 pm

  i had suvs all my life but nothing will compare to the animal i am driving now.not because its a hummer its because what it dose in all conditions the last northeast blizzard over 2 feet of snow did not stop this truck,or the mountains off roading

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  ABSOLUTLY Like Nothing Esle - 2005 Hummer H2
  By shaun laird - February 2 - 7:14 pm

  The best thing about the H2 is the wonderful feeling you get not only driving it but starring at it when it sits in front of your house. Now I have had little things that I have had to take to the dealership to have fixed, but the absolute joy of having one overcomes the minor issues

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  My Hummer - 2005 Hummer H2
  By lapointeatlas - January 19 - 3:55 pm

  My first long trip happened to be during a snow storm. It was very comforting knowing what I was driving while I was seeing cars and truck sliding off of the Interstate. With the four wheel drive and traction control I never at any time felt like I was not in control

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  h3 is a monster - 2006 Hummer H3
  By melvynray - January 16 - 3:50 am

  the h3 is a monster. i cannot get it stuck and i cannot get tired of it!!!

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  All that & then some.... - 2005 Hummer H2
  By Ayida - January 6 - 3:35 am

  I wanted this truck since the minute I saw it, but the new color "Stealth Grey" sold it! It is an amazing truck, great interior/exterior, I got all the bells and whistles added from the factory, so lets just say it turns some heads, especially from other Hummer owners! It drives great, a bit hard to park (considering Im a woman), but it is all that and then some!

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  conquering the snowman - 2004 Hummer H2
  By daves h2 - January 6 - 3:11 am

  the h2 has been a dependable, comfortable vehicle... in the recent storms in nevada, we were able to drive over a 4 foot snowdrift and delivered a coworker to her door... and pushed and pulled many other 4wheel drive vehicles out of ditches and mounds of snow and ice... i feel very safe... weve pulled our boat, our trailer, and another cars - never jiggled around behind us... our two year old grandson loves it so much we bought him his own little h2 for christmas...

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  nothing else like it.. I always have one - 2003 Hummer H2
  By Laurie - January 6 - 2:25 am

  I love my H2. We call it Godzilla sometimes dinosaurus-not dinosaur. Some of the interior things should be of better quality. The backs kinda small for the size of the truck. I had more space in my minivan. I put my seat down and still have a hard time fitting in stuff. I work in home repair, by the way the truck although has the hauling capacity doesnt have the interior room. But I wouldnt trade it for anything else. I just deal with it. I am 32 and as long as I can step in and out of this thing! I will own one. I love this truck, its a muscle car and monster truck all in one.!!!

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  H2 is awesome! - 2005 Hummer H2
  By aag - January 6 - 12:35 am

  The H2 is very fun to drive, handles well, and makes its own tracks when needed. Front visibility on the highway is excellent because of height. Off road, the H2 is a monster and totaly within its element. Traction and power are awesome. My H2 has also been very reliable and averages about 11 MPG. The kids love it, especially the DVD player inserted in the headrests. Further, the fellow H2 and H1 owners that we have met are a great group to be with during the annual Hummer events.

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  Love my H2 - 2005 Hummer H2
  By HF - January 6 - 12:22 am

  This is the most awesome vehicle I have ever driven, It is very comfortable and has a very smooth ride. The best SUV on the market by far.

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  h1 - 2004 Hummer H1
  By cesguz - January 2 - 7:00 pm

  Great car, too fun to drive, excellent for off-roading, lot of power and much more comfortable than others SUV´s off road.