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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  feels cool - 2006 Hummer H3
  By william - March 30 - 8:26 pm

  I have never owned a suv that i had so many people ask me about. its a head turner and something very different from others. its an over the top ride without an over the top price. As my girl friend put it, its a SUPERCAR!

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  fun fun fun - 2004 Hummer H2
  By clay Irwin - March 24 - 2:00 am

  ccorvette,a viper 4wd all rolled up into one awesome suv! I had a number of sports cars and suv and never had so much fun driving.let me suggest one thing! options! dont leave out any of them! I cant begin to tell you how important they are! there is nothing worst then buying an auto and wishing you had added or wanted an option, it will haunt you, if your going to spend 55k to 64k on an auto do it right the first time or dont do it. every optin that hummer provides is awesome and adds a heck of alot more excitment, I have left no option out on mine and even added a couple of small after market options on my h2.all I can say is have fun! fun! fun!

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  Like it for what it is - 2004 Hummer H2
  By rifle - March 23 - 2:00 am

  This has been the most reliable GM product I have owned. It doesnt quite compare to the Japanese products though. For what it was designed for, it is a great vehicle.

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  a fun runlooks - 2004 Hummer H2
  By bob bond - March 21 - 2:00 am

  have had lots of 4 wheel drive vehicles this is the best and most fun----I loveit, but burns a lot of gas----heck who cares

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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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  Its as nice as the Mercedes CL500 amg - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Mike Monahan - March 19 - 2:00 am

  THIS CAR IS MORE RELIABLE AND MORE COMFORTABLE THAN MY WIFES 2003 LX470 BY FAR

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  Great vehicle and fun to drive - 2004 Hummer H2
  By sprite217 - March 19 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle can do anything! Its a tank in disguise, comfortable and has a killer stereo system.

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  HUMMER 2.0 - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Brad3000 - March 18 - 2:00 am

  Its great to drive, rides well and is a little heavy on gas but in bad driving conditions of all kinds you will be very happy to be in one. It really is a blast in s

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  Hummer H2 - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Dorothea Preston - March 18 - 2:00 am

  I did buy this vehicle for my husband as X-mas gift without him knowing it, and he loves it. (He is retired Marine)

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  The love continues - 2004 Hummer H2
  By soljr - March 15 - 2:00 am

  Wife & I were skeptical that It would handle or drive nice. Boy, were we surprised! I had a Lincoln Navigator before, so I had a good reference point. I let my wife drive it first and she was surprised at how well it drove. She was alittle nervous about the width but overcame it quickly. I was very impressed and bought it and am still just as impressed. The Love continues even after the newness wears off.