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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  kewl truck - 2004 Hummer H2
  By erwin - February 18 - 2:00 am

  the best truck on the face of this earth rugged but fun great for outdoors

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  Hummer H2 - 2004 Hummer H2
  By lfs57 - February 18 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased a H2 and so far I am really having alot of fun driving it. I have no issues with the vehicle. I feel extremely safe in this vehicle . Many people told me that they are so wide and I will have a hard time driving it, but I do not find that to be true at all. I also went from chevy SUburban to this H2. It has lots of power and the interior is sort of funky. Many nice features.

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  This is the best SUV ever made - 2004 Hummer H1
  By PIT - February 17 - 2:00 am

  This car has everything

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  I love MY H2! - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Howard Hoag - February 14 - 2:00 am

  Well first off, this truck does everything HUMMER prommised. I have taken it off-road and have found others who do. The support from the dealerships should you need them are very responsive. I can keep up with the H1.

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  H2, say no more - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Tim S. - February 11 - 2:00 am

  Went to purchase a truck. Saw Hummer H2. Bought H2. What more can I say. Alot. Since I have bought the Hummer, Ive had nothing but fun,fun,fun. This thing is worth every penny from style to performance. Plenty of pick-up when needed, enough room for a six foot,240 lb. man which I am. It gets looks from all ages and everyones always asking what its like. Miles per gallon is about the same as a full size truck.Only complaint is when I set steering wheel in comfortable position, I cant see speedometer without looking over. Buying the H2 is one of the best decisions Ive ever made.

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  Love my Hummer!!! - 2004 Hummer H2
  By PamF - February 11 - 2:00 am

  Female that HAD TO HAVE ONE!!! Love it. Feel very safe in it.

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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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  Hummer - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Keith Morris - February 11 - 2:00 am

  The ultimate chick magnet.

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  LOVE MY H3 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By MICHAEL - February 9 - 1:26 am

  I love the way my H3 drives & handles. It is nice & quiet inside while driving.

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  RECONSIDER.... - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Joannassf - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Terrible mistake, this purchase was purely emotional!!!! Our car has been in the shop three times in 1 year and has been towed three times!