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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  luv it - 2006 Hummer H3
  By hummerguy - May 5 - 12:10 pm

  Traded in my Avalanche for new H3. Much better mileage and the style really turns heads. Much easier to park and more agile. Maybe a little underpowered but rides great on the highway and off-road is supreme. Worth a look if you want a smaller SUV. Plan on trips with 4 people or less, 5 is crowded.

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  wow - 2003 Hummer H1
  By michael wolf - May 3 - 2:00 am

  awesome! this is the best car in the world. It is so big and fancy.It drives perfectly, too.

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  my hummer - 2003 Hummer H2
  By rjgaipo - May 1 - 2:00 am

  no problems at all

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  Likin the H3 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Todd - April 29 - 2:56 pm

  Great SUV which gets a lot of looks! Poor visibility and a little bit of a rough ride.

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  HUMMER FUN - 2003 Hummer H2
  By Andria Gonda - April 24 - 2:00 am

  This is a wonderful ride. It gets looks at every turn and is very capable on and off road. I highly recommend one.

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  Get A Clue - 2003 Hummer H2
  By Get A Clue - April 23 - 2:00 am

  All of these reviews are complaining about the H2 because it doesnt perform well enough for them ON ROAD. Well, this isnt a truck for the ambitious city prick, it is a hard working and very capable off-road machine. When people say a class of its own they have figured it out. So my advice to the people that buy these trucks is dont expect to have the hottest off-road pickup furnish your luxury and ride needs when this truck is fully capable of terrain that you cannot imagine. NOT FOR THE CITY!! I would like to see your precious "luxury SUVs" get through the mud let alone the 20 in of H2O.

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  GMC ruined these vehicles. - 2003 Hummer H2
  By twz - April 15 - 2:00 am

  At the dealership, there was already rust forming on the undercarriage. The salesman was not polite and respectful at all. The ground clearance simply is not enough for true off roading. The inside is nothing more than a blazer or a suburban. The use of plastic for the bumpers is not up to par with the price tag. For the price range, aluminium should be used for the construction. A 6.0L engine should be paired with more than 8 cyl. To top it off, you cant get it in a standard!

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  Great - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Maelt - April 3 - 2:56 am

  It was great but the gas used per mile was awful! Other than that, it was a great expeirience to drive the Hummer! If you dont have one, you should give it a try! If you have one you know how it feels to drive it!

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  rusty - 2003 Hummer H2
  By dimarb - April 2 - 2:00 am

  Waited 16wks for my H2. Have the truck 3months and put 400 local miles on it. Get 10.3mpg. Easier to handle then my Suburban geat ride but the whole under carriage is rusting out in such a short time.

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  10s - 2004 Hummer H2
  By rick riemers - April 1 - 10:00 am

  love the truck a must have!