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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  GM got it just right - 2006 Hummer H3
  By DWPC - November 19 - 1:53 pm

  Weve had our H3 (automatic with Offroad Pkg) almost six months, so a review is in order. Main use is local short-haul commuting. We occasionally go offroad. Considering the H3 is a true offroad capable rig, its in-town manners are great. It maneuvers better than many sedans. The street ride is kind of truck-like, but the freeway ride is great and amazingly quiet. Visibility issues are overblown; no worse than many popular cars. Engine power is adequate but more would be nice. Doesnt do well on grades at 70. Offroad the H3 is superb but thats a write-up in itself. We get about 13mpg in town (rarely above 40mph), 18+ on trips. Regular. One warranty item; sticky window switch. We love our H3!

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  Fabulous Drive - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Bob - October 26 - 8:20 am

  Fabulous drive. I have never had a vehicle that let me feel so much control just by its handling capabilities. Would highly recomend the adventure package and the monsoon stereo system.

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  Ten jeeps later - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Jimmy C Jones - October 23 - 10:03 pm

  After owning 5 new Jeep GrandS The new 2006 just looked to much like a van sorry I wanted a four wheel dive not a van! I looked at all of the big names, but they all looked the a same van van ect. last but not least the H3 True love at first drive! Why! ride fit and looks. Point it were you want to go and you will be there! Down side? Backing takes about the day or a week to get use to, Driver side controls a litte hard to find but no big deal. The ride says I CAN DO IT! An the H3 is the one to do it! My first trip was 800 miles, 19 miles to gal. Looks to many to be true! If you do not want to be seen do not buy! Onstar is great , for the real thing at great price just drive a new H3

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  H3 is for some not for all - 2006 Hummer H3
  By HMG - October 3 - 11:03 pm

  I knew what I was getting with this Hummer and so I love it! The H3 is unique vehicle for a the rugged SUV lover. If you want a SUV that rides like a car - the H3 is not for you. The H3 is fun to drive in its own right as the feeling of empowerment comes as stadard equipment. It is underpowered but with recent gas prices Ill take the fuel savings as a benefit of not having a V8.

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  ARNOLD WANNA BE!!! - 2003 Hummer H2
  By ARNOLD - September 10 - 10:00 am

  It looks cool because its new. But now I want to return it back to the dealer. Its not practical. Its like going out with the hottest babe and showing her off to all your friends but shes a ding bat. I feel like Im driving a BIG BOX. Oh well, its just $60,000 bucks ding bat.

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  Lots of fun - 2005 Hummer H2
  By calvinthedog - September 5 - 10:00 am

  great suv for the family

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  Lovin the Hummer - 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha
  By dwace - August 30 - 5:33 pm

  Great vehicle period. I wish it was more popular but unfortunately theres too many haters out there.

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  Price is right, everything else is not - 2006 Hummer H3
  By jersey_emt - August 24 - 5:00 am

  Many Sport Utility Vechicles have neither sportiness nor utility. Luckily, the H3 at least has utility. Like the other Hummers, it performs admirably on unpaved roads and dirt trails. But there is definitely no sportiness to this SUV. It handles horribly. The ride quality is extremely rough. Visibility is extremely poor. It is still too big to comfortably fit in a standard-sized parking space. Forgot about parallel parking this thing. The engine is sorely underpowered for the weight of this vehicle. An 11-12 second 0-60 time is unacceptable and extremely unsafe. I do not recommend this SUV.

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  Very Satisfied - 2006 Hummer H3
  By mewtwo - August 3 - 12:13 pm

  My H3 has proven to be an awesome car/truck. It carries everything easily - surfboards, dogs, and people. I dont worry about scratching a thing since most of the interior is plastic. Its a fun car to drive and the ride is surprisingly good - quiet, comfortable, and safe. It handles very well and has a great turning radius. Visibility is not as good as an average sedan, but then again, this is not a toyota camry, and Ive adjusted to taking an extra second to look before I change lanes. Ill be curious to see if they come out with a diesel or hybrid version given all the backlash about gas prices. Either way, Im already thinking of buying the next generation of the H3.

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  Happy with my Hummer - 2005 Hummer H2
  By Fargo - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I am retired and live in a beach resort area and drive my Hummer only on day trips or weekend outings. It is a comfortable driving vechicle. I like the durability and feel very safe traveling in heavy traffic or congested areas. Yhe vechicle has a smooth almost gliding feeling on the highway. For the large size of the vechicle the gas mileage is good. It definately gets a lot of attention on the highway