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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  Hummer Rate - 2005 Hummer H2
  By dealmakerdirect - July 31 - 10:00 am

  XLNT, The best GM has come out with. My wife loves the car

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  HMMWV with Comfort & Style - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Bruce - July 13 - 3:23 am

  The H3 is a great looking vehicle that turns heads. Enough power for what I need it to do, easier on mileage than its big brother and it handles and negotiates as well in parking lot as my wifes Cooper.

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  H1 all the way - 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha
  By Hummer H1 Wagon - May 1 - 11:10 pm

  I have been driving H1s since 1995. I have another vehicle that I drive most of the time, but it is good to have the ultimate off-road vehicle at your disposal - knowing that in this uncertain day and age, I can go anywhere any time I want - whether to the grocery store, or in a life saving situation.

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  Damn near the best vehicle ever made. - 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha
  By DsrtRaider777 - April 19 - 10:06 pm

  For sure the best vehicle ever made for off road use. I would say the 2006 H1 will not be the last year of the civilian H1 production. Gm show room needs a H1 in it every year as well as every Hummer dealership needs one H1 to make the H2 and H3 look better.

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  Our second Hummer - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Ron Harman - March 30 - 11:00 am

  We were impressed with the looks of our 2004 Hummer and liked the ride just as much. Our new 2006 model is even better!

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  H3 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By LIVE42D - March 26 - 5:40 am

  Love it. It is designed strong practical and safe. Fits me like a well made glove. I have a 25 year backgruond in aircraft tech. I know quality when i see it. Thank you hummer. Hewee chopper crew chief army nam era.

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  h2 - 2005 Hummer H2
  By kng - March 18 - 10:00 am

  it is realy fun to drive off road. and it is good for long long vacations. its cool.

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  Very Sharp and Affordable - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Kevin - March 12 - 8:26 pm

  I really enjoy the new Hummer H3. I bought it for my wife but I enjoy driving it too. The upgraded sound with woofer sounds great. Everyone also tells you how nice it looks. Dont they know it was only $38,000. You get heads to turn when the chrome is shinning. Only thing I wish they would of allowed was Chrome Wheels on the added off road package, but I may buy some aftermarket ones this summer. Overall I would recommend a test drive to get you to consider buying one.

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  Tims Hummna - 2004 Hummer H2
  By Tim Ralph - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive,attracts lots of attenion, feel safe driving it,has to many rattles and noises inside.Eats lots and lots of gas,(thats ok)

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  dont bother - 2006 Hummer H3
  By yellow enzo - January 29 - 11:13 pm

  This is car is sooo slow trying to drive it around a city you might as well walk or risk being rear ended. The H3 so uncomfortable. its loud, tippy and drives like a milk truck, it had 1,800 miles and looked as if it had 40,000 the interior was already falling apart. Ohter than that the fuel economys not bad and it looks like a baby H2 if you like that sort of thing buy anything else