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2008 Hummer H2 off-roading on rocks

Avoid The Hummer H2

The availability of large, intimidating, and interesting SUVs isn’t big on the market. As crossovers and mid-sized SUVs skyrocket in popularity, it seems like large SUV options are becoming harder to find. There is one large SUV in particular that is popular in theory to many people but hated by previous owners. If you can …

The availability of large, intimidating, and interesting SUVs isn’t big on the market. As crossovers and mid-sized SUVs skyrocket in popularity, it seems like large SUV options are becoming harder to find. There is one large SUV in particular that is popular in theory to many people but hated by previous owners. If you can avoid it, you should, because the Hummer H2 isn’t the SUV for you.

The Hummer H2 is the less expensive, and more affordable version of the original Hummer vehicle. The originally Hummer was designed as a military vehicle, and a lot of the appearances of this model are actually function. The H2 adopted some of these design features but they are completely useless. It’s like having a fake hood scoop or air vents – we all know they are fake, and we all think they are pretty cringy.

For one, you may notice two large metal rings sticking up from the hood. In the original Hummer, these rings were connected to the car’s chassis and served a surprising purpose. Because the original Hummer was designed as a military vehicle, there needed to be a way for it to be easily placed into combat zones or other areas where it wouldn’t make sense to drive the cars in. The metal rings on the hood allowed the car to be secured to helicopters and other air-born military vehicles and carried underneath until it was time to lower the Hummer to the ground. On the H2 Hummer, you still see what appears to be two large metal rings identical to those of the original, but they are no more than a hood ornament and serve absolutely no purpose.

2008 Hummer H2
2008 Hummer H2 | GM

The interior of the Hummer H2 doesn’t have a lot to offer either. You could even go as far as complaining that the interior was of poor build quality and even worse design. All of the buttons and knobs of the dashboard, and the gear shifter, are oversized and cheap to the touch. The low-grade plastic and lose fittings means the already awkward-looking fixtures feel even worse to use than they are to look at.

Besides that, the Hummer H2 isn’t that great of an SUV. The bulky body and awkward windows make the car feel claustrophobic, which is unexpected considering how large it is overall. The ride quality of the Hummer is also nothing to get excited about. The rear window doesn’t span the entire length of the rear door and is blocked by the spare tire, giving the Hummer minimal visibility. The step rail that runs along the doors decreases the clearance by several inches, so it isn’t going to be climbing any crazy rock mounds any time soon like the Jeep Gladiator can.

With the minimal utility, low visibility, and all-around embarrassing features and details, there aren’t a lot of redeeming qualities to make purchasing a Hummer H2 sound great. That is, of course, unless you just want to own one for the sake of saying you own a Hummer.