Why does the Hummer evoke such strong emotions in people? A Texas psychiatrist on TV said "keying a Hummer" is a sign of financial jealously and coveting at its worst. There are those that say it's using up our fossil fuels, even though the 2009 H2 can run on E85 ethanol and no petroleum based fuel, and the H3 gets better mileage and a smaller carbon footprint than FIVE of the other SUVs in its category. By the way, plans are on the table for a flex fuel H3 soon. Offroad and in floods and the snow, there are no better vehicles. When there's a blizzard raging, you suddenly become EVERYONE'S BEST FRIEND when you own a Hummer.
The reasons are twofold: first, with the Hummer's in your face, brash styling, you can't ignore one (you either love it or hate it - it's like the elephant in the room scenario), and secondly, people think Hummers are gas hogs for the rich, even though magazine road tests have shown 20 mpg on the highway with a manual transmission H3 and I personally have gotten 13.8 mpg highway driving with my H2. 14 mpg is not great, but it's far from the 8 mpg quoted often in anti Hummer articles and that's on regular gas, not premium.
Finally, people that buy Hummers are knowledgeable about their capabilities, to include, factory skid plates, design for approach and departure angles, reinforced frames, deep water design, locking axles, mud and snow tires, and much more. These vehicles are designed from the ground up to tackle the toughest weather and the toughest terrain. In a recent survey by 4 X 4 Magazine more Hummer owners have been offroad with their vehicles than any other SUV, 87%, far greater than the average SUV offroad per cent of 4. Jeep Wrangler came in second at a distant 28%.
Hummers are designed for the enthusiast, the ranch owner, the family that lives in the Tetons and routinely drives in 24 inches of snow, the doctor that has to be at the hospital no matter what the weather, the dialysis patient that has to get to treatment every two days or die (flood, blizzard or hurricane), the rescue unit that has to reach the downed airplane in the mountains, BUT ABOVE ALL these vehicles are excellent everyday transportation as well, even luxurious by modern standards. HUMMERS CREATE LOTS OF AMERICAN JOBS!
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