First of all, let me say I have only driven an H1 one time at a Hummer event, where the owner was gracious enough to let me take it down the street for burgers this fall. In talking with numerous H1 owners, I find that their H1 is their toy, their "baby", similar to a boat or an airplane, only you can put it in your garage and take it out in any weather. I was taken aback by the number of owners who said they had participated in rescue or HOPE operations in their H1s. Only one person I have talked with has their H1 as their only vehicle - unless of course you're in the military.
I met a woman, whose only vehicle was her H1 that she used on a daily basis to administer nursing care to those in remote areas. She has owned two, her first being a '96 gas model, but prefers the diesel. Unfortunately, diesel fuel prices have become outrageous in comparison to gasoline. She said her only issues in four years have been with some front end parts that had to be replaced and the exhaust system.
My personal observations are the H1 is a little short on legroom, if you have very long legs and the noise level from the diesel engine will either be music to your ears, or a constant racket. On the fun to drive scale, the H1 rates so high, it's totally off the charts. There's no getting around the fact that an H1 draws attention wherever it goes.
The H1 Alpha is still in high demand and was quite civilized (for a Hummer H1). The Phantom advises me that a poorly disguised civilian H1 has been seen on the streets of South Bend, IN not too far from the AM General plant between the hours of midnight and 3 am lately. Are they working on a new H1?
Sheila, the nurse owner of an H1 loves the heated windshield - in the winter, flip a toggle switch and the ice and snow are gone in two minutes. The heated H1 windshield was originaly designed for the military to give this perpendicular speedbrake, more flexibility and damage resistance and to prevent fogging in combat situations. Did you know on the the Boeing 737 there is an airspeed (and icing restriction) if the windshield heat doesn't work, because it is more prone "to catastrophic failure from impact at high speeds" without the heat?
The engine being next to you also keeps you warm in the winter. The ride is surprisingly good on the highway and in the city. The biggest problem with this "beast" is keeping it in the lane because it is so wide. You will get to know every little deviation in every road around your home.
If you have to be somewhere in any kind of weather or disaster NOTHING BEATS AN H1! Stuck in the sand? No problem just change your tire pressure as you sit behind the wheel with the turn of a dial. Tire pressure for normal driving in a Hummer H1 is 26 psi front, 28 rear. With CTIS, air pressure can be increased up to 45 psi for heavy loads. Typical offroad tire pressure is 20 psi, however for driving in sand, mud, and deep snow, air pressure can be reduced to 10 psi, resulting in a very large footprint. An alarm sounds if pressure falls below 8 psi.
In deep water, H1s are actually designed to take on water for traction and not float. While military Humvees have a snorkel kit extending the exhaust and air intake to roof level, making it possible to operate in 60 inches of water, Civilian Hummers cannot use the snorkel kit and are limited to 30 inches of water because the dash, fuses, alternator, power steering cap, transmission controller, radio, and engine controller are not waterproof.
Lastly, all H1 owners are unanimous about the fact that if there are young ones around they will have to go for a ride in your Hummer H1 and tell all their friends about it. One owner told me that when he pulled up to pick up his grandson from baseball practice, the players quit practicing and all came over to look at his Hummer, including the coach.
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