So I just picked up a 2005 Hummer H2 on saturday. I had to fly to Springfield, MO and pick it up, couldn't ship it, dealer said it was mandatory that I show up in person to sign all documents. I was not happy about this at all because I had to buy plane tickets and then drive the SOB back! Most of all I would miss the CL meet too!!!!! Sorry guys!!!!!!!

When I was researching this vehicle I knew what I was getting into. GM reliability issues, bad gas mileage, gas guzzler, hate from save-the-planet tree huggers, etc. And I vowed never to buy a GM car ever.

Regardless, this was the vehicle that I needed for my situation and it met all criteria. Last summer I was able to drive around in a 2008 H2 for about a month and noticed that there wasn't too much of a difference between the 05. Yes, the interior was nicer and had nicer creature comforts, but none of that mattered to me. I did notice that the car did rattle like crazy inside the cabin, so I knew the 2005 was going to be the same.

So, after going through the process of the buying the vehicle I started my very long drive back home to Atlanta. I had to drive up to St.Louis, through Nashville and finally back into Georgia, about a 14 hour drive, don't really know because of time zone differences and I started to get delusional from driving so long.

Driving around in the dealer parking lot and into the city, the car really is not that hard to maneuver considering it is as big as an elephant. The car is very, very heavy. I believe it tips the scales at 7,000 lbs when you put a few passengers in it!!!!!! You immediately notice this weight when trying to accelerate and when trying to brake hard. I don't know what size calipers or brake discs it has but it is something that definitely needs to be replaced with aftermarket parts. The brakes simply do not cut it for the size and weight of this SUV. A good word of advice, don't cut a H2 off, it will not stop in time, and it can not see you very well because the driver is sitting so high up. Basically like an 18-wheeler, except those drivers are trained to look at all angles, unlike the soccer moms that are driving it around.

Driving on the highway, the truck rides pretty smooth. I was actually pretty impressed considering the size of it.

Now the interior: I believe the leather seats are not real leather. Maybe pleather or some really cheap leather. You can almost feel the plastic or vinyl like touch. The truck was also equipped with OEM Navigation. I believe it is the same brand that Lexus uses in their vehicles because the setup and buttons are very similar. One huge drawback that I did not know was that you can not listen to a CD while using the navi, because it only holds one disc. THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE STUPIDEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!! GM, what were you thinking, or better yet, whoever made this Nav unit, what were you thinking???? Audio system is BOSE. Buy Other Sound Equipment. Need I say more?

Rattles..... OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! I thought my previous G35 was bad, but this H2 tops it, hands down. Everything in the interior rattles when you are traveling above 70mph. I mean everything!!!!!!! EVEN THE FRIGGIN WINDSHIELD. I kid you not. Sunroof wind deflector, rear tailgate, center console, door handles, a pillars, b pillars, sunroof, every piece of plastic, IT RATTLES, SQUEAKS OR CLICKS.

Thank god this is not my daily driver because I would immediately drive it off a cliff.

The 6.0 V8 does show some promise though. You can feel the power and torque in this beast. But every time you step on the gas you WILL be thinking about how many gallons of fuel you just burned. I averaged about 11mpg on the way back, this was all highway. I can't imagine what it will be like in the city and traffic around ATL. The transmission does shift smooth, but is nothing like the silk of a GS though, unfair comparison I know.

Suspension and handling. You will feel bumps in the road and the SUV handles like you thought it would, just like an SUV of this size.

All in all, I expected the vehicle to be exactly what I thought it was going to be so I can't complain.

But, when Hummer says, that a Hummer is "Like No Other" It truly is..... because it rattles "Like No Other"

 

haha.. nice review. Why did you need the hummer?

 

What an honest review.

Shows what's really important. No need for hp ratings or 0-60 times. It goes to show that functionality is what people mostly look for in a car.

I'm glad you found the right car that fits your needs. Post pics!

 

Other than running over tree huggers there's nothing I can think of..

 

So this is what you "need"

Tow rig or getting it wrapped for promo?

 

That is BS. Because of the size and weight of the vehicle, I'll bet the dealer thought you'd back out of the deal once you got a shipping quote.
When I bought my LS430 in February, the dealer (in Washington State) fedexed all the paperwork to a local notary service (in Michigan). I met the notary at a coffee shop, signed all the paperwork and handed over a certified check. The notary fedexed the signed paperwork and check to the dealer and the dealer released the car to the shipper 3 days later. For me, shipping was $900 (open carrier) and the doc fee, which they try to charge on all sales, was $150.

 

That was a good review! We will have another meet soon and we can see it all wrapped up

 

Quite a review. Arianna Huffington herself (Ms. Anti-SUV) couldn't have panned the vehicle any more.


Was the low residual value of used Hummers also a factor in the purchase? The fact that the division is going away, of course, depresses the value of used ones (and even new, unsold ones) and makes them a good buy on the marketplace, at least money-wise.

Probably so, but it is still not the size/weight of the H1.


You'll find out in a few months if that is the case, if/when the brake rotors start to warp from excessive heat buildup. However, even GM rotors of the correct size have had, in the past, a tendency to warp from poor-quality metal in them. If the rotors do warp, you will feel a pulsating/shimmy in the brake pedal that varies with the speed of rotation.....it will likely be most pronounced in the 45-70 MPH range.


Even with a tough, off-road-capable suspension, the long wheelbase and heavy weight no doubt helps smooth things out.

This is not limited to Hummers by any means. You'll find the same crap on the seats of some expensive Mercedes SUVs. They call it Leatherette or M-B-Tex.



BOSE does make pretty good speakers. Generally, you can only listen to one CD at a time anyway. But, I agree, to block out NAV/CD use at the same time is questionable. However, for safety/driver-attention purposes, some things on the NAV shouldn't be fooled with while the car is in motion anyway. Some automakers, for liability purposes, even block out some of the NAV adjustments while the car is moving.


If your specific vehicle was used extensively off-road before you bought it, that may explain some of the rattles, from the lateral/longitudinal twists/bends put on it from climbing over large obstacles. The H2 is based on the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra pickup-truck platform, which has a strong, ladder frame-rail system, but that type of construction, while more suited to tough off-road use than unibodies, tends to develop more rattles and squeaks than the unibody.

What was the reason you purchased it, then? That is a little unclear from your opening statements.

 

very funny review, I love it

I totally agree and no offense to the idiots: if anyone cuts off an H1, H2, 18 wheelers, public bus... they deserved to get rear ended

and especially dumb if you're sandwiched between an 18 wheeler in front of you

 

11mpg highway, jeeeeez. Our nieghbor has a white one, jacked up HUGE wheels, and that beast is loud, you can hear it coming down the street, and thats not exhaust noise but tire noise. I'd hate to figure what he gets in that gas mileage department going in city all the time, yikes X(.

 

got the H2 for promo wrap. I know a lot of you guys are thinking that I could have wrapped other vehicles, but for my situation it is a bit different. The wrap that I need has already been made for this vehicle so I don't need a complete custom job. Just need to order the wrap and have it installed.

A lot of H2's are selling real cheap, just got to find them. Some are still selling at ridiculous prices though.

In the end, like I said in my first post, I knew what I was getting into. It will get the job done and thats all that matters.

 

Only thing that I was left wondering is what the pump reads after you filled it up from E

 

Someone seriously cut off my Mum in our Rover today (we were both driving on the highway) and then he hit the breaks!!! We both honked at him; I could not believe this guy, he was so lucky Mum expected him to do an even dumber thing than cutting her off.