Lutz - we need more Hummers...
 

Well, so much for the SUV market dying. At least for Hummer. http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/28/news/companies/gm_hummer/index.htm?cnn=yes

the stupidity market never dies

I could use more hummers.

Hummer market summary: Money > Brains

Well, true, but broad sweeping. The stupidity market can involve anyone from those who refi-ed their house and spent all their equity to those who bought Hummers.

We also own Porsches which we don't drive in a miserly fashions.

Et tu, Brutus?

That headline is misleading. They don't need more Hummers, they need more models as the article points out. Not sure about the rest of the country, but Hummers are stacked up like chord wood around here. Drove by one of the bigger dealers in Novi, MI Tues and they had hundreds on their lot alone!

I wonder how many know that Hummer division executives are all women?

dd

I agree. But for many of the folks who buy a Hummer, it is their main mode of transportation. Most Porsche owners I know use theirs for mostly "fun trips".

Am I wrong here?

They probably do need more models, now that they killed off the largest one (H1) and sales of the next largest are dying, too.

"Hummer" is no longer the giant vehicle driven by Ahnold, it's just another GM nameplate to sell mid sized to smallish trucks. I.e., from the article:

"The H3, which is built on GM's midsize pickup truck platform, accounts for about three-quarters of the brand's current sales. It is similar in size to a Nissan Pathfinder or Toyota 4Runner and is powered by a 5-cylinder engine."

I think the article talks about expanding the range to Jeep Wrangler sized stuff, etc. It's probably not a bad idea, the nameplate is popular and has some value, and mid to small trucks will always be popular in the US. In any event, any expansion of the Hummer model line is almost certainly going to be on the downsize, not the upsize.

So it's not as crazy as it first might appear.

You're wrong - at least in my case - I drive mine every day. :)

And I would guess with everything going against my car (engine, gearing, tire height, the driver's right foot) the gas mileage isn't much better than a Hummer's.

Interesting. Of course, no accounting for Los Angeles, I've only seen yuppies in these things. Across the board, it's been 50-50 men and women.

I drive my Boxster everyday, and I don't feel badly. It gets damn good mileage if you don't drive like a maniac.

Comparing a 4 ton truck to a P-car, is apples to oranges. Both have their excesses, but the Porsches are certainly more efficient.

This is true. CalTrans did a study on what is truly wasteful about SUVs on CA. freeways, and found it isn't the engine or weight of the vehicle, but the dimensions. They simply take up so much width and length.

I have heard - but don't know the truth - that Hummers can fall into a tax loophole for small businesses. The owner who is hankering for a lux vehicle can lease a Hummer & write a big chunk of it off as a business "delivery" vehicle/truck.

Ian

A friend who lives in Calistoga bought 2 Range Rovers because of this loop hole. The tax saving meant the second one was free. The stipulation is weight not usage.

The best Hummer site ever! :D

I think "SLutz: we need more hummers" is a better title :D

Ah! You must have driven in L.A., too.:D

Yep, mines a daily driver :D But also have my backup vehicle just in case the P-Car does not want to play in the morning!!!

and so why were you taking me to task with the 911 reference? ;)

They are stupid because they are unnecesarily huge.

Well, he could have gone out, got two hummers, and then given you one...

So size doesn't matter? You sound like you were once married...

Well, fuel economy is one facet of why some dislike the Hummer, and what I was suggesting is the 911 is known for fuel economy either, so we shouldn't criticize the Hummer in that vein.

But size-wise, yes, one of the Hummer's greatest issues is its size - not a problem with the 911.

With high bumbers and curb of 6000 lbs the issues are more about saftey of those sharing the roads than physical dimensions. Most roads and highways in the US are built to accomodate 18 wheelers and thus effectively swallow up H2s.

Ever see one fit in a parking spot? Of course plenty of the owners seem to think the H2 is a "compact" too...

Hummers are the high-profile love-to-hate-them brand of poseur SUVs, but remember that there are many 'gross offenders' of other brands.

Toyota's FJ is within fractions of inches of the Hummer H3 and gets similar fuel economy. Neither will likely see any off-road duty, but both are truly capable.

But I don't see any FUFJ sites
:rolleyes:

Not talking about the H3. Talking about the H2. The H1 is actually cool but has no business on public roads.

H2 still gets my vote as stupidest vehicle on the road today.

Hmmm...good point. (Or should I say "Hummm").

Are you hinting at something political about the Hummer as is:

1) It's thought of as an American excess.
2) Inspired from American military (and all that goes with that these days)
3) A Schwarzenneger-endorsed product.

I used to think the H2 as stupid. But I used to think of excessively loud Harleys as stupid. I've grown used to both of them.

One other thing about the H2: it's safe when vs. other cars/trucks/buses in some cases. I mean something that large has little choice but to be safe.

What I truly don't like about the H2 are the interior dimensions. IIRC, for the H2's size, it can only seat four or five people.

I think you nailed it.

And yes, the H2 only seats 5 where the slightly smaller Tahoe on which it is based can seat seven.

it isn't political. It's about selfishness. The car is "safe" to the detriment of everyone else on the road. It is so big that it effectively takes up 2 or more parking spaces. And all this with little or no function relative to other more intelligently designed vehicles in its class. It is the epitome of the "me me me" mindset in this country.

You can at least make an argument that a 911, while getting not much better gas mileage, creates a much smaller footprint in the world. The H2 is about making the biggest footprint possible, with the least viable function. I think that's stupid. Ymmv.

And American excess isn't "political" in the con v. lib sense. It is, imho, a problem that cuts evenly across the aisle. It is political wrt our international standing though...

Selfish and political - both. You're right, not D vs R, but American vs world. Maybe the H1/H2 embodies the American selfishness/right to foreign oil and protecting those rights through aggression.

Not exactly how I feel, but I see how liberal greenies try to make that connection.

E

no, forget the gas part of the equation. It's about footprint. Making the biggest physical impact that you can. Taking up as much sapce as possible. The way of excess is viewed as the "American way" and is part of what is leading to the demise of the country. Probably the Buddhist in me, but I think that trying to find ways to have a little less physical impact on the world is a good thing. How about having a big intellectual or cultural or charitable impact on the world?

How about making your own personal decisions and letting others make theirs? If you think you can demonstrate any actual damages (beyond offending your self-proclaimed intellectual ideals) then I suggest you sue them off the road. Best of luck.

Be careful though, you may offend the rest of us with your wasteful million dollar homes in the California hills. In the end it's all about what I think YOU need:rolleyes:

People do make their own decisions. And I'm free to say I think they are stupid. You don't see me slashing their tires or trying to litigate them out of existence. Just stating an opinion and trying to explain what is behind it.

Don't get so testy. You don't own an H2, do you? :p

I still maintain it would be nice if people actually stopped and thought once in awhile about their impact on others around them...

California is doing just that - suing the automakers for their gross contribution to global warming.

Size can't be the issue. And if it isn't gas or environment then why the fuss?

I live in a kind of crappy apartment about 4 blocks from the 405 freeway.

Last time I checked i wasn't California. I was born here and live here, yes. But I'm not the state.

To *me* size is an issue. Gas and the environment are issues too, but again, less from a gas mileage perspective and more from an overall impact. Ymmv.

No I don't, but I guess I would if I could afford one. My wife likes the H3 (which is really just a little 5cyl mini SUV).

The smugness is what gets me I guess. But without smug the Prius would have no means of motivation:D

The people of California vote. The politicians they voted into office are suing