Along with other heavy passenger vehicles Hummers have very poor fuel economy. For instance, the H2 in one engine configuration averages about 15 MPG on highways, (10 mpg on the street), has a curb weight of over 6000 pounds, and has relatively high maintenance costs. Also, just like an average SUV it is not taken off the paved roads by an average consumer to justify it’s off-road capabilities.
Burned Hummers after an arson attack by eco-terrorists in West Covina, CA in 2003.
What sets Hummers apart from other large SUVs and pickup trucks is that their large size that results in this elevated fuel consumption has lost most of the utilitarian justification. While design of heavy pickup trucks is intended for transporting large objects in construction work, for instance, or an SUV van can be viewed as an alternative to a mini-van for transporting large groups of people, the main appeal of a Hummer is that it looks big and dominant. The intense animosity that Hummer inspires in many people is a psychological consequence of it's success in projecting this sense of dominance, because most people do not like being bullied and react negatively to the car and it's driver.
In August of 2006, McDonald's rolled out Happy Meals that included toy Hummers. This promotional effort, seen to combine unhealthy fast food with excess oil consumption, was featured at several prominent blogs like Daily Kos, AdFreak, and others following development of at least one parody site by the Environmental Working Group.
Burned Hummers after an arson attack by eco-terrorists in West Covina, CA in 2003.
What sets Hummers apart from other large SUVs and pickup trucks is that their large size that results in this elevated fuel consumption has lost most of the utilitarian justification. While design of heavy pickup trucks is intended for transporting large objects in construction work, for instance, or an SUV van can be viewed as an alternative to a mini-van for transporting large groups of people, the main appeal of a Hummer is that it looks big and dominant. The intense animosity that Hummer inspires in many people is a psychological consequence of it's success in projecting this sense of dominance, because most people do not like being bullied and react negatively to the car and it's driver.
In August of 2006, McDonald's rolled out Happy Meals that included toy Hummers. This promotional effort, seen to combine unhealthy fast food with excess oil consumption, was featured at several prominent blogs like Daily Kos, AdFreak, and others following development of at least one parody site by the Environmental Working Group.
