There are some cars that just do not make sense in Britain. The small island has relatively high fuel prices, a steep gas-guzzler tax, and — most of all — narrow roads. So it’s rather difficult for a lifelong Brit like Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson to see the point in the hulking Hummer H2. Surprisingly, though, the normally-harsh critic gave the H2 and its military-grade predecessor, the H1, a fair chance when reviewing them.
After driving them (and getting stuck) around a small town with narrow roads, Jeremy concludes that despite their gargantuan size and lackluster fuel economy (he got 1 MPG when accelerating, but who doesn’t?), Hummers “make you feel like you’re seven years old” — which is about as friendly as we’ve heard Clarkson describe an American car. Too bad they’re no longer around.
Check out his review in the video just below.
Comments
It’s nothing to do with the car not being suitable for UK, more to do with tv viewing figures & entertainment. We have many vehicles as big & bigger than the Hummer here, not to mention trucks & buses all managing not to get stuck. I watch Top Gear every week, I enjoy the way it’s presented & the way they go about testing their vehicles to the extreme. The Hummer’s main fault is it’s LHD & (although not really my cup of tea, I’d much prefer a GMC Sierra) they did sell a few here.
LHD, size, price and MPG are all factors for the average driver.
There is just not enough market for most cars in LHD and that will always be a limiting factor in lower production vehicles. They do not want LHD anymore and we would RHD unless you are a mail carrier.
As they do have buses and trucks not everyone wants to be a bus driver or truck driver.
It was just not a vehicle designed for England and mass sales.
hes right, they are way too big and clumsy but it does make you feel cool, i want to own one one day but chances are that wont happen.
Top Gear has a great show, even the one in the US has gotten better. I loved the H1 (In the military I was a mechanic who worked on them), never cared for the H2, but did like the H3, especially the pick up version.
Slow news day huh?
The thing I found appalling was not that Clarkson was bashing on the H2; it deserves it. I found it appalling that he slammed on the Tahoe and even worse, called it a GMC Tahoe. Get the name right Clarkson! You’re in the business of knowing cars! He says every negative thing a person could say about a four-wheel-drive and directs it, undeservingly, at the Tahoe. Everything he said of the H2 was a remark that the H2 earned.
I personally wonder all the time what the hell GM was thinking with the H2. It was heavy, slow, big and had terrible fuel economy. For a much lower price you could get a Tahoe and any aftermarket kit you wanted to make it more capable off-road and still acheive all around better performance.
If I were GM I would have tried to make a capable, affordable 4×4 that was rugged and deserved the name Hummer. If they’d have done that there might’ve been a chance Hummer would be around today.
And also, you know this is an older Top Gear video not because it’s about the H2….but because of Clarkson’s hair.