Pick of the Day: 2003 Hummer H2, a massively boxy SUV ready to rumble

Suburban boulevards these days are crawling with curvy compact crossovers as the automotive industry evolves with shifting consumer tastes, an emphasis on fuel economy, and powertrain electrification.  But there was a time when brute SUVs ruled the land, and “bigger is better” was the name of the game.

The Pick of the Day is a prime example, a low-mileage 2003 Hummer H2 listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Bracey, Virginia. 

“Original condition with exception of the wheels,” the seller says in the ad.  “71,500 actual miles.  Originally stored in a private collection.  Hasn’t been rained on in five years.”

Finished in a color combination of White over a Wheat interior, this Hummer looks showroom-fresh, and the photo gallery accompanying the listing includes imaging of spotless wheel wells.  This is obviously an H2 that didn’t get beat up on any trails. 

The Hummer name – dating back to 1992 – got its real start a decade earlier in the form of the military Humvee, which was a nickname derived from High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).  The original Humvee went into service in 1983 as a four-wheel drive-utility and cargo vehicle that was engineered for combat and military use. 

The more driver-friendly Hummer H1 came later as the civilian version of that vehicle, sold by AM General, which was owned at the time by General Motors. The GM relationship continued from there, and the H2 model launched in 2002 using Chevrolet pickup frame elements.

Underpinnings of the Hummer H2 were geared toward heavy-duty use, with a three-piece ladder-type frame, an electric locking rear differential, underbody and rocker panel protection, a brush guard, and a winch receiver.  

This Hummer offers some comfort and convenience niceties on top of that hardware, courtesy of heated leather seating, a 6-disc CD changer, and a power sliding sunroof.  The original Monroney shows a $55,110 MSRP including 1SC Lux Series option packaging, which was a $2,800 add-on.

Under the Hummer’s hood resides a GM Vortec 6000 V8 engine coupled with a 4-speed automatic transmission.  Prior to 2011, the United States Environmental Protection Agency exempted vehicles such as this with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 pounds from fuel-economy standards, but independent magazine testing showed that the powertrain was good for about 10 miles per gallon and 11-second acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour.  Considering it weighs more than three tons, that’s scooting.

At 18 years old, this collector-owned Hummer H2 is perhaps one of the cleanest in the marketplace today. 

“Everything works as it should,” the seller proclaims. “Very clean outside, inside and underside.  Never been in the mud.  Runs and drives like new,”

The asking price is $35,000 or best offer for this Hummer, which is guaranteed to stand out from all of the everyday crossovers taking over America’s roadways – at a fuel-consumption premium, of course.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.