Ha ha! Hummer Sales Are Bummers For Dealers (NYT)

[stopbush]

The New York Times
May 17, 2004
No Longer the Next Big Thing, Hummer Offers First Rebates
By DANNY HAKIM

DETROIT, May 16 —
(snip)

But most dealers are undertaking the ambitious construction project just as Hummer, the loudest and proudest of the giant American sport utility vehicles, has shown signs of losing its swagger.

Sales of the flagship Hummer H2 have fallen for eight consecutive months, and 24 percent in the first four months of the year, compared with the same periods a year earlier. G.M. has resorted to rebates and financing deals, which have become standard for every Detroit brand but Hummer. Inventories piled up as Hummers sat unsold 62 days on average in the first quarter, compared with 15 days a year earlier. And G.M. is now using leases, which are less lucrative than sales, to move a quarter of its volume of H2's, according to J. D. Power & Associates.

(snip)

Dealers and analysts say rising gas prices are contributing factors for the vehicle, which gets about 11 miles per gallon and has a smaller gas tank than some rivals. For the last two years, fuel economy has been among the top 10 complaints of Hummer owners in J. D. Power's initial quality surveys.

(snip)

To detractors, they are symbols of the nation's soaring oil consumption. Hummers are so large that they are not regulated by fuel economy standards governing most vehicles. One Web site dedicated to what it calls the "ultimate poseur vehicle" has collected 553 photographs from people all over the country giving salutes to Hummers, Hummer executives, Hummer toys and pictures of Hummers in magazines. As one might guess, these are not military salutes. The site's name cannot be printed in a family newspaper.

The Sierra Club sponsors www.hummerdinger.com, a satirical site lampooning Hummers for, among other things, getting less than half the mileage of a Model T Ford.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/17/business/17HUMM.html?pagewanted=print&position=

On edit: just in case you're interested, JD Power rates the Hummer H2 as one of the worst SUVs around. They use a five-star rating:

5 = Among the best
4 = Better than most
3 = Does not really stand out
2 = The rest

Hummer H2 scores a lowly 2 in the following categories:

Mechanical quality
Body & Interior quality
Overall quality
Performance

It's scores a not-much-better 3 in

Comfort
Overall appeal
Feature and accessory quality
Features and instrument panel

They give it a 4 for Style.

It doesn't earn a single 5 (top rating).

[caledesi]

1. O MPG. An ugly, uglgy "car." nt

[Piperay]

2. H2 was not a well

thought out vehicle to begin with, it is the body of an H2 on the frame of a Chevy Tahoe. Seems obvious that something like that is just a mongrel and not going to be sound or very good mechanically. :-(

[NNadir]

3. The Times article declines to give the FUH2 Website.

http://www.fuh2.com/index.php

Hundreds, if not thousands, pictures of people giving Hummer's the finger.

We saw a Hummer H2 limo here in New Jersey the other day. I asked my kids to give them a "dirty look," but they're still a little too young to encourage "giving them the finger."

[dusty64]

4. This does

brighten my day and makes me chuckle. I think I read this joke here last year, What is the difference between a porcupine and a hummer? The porcupine has its pricks on the OUTSIDE! Hee hee.

[yellowcanine]

5. A "4" for style??? Uh...ok, if you think a big metal box on wheels is

"style". Only the Element is uglier, imo. At least it has some utility. What is a Hummer good for, other than taking up a lot of space and using a lot of gas? I guess it could tow a really big trailor or boat although I have never seen anyone doing that.