[payroll guy]

Regardless of gas prices, Hummer is still a brand that both my wife and I aspire to buy, and I would hate to see it killed off as a knee-jerk reaction.

There has been a lot of talk about making a smaller H4, but why not a much smaller version that is still at its roots a hard core off roader.

I owned an '88 Suzuki Samurai for almost 10 years and had to get rid of it a few months ago. Loved this vehicle, convertible in the summer, 4x4 with leaf springs all around for hunting/fishing and trips to the ski mountains, and I still got 30 mpg using it as a daily driver to and from work every day.

In looking around at the market, there are absolutely no similarly sized vehicles being produced today, so why not a Samurai sized H2? (I ended up buying a 2001 Chevy Tracker with the 2 litre 4 cylinder simply because it was the smallest real 4x4 out there). Give it a relatively torquey 1.6 litre 4 cylinder, simple solid axles, an interior that can be hosed out and sell it at around $15k. Heck even the Samurai slotted grill is close to the Hummer slotted grill.

Niche vehicle for sure, but there are plenty of people out there that want a true 4x4 for hunting / fishing , and with the small size and 4 cylinder engine, the public's view of Hummer might even be a positive one.

Current vehicle - 2001 Chevy Tracker 4 door 4x4, 4 cylinder

Past vehicles:
1999 Chevy Blazer 4 goor 4x4
1988 Suzuki Samurai convertible
1989 Chevy Tracker 2 door convertible
1994 Chevy S10 ZR2
1985 GMS S15 Jimmy