Between Seasons, Full Send

An East Coast road story 

Winter on the East Coast has a way of making you restless. By Spring, you’re already mentally shedding layers, craving light, space, and the promise of movement. Remembered now, out of season, this drive feels less like a summer memory and more like a reminder: fun doesn’t need a calendar. 

I picked up the GMC HUMMER EV in New York City, which is not exactly known for welcoming large personalities—vehicular or otherwise. Let’s be clear: this is a big car. On city streets, you feel it immediately. Taxi drivers clock you. Delivery vans pause. There’s a brief, delicious moment of should I be doing this? before the answer becomes obvious: absolutely. 

Once you settle in, the size stops feeling intimidating and starts feeling… empowering. Visibility is excellent, steering is surprisingly nimble, and suddenly the chaos of the city feels manageable—almost orderly. Stop-and-go traffic loses its sting when there’s no engine noise filling the cabin. Tight turns feel intentional. The HUMMER EV doesn’t try to blend in, and somehow that makes New York behave. 

Leaving Manhattan is where the shift really happens. Streets widen, shoulders drop, and the drive starts to stretch. On the highway, Super Cruise takes over the mental load, turning what’s usually a white-knuckle crawl east into something closer to a glide. Miles pass easily. Hours don’t feel heavy. This is where the HUMMER EV quietly proves it’s a legitimate road-trip car—comfortable, composed, and confident enough that you stop thinking about range or stops and just… drive. 

Last summer, I pointed it toward the Hamptons in that narrow window before the season tips fully into frenzy. The hedges grow taller, the air lighter, the pace slower. Power is always there when you want it—instant, smooth, and almost mischievous in its silence. 

And then came the best part. 

"Intimidating in the city. Undeniably fun once the road opens up."

One warm afternoon, beach bag tossed in back, plans intentionally vague, the Infinity Roof panels came off. Tops off, sunglasses on, music up. Suddenly the HUMMER EV wasn’t just powerful—it was playful. Ocean air rushed in, light poured down, and every stretch of road felt like it was daring you to enjoy it. It’s hard not to laugh a little when your car feels less like transportation and more like a very capable summer accomplice. 

The Hamptons, for all their beauty, are not easy. Narrow village streets, tight parking, sandy pull-offs you commit to without fully knowing how they’ll end. This is where the HUMMER EV surprised me most. Four-wheel steer made its size feel negotiable—almost cheeky—and expansive camera views turned potentially awkward moments into non-events. Big? Yes. Clumsy? Not even close. 

From smooth highways to uneven back roads and beach parking lots, the vehicle adapted without fuss—select the right mode, keep moving. Even charging stops felt refreshingly unbothersome. Grab an iced coffee, answer a text, take in the view. Back on the road. 

Looking back now, the drive feels especially relevant. It wasn’t just about getting from city to coast—it was about how seamlessly the HUMMER EV handled both personalities. A little intimidating in the city, in a way that works in your favor. Easy, confident, and undeniably fun once the road opens up. 

Luxury doesn’t always have to whisper. Sometimes it smiles, takes the long way, pops the tops, and reminds you that the best journeys are the ones that don’t take themselves too seriously. As we look ahead to warmer days, this is the kind of energy worth remembering—and repeating.