What's the opinion on Saab's round here?

[Champ]

Haven't been around in a while - figured I'd get everyone's opinions!

Due to the unseasonably warm temps, I was able to get my car out onto the road quite a bit earlier this year!   

This reminded me how much I love this car.  Driving a SUV all winter gets boring.  I forgot how much power this engine really has, knocks you into the seat.  Not bad for being 12 years old.

I still have no idea why people dislike these cars.  Great automobiles.

I've had this car for coming up on 7 years now and it still brings a smile to my face everytime I drive it.


Obligatory pics (autobahn country club in Joliet, IL - circa 2010)

[565]

Extinct for a reason.

[Vinsanity]

I take it you weren't around for the latter part of this thread:

http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=23785.msg1635241#msg1635241

I somewhat considered a 9-3 convertible last time I went shopping, because I had a friend who drove one at the time, and it seemed like a very nice car. But unfortunately, it didn't take very much digging to find horror stories like Rob's

[Champ]

Nope missed that one!  Haven't been around since probably 2008/2009 range.

Guess I won't be making another one of these threads anytime soon!

[hotrodalex]

Your car is cool. I like the styling of quite a few Saabs. The reliability and fact that the company isn't around anymore isn't a confidence booster, however.

[Vinsanity]

Nope missed that one!  Haven't been around since probably 2008/2009 range.

Guess I won't be making another one of these threads anytime soon!

Sorry if I bursted your bubble. Saabs were/are neat cars, but have become irrelevant in the years immediately preceding their end. I don't know it was here, or one of those car blog sites, but there was a discussion that Saab showed promise during their heyday years in the 1980's, when were on the same footing as BMW, Audi, and Volvo, in offering premium cars with a unique driving character and experience. BMW soon stepped up their quality later in the 80's to take on established M-B and newcomer Lexus in the luxury game, and Audi followed in the late 90's. Saab tried to follow their rivals upmarket, but without the corresponding improvement in quality. As a result, buyers were left with little reason to spend BMW money on a Saab. In the meanwhile, newcomers Infiniti and Acura, along with upmarket VW's and Hyundais, came to take over the segment that Saab should've held on to.

[TurboDan]

I still have no idea why people dislike these cars.  Great automobiles.

Because when you have to drive one every single day, they break down alllll theeee tttiiiimmmeeee.

My Saab was awesome when it actually worked, which was very infrequently. Name a part, it was replaced at some point in that car. Big part, small part, didn't matter. It was always something. As bad as it was money-wise, it was worse time-wise, always having to go without a car, get rentals, borrow cars from family members or friends. Everyone loves Saabs on the test drive, then finds out what all the nasty rumors are about.

In your situation, where you drive it part-time as a fun car to keep around, it's probably OK. I would even entertain the idea of getting another one for that purpose. But I would never, in a billion years, suggest someone purchase one as their daily driver.

If my Saab was even slightly reliable, it would've been the best car I've ever owned. Your car is beautiful, by the way! Absolutely love it!

[2o6]

They're neat, but consider this:


In 2002 (is that the year of your car?) a non-Viggen 9-3 cost as much as one of these



And the Saab's basic platform, styling and power plants came from 1994. The BMW (and all of it's contemporaries) had already gone one full model cycle, and were on their way to another model cycle. Then the 2004 9-3 was IMO not a very competitive car.

[Rupert]

Saabs are rad, or at least they were through the '80s.

900 Turbo, 99 (whatever the hot one was called), 96, 95, Sonnet, them's cool cars.

[Eye of the Tiger]

What is this autobahn country club in Joliet, IL? Aside from insanely overpriced, I mean. Are Hyundais allowed?

[Raza]

The Viggen is still one of the coolest cars ever sold in the US.  I can still vividly remember dusting a 360 in one in midrange acceleration.  I want one badly, but I would feel bad about driving it daily, with my commute.  Even at the height of my "FWD sucks" ignorance, I enjoyed driving Saabs.

[Champ]

Sorry if I bursted your bubble. Saabs were/are neat cars, but have become irrelevant in the years immediately preceding their end. I don't know it was here, or one of those car blog sites, but there was a discussion that Saab showed promise during their heyday years in the 1980's, when were on the same footing as BMW, Audi, and Volvo, in offering premium cars with a unique driving character and experience. BMW soon stepped up their quality later in the 80's to take on established M-B and newcomer Lexus in the luxury game, and Audi followed in the late 90's. Saab tried to follow their rivals upmarket, but without the corresponding improvement in quality. As a result, buyers were left with little reason to spend BMW money on a Saab. In the meanwhile, newcomers Infiniti and Acura, along with upmarket VW's and Hyundais, came to take over the segment that Saab should've held on to.

Definitely pretty accurate.  I think if they wanted to chase BMW at that point they could have.  The redesign of the classic 900 was a really pivotal car, and it was awful.  A HUGE step backwards from the 99/900.  They would have needed to start offering AWD I think in the mid to late 90's if they wanted a chance, along with a good chassis.  They had the other stuff handled - uniqueness, ergo's, styling, etc.

Because when you have to drive one every single day, they break down alllll theeee tttiiiimmmeeee.

My Saab was awesome when it actually worked, which was very infrequently. Name a part, it was replaced at some point in that car. Big part, small part, didn't matter. It was always something. As bad as it was money-wise, it was worse time-wise, always having to go without a car, get rentals, borrow cars from family members or friends. Everyone loves Saabs on the test drive, then finds out what all the nasty rumors are about.

In your situation, where you drive it part-time as a fun car to keep around, it's probably OK. I would even entertain the idea of getting another one for that purpose. But I would never, in a billion years, suggest someone purchase one as their daily driver.

If my Saab was even slightly reliable, it would've been the best car I've ever owned. Your car is beautiful, by the way! Absolutely love it!

Thanks Dan.

I guess I've been lucky?  My car has been stone dead reliable.  Actually all 4 of the Saab's I've had haven't given me any trouble.  I used to daily drive my car year around, but now that we have a 3rd vehicle it makes sense to store it.  Which is a shame because it's a fantastic winter car.

The Viggen is running up on 140,000 miles and since I've owned it (60,000 miles) the only major repairs I've done are: clutch @130k, power steering rack @134k.  Rest is upgrades and oil changes.  Mild track use too...  Who knows!

They're neat, but consider this:

In 2002 (is that the year of your car?) a non-Viggen 9-3 cost as much as one of these

And the Saab's basic platform, styling and power plants came from 1994. The BMW (and all of it's contemporaries) had already gone one full model cycle, and were on their way to another model cycle. Then the 2004 9-3 was IMO not a very competitive car.

Mine is a 2000 but realistically the 99-02 were all the same.

I will agree with you the chassis is totally outdated.  Totally outdated.  Shit it sucked when it was released in 1994!  The classic 900 ('84-'92) handles better than my car does.

However, the powerplant definitely does not suck.  They should have started using the 2.3l found in the Viggen and 9-5's as the base motor in the 9-3's.  They also should have been offering AWD around the early 90's instead of 2008.  I've driven a lot of cars, and the 2.3l turbo that Saab makes is one of my favorite engines.

What is this autobahn country club in Joliet, IL? Aside from insanely overpriced, I mean. Are Hyundais allowed?

Track in a Chicago suburb.  I would assume Hyundais are allowed, why not?  I just did a normal track day there.  Actually 2 - we went down and did a motorcycle track day on Sunday then did a car track day on Monday.

[TurboDan]

I agree that the 2.3 would've been best. I had the 2.0 turbo, which was fun, but had a decent amount of turbo lag which took getting used to when I first bought the car. When the turbo wound up, though, that car was fast, especially in sport mode. It was definitely a sleeper.

[Madman]

My brother has a 1998 Saab 900 S 2.0 Turbo which has been a paragon of reliability.  He's not a "car" person and probably didn't even know what the hell a Saab was before he bought one.  Although he could easily afford a new car, his Saab still works and he intends to keep driving it until it stops.

[280Z Turbo]

What is this autobahn country club in Joliet, IL? Aside from insanely overpriced, I mean. Are Hyundais allowed?

You don't need to be a member to race there. One or both of the circuits are rented out to clubs. You pay the club, not ACC.

[S204STi]

The Viggen is still one of the coolest cars ever sold in the US.  I can still vividly remember dusting a 360 in one in midrange acceleration.  I want one badly, but I would feel bad about driving it daily, with my commute.  Even at the height of my "FWD sucks" ignorance, I enjoyed driving Saabs.

I dig the Viggen.  It needs some tuning to unleash it's true potential, but it's not a bad car. I'd roll in one.

I'd also take a newer 9-3 Aero X (twin-turbo 2.8L V6).

[Rupert]

You guys talk highly about the Viggen, I feel like I'm missing out.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I'd be happy with a lowly 9-5 2.3T. Good little cars.

[280Z Turbo]

I'd be happy with a lowly 9-5 2.3T. Good little cars.

Except the 9-5 is pretty big.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Except the 9-5 is pretty big.

Interior feels smaller than Accent

[S204STi]

You guys talk highly about the Viggen, I feel like I'm missing out.

I've driven one, once.  Wasn't mightily impressed compared with the WRX, but my understanding after the fact is that power is reduced in the first 3 gears.  Also, the chassis needs help.  Address both of those issues and apparently it lives up to its billing.

[Champ]

I've driven one, once.  Wasn't mightily impressed compared with the WRX, but my understanding after the fact is that power is reduced in the first 3 gears.  Also, the chassis needs help.  Address both of those issues and apparently it lives up to its billing.

It's really quite a nice car.  If Saab had a better chassis for the car, even if it stayed FWD, it would have been a really serious contender.

It has got to be one of the best daily drivers ever for all around ability.  It's a great looking car, passing/merging power like you wouldn't believe, cargo space enough to transport big screen TV's and coffee tables, does really well in the winter/snow, comes stock with big brakes, extremely comfy seats, I get 34mpg if I set the cruise at 65 and it holds it's own on the track.


Mine is a really good example - I have all the suspension and chassis sorted out and now I feel that's how it "should have been" from the factory (without being a different chassis entirely).  So I'm definitely biased - but I have no idea what I would get if I got rid of it, that would retain all the positives it has.  Maybe the new 4-cyl turbo 3'er if they make a wagon?  But then that's a lot of money.

[S204STi]

You tuned yours as well, right?  I imagine that unlocked a bit of power.

[Champ]

You tuned yours as well, right?  I imagine that unlocked a bit of power.

I had it "stage 3" for about a week then went back to stock (to reference spaceballs, it was ludicrous speed).  Only engine mods are larger intercooler (no more power but helps on the track when it's hot, not to heat soak) and a 3" downpipe.  Rest of exhaust is stock from the cat back.  I wouldn't mind doing something like a mild stage1 which just gives me full boost in 1st / 2nd gear but I sold my spare ECU so don't feel like modifying the stock one.

All my money went into suspension and nice tires

[S204STi]

The downpipe would alone be a good mod, with tuning.

Stock catback might be a mild hindrance, but not by much.  Plus it's got a nice sound to it.

[565]

Speaking of SAAB.  The medical student I'm on rotation with just had her 2002 Saab 9-3 radiator explode, leaving her stranded at the hospital.

[S204STi]

Radiator failure is clearly a characteristic of just Saabs.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Radiator failure is clearly a characteristic of just Saabs.

I dunno. My Pontiac had a pretty epic rad failure. That was probably an outlier, though.

[S204STi]

I dunno. My Pontiac had a pretty epic rad failure. That was probably an outlier, though.

Nope, only Saabs do that.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Nope, only Saabs do that.

Yeah, it must have been the head gasket, or something.