Saab - Why do you like them?
Discussion
otolith said:
Our Saab was bought at the opposite end of the market. We were looking for a nice cheap large estate car for about two grand.
Lots ans lots of good reasons already on the thread. And I'll join the crowd thinking that part of the current appeal is that they make good used car sense. The things have fallen a bit out of favour with risk averse owners since the demise of the brand. And never *that* good as a status symbol (except for architects of course
) either. So not a lot of demand, but quite a few well maintained cars out there. And many with last keepers actually able to afford running a mid size exec car, so only average bork factor...While the styling is not nearly as pure as previous stuff IMO, I'd rather like one of these at some point.
Edited by Kolbenkopp on Thursday 18th July 23:04
I bought my 9-5 Aero two years ago when I was doing a lot of miles between Essex and Blackburn. My previous car was a 1.2 3 cylinder Seat Ibiza which was not best suited to five hour car journeys.
The Saab is quiet, has stunning seats, a decent stereo and enough pace (even in auto form) to surprise many people.
The Saab is quiet, has stunning seats, a decent stereo and enough pace (even in auto form) to surprise many people.
I love my 2003 SAAB '93 because...
(pics stolen from Google images)
It has the best dashboard illumination ever...
It's got a Turbo boost gauge...
It smells nice inside.
It's quick when you want it to be, but also good MPG.
It's built like a brick outhouse.
It looks good.
It's loaded with electronic goodies.
SAABs are driven by well educated, sensible, nice people.
And best of all, they aren't German.
(pics stolen from Google images)
It has the best dashboard illumination ever...
It's got a Turbo boost gauge...
It smells nice inside.
It's quick when you want it to be, but also good MPG.
It's built like a brick outhouse.
It looks good.
It's loaded with electronic goodies.
SAABs are driven by well educated, sensible, nice people.
And best of all, they aren't German.
Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
I love my 2003 SAAB '93 because...
(pics stolen from Google images)
It has the best dashboard illumination ever...
It's got a Turbo boost gauge...
It smells nice inside.
It's quick when you want it to be, but also good MPG.
It's built like a brick outhouse.
It looks good.
It's loaded with electronic goodies.
SAABs are driven by well educated, sensible, nice people.
And best of all, they aren't German.
Agree 100%. Mine's a 2006 9-3 aero saloon, and I specifically bought it as I was after a decent sized, quick(ish) car for around about £4-5k. Loads of BMW's and Audi's came up when searching, but every tom dick n harry has one nowadays and they really aren't special (certain models excluded, M3 etc). I have never bought into the "premium" branded German car philosophy, and the SAAB fitted the bill for what i was after perfectly (and yes, the dash illumination at the dead of night is literally the best thing EVER).(pics stolen from Google images)
It has the best dashboard illumination ever...
It's got a Turbo boost gauge...
It smells nice inside.
It's quick when you want it to be, but also good MPG.
It's built like a brick outhouse.
It looks good.
It's loaded with electronic goodies.
SAABs are driven by well educated, sensible, nice people.
And best of all, they aren't German.
After seeing mine, two of my friends now also own 9-3 aeros; both could afford much more "premium" cars, but simply didn't see the point in buying one after having a look about the SAAB! Such a shame the brand is gone - but at least they will (well, are) be back next year with a new owner (NEVS) at the helm. Parts can still be had as that side of the business still exists, anyone wanting one shouldn't worry too much and just get one and pick up an absolute bargain of a car while you still can!
deanogtv said:
I remeber watching a top gear segment on Saab a couple of years ago. It came across that they were different, and wanted to stay that way even what under GM. I recall them being given the underpinnings of the Vectra and told to just weak it a little, appantley they totally ignored GM, used the floor plan and re-worked eventhing else.
The orginal 900 turbo is way up there on my cool wall
I will dip my toe in one day, very soon I hope!!
That's a Saab 99 turbo 3-door. The car featured on Top Gears tribute to Saab was a 2-door and IMO the best looking of the classic Saabs although I like all of the 900 and 99 turbos. The Top Gear tribute to Saab was a great bit of film but they should have said all that stuff when it would have helped rather than after the company shut down. The orginal 900 turbo is way up there on my cool wall
I will dip my toe in one day, very soon I hope!!
As hinted at earlier one key draw is the huge amount of usable power you can get from a tweaked Saab engine. My old Saab 9000 Aero had the ECU reprogramed. A friend did it at home in my garage with a laptop. After this the car was dynamite. It wasn't bad anyway but after mapping it was leathal. At one stage (on a test track) I took it off the clock... i.e. past 150mph - all standard hardware, just a little ECU tweak.
Anything post 9000 was crock though. They're all based on the GM vectra chassis. The 9-5 kept the good old Saab engine for a long time but GM effectively lobotomised it by taking away all the strength it had while it was in the 9000. This was to get better MPG from it. They also changed the camshafts to something less agressive. The 9-3 was using the vauxhall engine earlier than the 9-5 so was a vauxhall chassis with a vauxhall engine, Saab body shape and Saab badge.
Bottom line is... 99, 900 or 9000 - all good hardwearing cars. Turbo versions can be a bit tame if either not working properly or requiring tweaking. I've had at least one of each and tweaked them all. The 9000 was untouchable mid-range, had recaro wing-back leather from the factory, climate control, walnut everywhere. Jeremy Clarkson once said the Saab 9000 accelerated faster 40 to 70 than a Ferrari Testoressa (428hp) - I had that car and I also tweaked it - puts it into perspective.
This fairly well produced track-day video demonstrates quite well how Saabs stack up performance wise. Remember the 9000 the Starlet is following is a fully loaded quiet and comfortable 5-door luxuary car. Towards the end of the video the 9000 does what they do best, pulls out and rapidly overtakes a slower Saab 9-5. You also see by the end of the video that a Saab 99 turbo has caught up with the pack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A78s28jnVgk
Think my favorite though is the Saab 99 Quattro. Saab engine, Saab chassis, Audi Quattro drivetrain. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzwLpmcbjBg
otolith said:
The "quicker than a Ferrari/911/etc" figure is misleading, though, it's always the Saab in the right gear versus something quicker in the wrong gear.
IIRC it was 9000 Aero vs contemporary cooking 911, like-for-like in-gear times.The SAAB beats the 911 on torque-to-weight - I forget the torque figures, but both stood at around the 1,400kg mark.
And when you start modifying the Saab some really interesting things happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQS_JJgniOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib5qvt1DUFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQS_JJgniOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib5qvt1DUFE
Edited by 6506234 on Friday 23 August 14:30
Back to the OP - SAAB's appeal dates back to the fact that they were FWD when it was unusual, turbocharged when it was unheard of, and could be rallied without fitting a cage.
The doors on an original 900 don't shut with a Ford (pace) clang, or a German 'thunk' they shut with a noise like a safe. My 900T16S sounded like a motorboat and handled like a grown-up hot hatch - and it was standard. I replaced it with an Audi S2 which felt as strong, but was slower in anything other than a straight line and was a total barge by comparison.
The 9-5 was bigger than a 5-Series, drove better than an A6, but cost less than a base 3-Series and came laden with toys: 600 mile days are easy, as so are 200k mile lives.
GM issues nothwithstanding, part of the 'problem' with SAAB is the length of time they kept models in production: the 900 wasn't very clever in 1993 - but in 1978 it was pretty special.
The doors on an original 900 don't shut with a Ford (pace) clang, or a German 'thunk' they shut with a noise like a safe. My 900T16S sounded like a motorboat and handled like a grown-up hot hatch - and it was standard. I replaced it with an Audi S2 which felt as strong, but was slower in anything other than a straight line and was a total barge by comparison.
The 9-5 was bigger than a 5-Series, drove better than an A6, but cost less than a base 3-Series and came laden with toys: 600 mile days are easy, as so are 200k mile lives.
GM issues nothwithstanding, part of the 'problem' with SAAB is the length of time they kept models in production: the 900 wasn't very clever in 1993 - but in 1978 it was pretty special.
IroningMan said:
otolith said:
The "quicker than a Ferrari/911/etc" figure is misleading, though, it's always the Saab in the right gear versus something quicker in the wrong gear.
IIRC it was 9000 Aero vs contemporary cooking 911, like-for-like in-gear times.The SAAB beats the 911 on torque-to-weight - I forget the torque figures, but both stood at around the 1,400kg mark.
NiceCupOfTea said:
Pretty sure it's a pre-87 (flat front/front handbrake) 900 - zoom in on the badge!
You're right, here's a better sizehttp://www.drivearabia.com/news/wp-content/uploads...
otolith said:
IroningMan said:
otolith said:
The "quicker than a Ferrari/911/etc" figure is misleading, though, it's always the Saab in the right gear versus something quicker in the wrong gear.
IIRC it was 9000 Aero vs contemporary cooking 911, like-for-like in-gear times.The SAAB beats the 911 on torque-to-weight - I forget the torque figures, but both stood at around the 1,400kg mark.
I think the mistake you might be making is that because it was a motoring journalist who said it you are thinking the figures come from doing an in-gear acceleration test. That's not the comparison. The comaprison is if both cars are trying as hard as possible the Saab can be surprisingly fast.
Is there anything more convincing than wiping the smug look off a Porsche owners face when you burn him on the motorway or dual carriageway etc in a 9-3 which cost's 10x less? Also at the same time as that you're actually comfortable.
My Dad own's a 9-5 (the last one produced) and is swapping it for a 330d X-drive M sport next year (0-62 in 5.4 seconds whilst being fuel efficient is just too tempting for him) but damn everyone will miss it. I myself own a 1999 9-3, and yes it's done some miles but that doesn't stop the thing from tearing sh
t up when needed. And you can get a powerful enough 9-3 from autotrader for what? A grand?
My Dad own's a 9-5 (the last one produced) and is swapping it for a 330d X-drive M sport next year (0-62 in 5.4 seconds whilst being fuel efficient is just too tempting for him) but damn everyone will miss it. I myself own a 1999 9-3, and yes it's done some miles but that doesn't stop the thing from tearing sh
t up when needed. And you can get a powerful enough 9-3 from autotrader for what? A grand?We've got a 9-5 Aero HOT we've had for a couple of years, if that counts? It's got a stonking mid range, which means that it feels really accelerative in cruising gears, but red-lined in each gear it's no quicker than you'd expect of a car with that power and weight. It's certainly slower driven flat out than our other two cars. It's a very rational, sensible solution for a quick and practical family car, designed to make the performance it has accessible without too much driver effort, but where it excels is in the accessibility of the performance and not in what it has in total.
otolith said:
We've got a 9-5 Aero HOT we've had for a couple of years, if that counts? It's got a stonking mid range, which means that it feels really accelerative in cruising gears, but red-lined in each gear it's no quicker than you'd expect of a car with that power and weight. It's certainly slower driven flat out than our other two cars. It's a very rational, sensible solution for a quick and practical family car, designed to make the performance it has accessible without too much driver effort, but where it excels is in the accessibility of the performance and not in what it has in total.
Like I said, the newer Saabs aren't much like the older ones. Tuning limit for a 9-5 is about 300hp before metal parts start bending in the engine. The 9000 can make more like 500hp before that starts to happen. I've also put my 9000 up against a friend driving a brand new Saab 9-5 aero and the old 9000 aero was much quicker. 9-5 never felt very quick. A lot of people have successfully tuned 9-5s but the king of the Saabs was really the 9000, closly followed by the 99 and the 900. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff