Overview & Reviews

Originally known as Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Svenska Aircraft Company), Saab is a Swedish company that began manufacturing automobiles in 1949. The company's early designs placed an emphasis on aerodynamics that is reflective of its history as an aircraft manufacturer.

The first production Saab, the 92, boasted a lower coefficient of drag than many modern cars. The 93, unveiled in 1955, was powered by a three-cylinder, 33-horsepower engine, and featured the distinctive fastback profile that made early Saabs among the most recognizable cars on the road. By the time the '50s drew to a close, Saab's lineup had grown to include the 95 wagon (capable of seating up to seven) and the 93 750 Gran Turismo, the automaker's first series-built sports car.

The marque started the '60s with the introduction of its successful Saab 96. With a production run of 20 years, this was the car that made Saab a recognized presence in the international market. The decade also saw the launch of the Saab Sport coupe. Scoring numerous wins on the rally circuit, the coupe marked Saab as a force to be reckoned with. The Sport's success on the track inspired a name change; it later came to be known as the Saab Monte Carlo 850. The Saab Sonett II sports car, with its body of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, also made its debut during the '60s, as did the Saab 99, which was the first Saab to feature the manufacturer's trademark wraparound windshield.

In 1973, Saab gave birth to the 99 Combi Coupe. The car came to define the Saab brand; with its hatchback and fold-down rear seat it offered remarkable utility. By the end of the decade, Saab had rolled out the 99 Turbo, which was a forerunner in harnessing turbo technology for use in production cars. The company also introduced the Saab 900, which held the distinction of being the first car to offer a cabin air filter.

During the 1980s, Saab cars (especially the Turbo models) gained American popularity as young urban professionals (yuppies) sought them out. The decade saw the launch of the 900 Turbo, the 900 Turbo Aero (the world's first car to offer a 16-valve turbo engine), the 900 convertible and the Saab 9000, a larger four-door car available in hatchback, and later on, sedan body styles.

In 1990, General Motors bought half of Saab's automotive division. The decade saw the launch of a revamped 900; the car offered a bevy of cutting-edge safety features, including three rear three-point seatbelts and rear side-impact protection. By the time the '90s drew to a close, Saab had also unveiled the 9-5, a larger, premium four-door sedan that essentially replaced the 9000. The 9-5 offered a host of new technologies such as ventilated seats. It was also the first to offer Saab's active head restraints, a system designed to prevent whiplash injuries.

By the 2000s, General Motors had bought the other half of Saab Automobile. Despite the brand's position on the leading edge of safety technology, Saab's popularity in the U.S. and around the world waned as its product portfolio grew increasingly stale and reliant on GM for parts, platforms and design. New models like the 9-2X and the 9-7X were based on platforms borrowed from other brands -- Subaru and Chevrolet, respectively. Meanwhile, the 9-5 soldiered on and the second-generation 9-3 ditched its quirky hatchback body style in favor of a mainstream sedan design. The hope was to make the 9-3 more appealing to American car buyers, but ultimately it only served to remove the car's unique personality.

In the midst of General Motors' financial difficulties and eventual bankruptcy, Saab was viewed as a disposable, troubled asset and essentially cast away. With the financial assistance of a European bank and the Swedish government, Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg intended to purchase Saab with the promise of restructuring the brand and keeping production within Sweden. That deal fell through when Koenigsegg changed its mind about becoming involved with such a troubled company. Another niche-market supercar company, Spyker Cars, pursued the purchase of Saab. But that venture eventually failed as well and ultimately, at the end of 2011, Saab went into "wind-down" mode, filing for bankruptcy. In other words, Saab's future is still very much in limbo.

User Reviews:

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  Gas milage much better than advertised - 2005 Saab 9-5
  By keith - October 10 - 10:56 am

  I have owned my Saab for over 3 years. Bought it used with 16k and have added another 30k. Have spent zero on maint. Except oil changes. Gas mileage is rated 17 city and 26 highway but I get 33 highway and 28 in mixed driving, not sure how to measure city. No complaints so far. Love the rear parking sensors. Have an aero with spoiler so still looks good although over 5 years old. Sport seats are comfortable. You feel the road which I like but my wife hates. Also rides low (same like/hate). Harman Kardan sound is good but not amazing. Trunk roomy. Cant complain. I know resale is low, but will prob. Give to my son at some point and I only paid $22k used so not too worried

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  Fun to drive & Cool to look at - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By david3d - October 8 - 3:30 pm

  The Saab Aero is a very fun car to drive, the turbo kicks in effortlessly pushing you back in your leather seat. The car sticks to the road, and in "sport" mode you can move in and out of traffic with no hesitation. The cars styling is aggresive let refined, with the classic Saab clam shell hood.

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  Minor issues but love it! - 2007 Saab 9-7X
  By Carl Sanders - October 6 - 9:06 am

  When I first bought the truck I had to replace all of the brakes and rotors as they had rusted out from being driven in the north with all of the salt they put out for the snow. I also had to replace the factory tires at 30,000 miles but other than those minor maintenance issues it has been a great vehicle. People are always impressed by the way it looks and say they never knew Saab made an SUV. I like that it is a unique model and I never see anyone else driving my truck. I would probably not recommend it to anyone though because of the horrible gas mileage as they can probably find something that looks just as good but with better gas mileage.

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  Fabulous Car! Terrible cup holders! - 2006 Saab 9-5
  By Mike Hoggan - October 4 - 4:33 pm

  Love exterior design of our 95. Not a lot of them on the road, so its unique and gets a lot of attention. The 2.3 L turbo is thrilling powerhouse with excellent excelleration, especially in Sport mode. Handling terrific, color, quality & design of interior materials great. But some wind noise and annoying rattle that has developed in moon roof that dealership service now tells us is common problem with 95 but very annoying in car this price - we are determined this will be fixed.

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  Better than Id expected - 2010 Saab 9-3
  By 2Saab - October 3 - 7:43 pm

  We wanted to replace a pick up for better fuel economy. Saabs tasteful design, functional and pleasing layout of controls, good fuel economy, safety, and good looks all factored into the decision. In the end our 7 year old Saab (purchased used) sold us on the new one. After several years of ownership, we still flip a coin over who gets to drive it. Instead of a van or CUV that doesnt handle like a car, we have a car that handles well, and still will accommodate a lot of stuff.

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  Amazing car thats overlooked - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By ****** - October 2 - 10:00 am

  I test drove many cars in the same category; BMW, Acura, Audi, etc.. I had no determination that a SSAB was what I wanted, until I drove the 9-5 AERO. Heres a car that is capable of reaching speeds up to 155 mph, but can still get around 32 mpg under normal highway speeds. It is rated one of the safest cars in the world. If you test drive this car, take it on all types of roads, but make sure you get it out on the open highway, you will find what little effort it takes on the pedal to watch your speedometer increase rapidly...

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  A4, A6 & IS lover converted to 9-3 fan - 2005 Saab 9-3
  By Cork93 - October 1 - 10:10 pm

  Ive never been a Saab enthusiast until I saw my 9-3 with Navi. & all the ground effects & options of the V6 but with the 210 horse 4cyl. It is an awesome car to drive. I hope the reliability will be there for years to come.

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  2006 Saab 9-3 Aero Convert. Fun!!! - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By Raven777 - October 1 - 5:20 pm

  I was leery at first buying a Saab since many of my friends had warned me that Saabs had many problems. Well so far at ~3k miles they have been wrong. I love this car, it is fun to drive, very fast, and it turns heads. Even BMW drivers look to see, what is that car. The seats are the best ever! The confort is superb. The interior is nicely done with two-tone seats. The stereo though leaves something much to be desired. A Bose system would make a huge improvement. For this class car to not have BlueTooth is a shame, ONStar or not.

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  2006 SAAB 9-3 Aero - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By B - September 30 - 10:06 pm

  The turbo V6 has more power than you’ll ever need without sacrificing power over fuel economy. Love the buttons, once you get used to them the entire car is extremely convenient to operate. Love the white with black trim leather sport seats, extremely comfortable. Great car in the city with the blind spot pass. mirror, drivers information center up top on the dash – quick glance and your back to traffic, acceleration, compass, display rear parking sensors, and the car itself is easy to see around you. I love driving in the snow, traction control is set perfectly for ice and the tiptronic shift is easy to slow down. The car is a ton of fun driving through the mountains. Cool keys!

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  aggressive drivers beware - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By mark - September 28 - 7:36 am

  Got the car for 28k with the automatic. Car is by far the best thing going for the price. This car will get you speeding tickets for sure. I got one the second day. reaxxs rear steering is amazing when you push the car to its limits through corners.ESP actually works great keeping you out of the ditch. Brakes are incredible, zero fade. Car cruises at 130 getting 24mpg but gets a little loose over 140, the aero ground effects would probably take of this. stereo cranks as long as youre not into heavy bass, 6 disc changer is nice. Definitely worth considering. we chose this over the subaru wrx due to styling and driving comfort. I drive all over the continent and enjoy every bit of it