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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  Combi is well named - 2007 Saab 9-5
  By Bluewater 42 - December 1 - 7:33 pm

  I like this wagon. It offers a ton of space for trips to the recycling center or the boat or 2 dogs and a blast around town, back roads, and the highway. If youre in the market for a mid-size wagon, and you like european brands, youll find a huge price variance between this and and a BMW, MB or Audi wagon. My wife has a 2.5T V70, very similar but a bore to drive. She loves driving the Aero, wants to swap cars. The engine is plenty powerful and it corners flat as my buddies 2001 530 Bimmer. I would recommend this car for someone needing a combination sport sedan/SUV. Tried 9.3 Combi, too small but nice wagon too.

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  Saab 9-3 Viggen - 2001 Saab 9-3
  By maturbo951 - November 28 - 11:20 pm

  This car is a rocket. Perfect for those who dont want the norm. This is the ultimate sleeper.

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  What a bargain - 2009 Saab 9-3
  By ws - November 19 - 2:20 pm

  You cannot find a better combination of price, features and performance. No appreciable turbo lag, responsive handling good visibility and comfortable seats. Workmanship and quality of materials are good; dont know what Edmunds was describing - maybe we got lucky. We are getting over 25 mpg in mixed driving. We could not be happier with this car.

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  Been great - 2002 Saab 9-3
  By dkp - November 10 - 4:56 am

  Today I hit 120,000 on my Saab. My repairs have totaled less than $1000; brakes, temp gauge sensor, mass airflow sensor. Love: acceleration, fuel economy, handling in snow/ice, cargo room. Dislike: rear passenger room, cupholders, pedal placement (too close together for my clodhoppers). Also dislike having to move the front seats up to fold the rear seats flat.

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  Sticking By It! - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By Rhonda - November 5 - 10:00 am

  OK, so the driver door of my Aero Sedan may have a prickly little habit of coming loose and nearly falling off unless I tighten the bolts every few weeks, but Im chalking it up to charm. Really. Ive owned Acuras up until buying this Saab, and sure those will get you where you want to go, but they just dont have the same kick and flair of this car. I truly love driving it and that counts for something in the trend of mundane cars and dull driving experiences.

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  Not bought yet? Run! Bought? SELL!!!! - 2001 Saab 9-3
  By SaabNeverAgain! - October 19 - 9:26 am

  Okay, positives first: This is by far the most fun car I have ever driven - except to the shop. And I know what I am talking about - I have had to do that a lot and that aint cheap! Bought it 3 years ago, had been leased for 3 years. Should have gotten the hint with all the things I had done on it while under the warranty still. I have had to pay $600-$1200 repairs on it several times a year for the past 3 years and I finally gave up and dumped this piece of workmanjunk at a pretty big loss! If you havent bought one, but consider it, seriously reconsider. If you have one and are seeing problems mount, just get rid of it ASAP - too expensive to fix everything, all the time!

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  disappointed in build quality & service - 2005 Saab 9-3
  By notsofast - October 13 - 12:20 pm

  Took delivery 11/29/04 - after having the car for 26 days it had to spend 11 days at the dealer for repairs (steering wheel lock). The acceleration is very slow for surface street driving and hesitates badly. Service also a disappointment. Car has been in three times to get reprogramming offered by Saab completed.

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  So far so good! - 2004 Saab 9-3
  By AlamoSpear - September 28 - 10:00 am

  Purchased my 9-3 used with 4,800 miles on it (9,000 now). I assume that it was traded in because of the rather harsh ride (my previous car was a MBZ 300E), especially given the poor condition of the roads around here. But it is a blast to drive - quick handling and acceptable acceleration with only 170HP. Love the exterior design. The enterior is minimalistic - very European. Trunk is quite large given the overall size of the car.

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  Its a nice car. - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By New 93 Owner - September 25 - 2:00 am

  It’s a nice little car. SAAB offers real nice deals. Many reviewers who talk bad about this car have not researched much. GM may have financially helped SAAB, but it is not the GM that designs and builds the car. It’s SAAB. Lexus are much better cars? Lexus are excellent boring cars that do not have personality. ES300? Isn’t it Camry? Do they know how much ES300 is sold for in Japan? It’s mid-sized family and nowhere near luxury. I agree this SAAB is not luxury, but at least it is quick and fun. The ReAxs system works pretty good on corners. Well, test-drive it. It is not that bad.

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  Keeps on ticking!. - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By double75 - September 11 - 3:00 am

  I have a 2005 Saab 92x Linear Automatic. I bought it way back when they had the GM employee discount for everybody. So I bought it instead of the Subaru Impreza.the mileage is over 266,000 miles and she keeps on ticking. I makes sure she is dealer tuned every year and I change the oil every 5,000 miles. Ive had the rear struts changed. Right as I type this i have her in the shop. I busted three Lug Studs on the left driver rear hub while driving. While i was checking the proper torque on the other lugs, I busted another stud on the front left hub. The dealer busted two studs about two months ago on the back right rear tire during service. The car has been good to me and my family.