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:

• 

  2000 9-5 - 2000 Saab 9-5
  By jopped - April 19 - 10:00 am

  I am a life long Saab owner who purchased a 9-5 after much debate about whether to jump ship to BMW. I have been happy wth the performance and reliability but frankly, it looks like GM is influencing too much. I keep looking back at the car and seeing a chevy, so I am thinking about selling for looks alone. Care runs well and reliable and smooth, although the stereo is no where near as good as my old 92 9000S. Still, my wife just bought the 9-3 SE convertable and we love it! So they are not all bad. Just disappointed in the styling.

• 

  Pleased with purchase - 2004 Saab 9-3
  By William - April 18 - 11:56 pm

  I bought this car used off a lease with high miles - 75,000. I have had no problems with reliability so far - crossing my fingers this doesnt change. I only drive about 5,000 miles a year, though. Handling and braking seem pretty good. Im happy with the acceleration though sometimes turbo lag is quite evident. The car is also pretty comfortable and has more room than my friends with 3 series and a4s.

• 

  saab love - 2004 Saab 9-3
  By bozotheclown - April 16 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. Its great and the dealership in Skowhegan Maine was awesome to deal with....

• 

  Keep the top down - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By mwgallant - April 12 - 10:56 am

  I pored over internet resources to search for a four seat convertible that would handle my family of four and New England winters. I upgraded from a Chrysler Sebring and havent looked back. I traveld 100 miles by train just to pick up a rare Merlot color with only 8800 miles on it. Way better than the Chrysler even with 2 less cylinders! Put the 9-3 into Sport mode and get ready for some Gs. Real smooth ride with very little rattles. I have used the traction control to get out of many slippery situations. Combine it with Winter mode and you rarely get stuck. Purchased a 6 disc changer for the trunk on eBay at half the cost and had it dealer installed. Love to drive it topless!!

• 

  All around great car - 1996 Saab 900
  By mxracn746 - April 11 - 4:41 pm

  Have owned our 96 900S for about a year. Its a good reliable car. Has 143,000 mi on it. The only thing we had to do was rebuild the ditributor because the camshaft sensor went bad in it. The secondary air vacuum system keeps poping up a code in the computer of a partially blocked system, which I know its just water and I need to just take a shop vac and suck it out. I just clear the code from the computer every now and then. Other than that, Ive had absolutly no problems. we take it on 200~300 mile trips about once a month without hessitation.

• 

  Saab 9-2X - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By Reaxions - April 10 - 10:00 am

  Buy this car for what it is; a rebadged Subaru with a little Saab improvement (sound deadening, etc.). The exterior is unmistakable for the WRX Wagon and the interior is Subaru, through and through, with chaep plastic everywhere. I was very disappointed at the lack of power seats, steering wheel stereo controls, etc. The car has to be punished to get all of the 227 HP out of it and it does have a lot of body roll, though less than the WRX. The only reason to justify spending more money on this car than the WRX wagon is the upscale Saab name and a little tighter suspension. Other than that, save a couple grand and buy the WRX wagon.

• 

  Excellent car killed by inept marketing - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By tonedebone - April 7 - 10:53 am

  Take one globally respected rally car, add a pinch of style and a sprinkling of refinement; Sounds like the recipe for success. Trouble is, Saab thinks just putting their name on Subarus econobox without any other major changes suddenly makes it worth BMW or Audi money. For what it is (a handsome, fast and agile wagon) this car can not be faulted. For what it claims to be (a premium branded vehicle) it falls way short.

• 

  ESP works Great too. - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By I Lovemine2 - April 1 - 2:00 am

  I live in Torontoand was worried when the lease ran out on my SUV in the middle of the worst winter in decades. After a white out at 60 mph I was a believer. The Alero in front of me went spinning out of control. My car broke loose as well but as soon as I turned the wheel to correct it the electronic braking started. Before I knew what was happening the car was straight. The others were in a scattered mess all over the road and I just drove around them. The engineers at Saab got it right, I think I would have been on another car or in the ditch on the roof if I was in the SUV. Made my day. :-)

• 

  I Laughed, I cried, It Moved Me - 2002 Saab 9-5
  By jzeilinger - March 27 - 9:10 pm

  This has to be the craziest love/hate relationship Ive ever had with a car. One day I hated it, the next day I loved it. This car has a ton of power for a 4-banger and it was a total hoot to drive. It handled corners extremely well with very little body lean, was incredibly quick, roomy, huge trunk, responsive, and got very good gas mileage for a car of this size. I enjoyed this car tremendously. This was my 2nd 9-5 so that tells you something about my love for car. The Aero is pavement hungry & the conservative sport sedan look is very deceptive - cop magnet, be careful!

• 

  If You are Looking for A Different SUV - 2008 Saab 9-7X
  By Joseph - March 20 - 4:56 pm

  You will not see many SAAB 9-7X on the road. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your point of view. With two weeks I have had my vehicle in the shop twice. Hmm. I have a wait and see attitude. What will be the next thing that have me back at the shop.