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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  Amazing - 1999 Saab 9-3
  By itshrd2bcute - December 29 - 11:16 am

  I bought my Saab in June at a reasonable price. About a month after I got it my map sensor went. But otherwise its a great! Car

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  This car breaks a lot - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By Eliza - December 26 - 7:16 am

  I purchased my SAAB because the test drive was great and the car had great features and design. The turbo engine is a lot of fun, and the interior and exterior are beautiful. After 3 months, while driving in Manhattan, we had our first engine problem. The car was towed to the dealer at no charge and we were given a replacement. After that, the car has been in the shop at least once every 3- 4 months for various problems. Computer problems are the most common, but the most surprising was the complete tearing appart of the clutch, something not even the dealer had seen in 20 year old cars. This is very odd as the car stays in a garage and we drive very slowly around NY streets.

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  Nice Car to Drive; Hard Car to upkeep - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By Glad to Move On - December 23 - 4:10 pm

  Enjoyed driving the car, but lots of problems. Bad fuel pump, gas tank level gauge replacement, front suspension problems, very expensive emissions system repairs, both power windows went bad, cable connector to starter motor completely corroded away - I could go on. Tire wear was horrible, no matter what kind of tire I tried or advice I received. I barely got 20K miles out of a set of tires despite 3k rotation. Oh well - glad to move on to my next vehicle - not going to see me in another Saab any time soon - sorry GM. Maybe I just got a bad vehicle.

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  Great driving, exceptional power - 2001 Saab 9-3
  By awasti - December 23 - 10:40 am

  Great for driving. Turbo is very powerful, although kicks in around 35MPH. Car has all the necessary luxuries pre- packages from heated seats to dual power seat adjustment to climate control to on-star gps tracking.

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  Quiet ride/Great SUV - 2006 Saab 9-7X
  By JW - December 14 - 2:03 pm

  I think it is worth paying extra for the Saab version of the GM SUVs. The ride is as quiet as a lux car. No rattles or unwanted sounds. Handling is very good for an SUV. Forget the V8 unless you are heavy towing. The V6 is more than ample for day to day driving.

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  Great ride! - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By saabinvt - December 8 - 10:44 pm

  I bought my Linear with 81,000 miles in 09. Its had some problems, but not outside what youd expect with a car approaching 100K miles. Yes, repairs can be expensive, but Ive done much of them myself, and parts can be found on eBay and junk yards for cheap. This car has a very smooth ride, is very quiet, the stereo is very good, the climate system is great and the controls are well laid out. The dash cupholder is useless, but I just put aftermarket ones on the doors. The acceleration is great, and I installed a high pressure turbo from an Aero, so now it really hauls! While not cheap to maintain, 9-5s can be found used for far less than competitive cars, and they look better too.

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  big bang for the dollars 95 aero - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By matmat - December 7 - 10:00 am

  having tested many european cars for around 40,000 grants, nothing compares with the over all value that saab offers for that kind of money, as far as reliability...remains to be seen ..truly one of the most beautiful car. as far as pure driving pleasure, no motor car is going to defeat bmw, but for 8 grants less then the slower 530i....hey, ...

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  Not Quite Perfect... - 2002 Saab 9-5
  By Chris - December 7 - 12:16 am

  Was a great car at the beginning, until I started having quite a few mechanical problems. Water pump went twice, turbo needed replacing, ignition module left me stranded on the highway, and a few other smaller things went all withing the 1st two and a half years. Maybe I had a lemon, but it was enough to put me off of getting another Saab. When everything is working, the car was a dream on the highway. It gearing felt a bit off when city driving with manual transmission.

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  Dont Buy This Car - 2000 Saab 9-5
  By ivanrothschild - November 25 - 12:03 am

  Got a great deal on it used. It was fun at first, the turbo was a blast. Ventilated seats, neat dash controls, but it started falling apart. Car alarm would go off randomly in the night when temperatures dropped. It burned oil. Was expensive to fix and never was able to fix it. Oil bled into the brake lines. Blue smoke everytime I started it. Finally had to pawn it off to a dealer as a trade-in. LEMON. I loved the features of the car and still miss certain things about it, but it was unreliable and just downright embarrassing with the clouds of blue smoke I left in parking lots.

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  Second Saab wagon - 2006 Saab 9-5
  By nelsoncm - November 20 - 7:46 pm

  Its a nice car for a small family of 3, plus 1 dog. The 06 ride is fairly smooth (for a Saab) and as always, wonderful on the freeway. What brought me back to Saab for a second time was the comfy, supportive seats. Unlike Volvo, headrest is adjustable, which is nice when youre short. All the amenities are here, heated seats, satellite radio, moonroof. Roomier back seat than many other wagons. Decent warranty. Only one problem in first 6 months, a faulty airbag sensor, which was fixed under warranty. Because its a 4-cyl, gets great mileage. They manage to get 260 hp out of this little engine, so it moves, though there is more turbo lag than in my old v-6.