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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  Fun car - 1996 Saab 900
  By trexturk - October 9 - 10:00 am

  This car is very fun and fast. I like the design and platform of this car.

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  Used to love it - 1996 Saab 900
  By formersaabfan - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I have a 900SE turbo, black on black, beautiful and incredibly fun to drive. It was a great car for the first 4 yrs or so, but has absolutely fallen apart in the last 1.5 yrs. Furthermore, the Saab dealerships to which I have taken it for service in Atlanta (Jim Ellis, and Kelley before that) have been difficult to deal with, and have not actually fixed the car. I am about to trade the car, and unfortunately, due to my recent experiences with the dealerships, I wont consider the 9-5 as a replacement, even though recent reliability reports suggest a significant improvement since my model year. I am buying a BMW.

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  Archangels drink tea with Milton Berle - 1999 Saab 9-3
  By egospoon - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Great, except that there REALLY needs to be an AWD version.

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  A Great Car for a Decent Price - 2011 Saab 9-5
  By curt51 - October 7 - 3:27 am

  First, I must admit that Im a Saabophile who is now on his eighth Saab. Ive owned a Saab since 1988. By far this is the best Saab since my 1984 900 Turbo. The car is very quiet and comfortable. Plus, the amenities abound and make this a good bargain for the price. I love the exterior looks of the vehicle and Ive gotten a number of compliments from complete strangers.

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  2002 Saab SE Convertible - 2002 Saab 9-3
  By mudbug - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Very comfortable. I traded in a 99 Mustang GT convert. The Saab feels more responsive and is way more comfortable and refined. Torque steer is my only complaint.

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  Oh my!!! - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By Gobsmacked - October 3 - 3:46 pm

  Fine apart from: £5000.00 New Auto Gearbox £0090.00 New Front Coil Springs £0130.00 Diesel Fuel Pump £0200.00 Alternator £0500.00 Tyers, 3 developed punctures (1 two days after we bought the car) £0100.00+ on Bulbs (all changed, Brake Lights changed monthly) £1000.00 For Service. The final straw came, when the car would not accelerate past 50 mph, later traced to the Particulate Filter. This would have cost us another £2000. At this point it was goodbye to SAAB... at least they cleaned the car each time it went in to be fixed, yes... you guessed it... the cleanest car in history!

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  Beware of the 9-2xs out there. - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By FrankFromCT - September 29 - 12:53 pm

  I bought a new 9-2x with GMs employee discount, thinking it would be a steal, but my experience has been unpleasant and Ive only had the car for 3 weeks. Since a lot of these cars have been sitting on the lots for a year, my car had flat spots in the tires and scratches all over it from just sitting. My selling dealer has left me out in the cold, completely blowing me off and leaving me with a vehicle thats in poor condition. During the time of my purchase, I wasnt able to inspect or drive the exact vehicle and instead offered a demo to evaluate. I never thought my new vehicle would be in such bad condition although brand new. Buyers beware of the condition, inspect before you purchase.

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  Saabs Quirks are irksome, repairs=$$ - 2005 Saab 9-3
  By EGP - September 28 - 12:06 pm

  The employee discount for all promotion in 2005 made our 2005 Arc w/drivers package affordable. However, we should have stayed away. Within the warranty period, the car was into the dealer 3 or 4 times, one all of the radio and interior electronics freaked out and they had to replace the radio and command module. Luckily this was under warranty. However, 3 years, 55,000 miles, and just out of warranty, the car quits on the highway during rush hour forcing my wife to make some risky emergency moves. Car Would not start again! Turns out tat the the engine computer failed, and it cost us $900. Now 5k miles later, the stability system is giving critical errors.. could be $1000 to fix this time.

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  Great car, does not hold its value! - 2005 Saab 9-3
  By Snaab1 - September 19 - 7:03 am

  This has been a great car. We received fantastic and professional buying experience from the dealer. Car has been getting awesome gas mileage (32 MPG highway), has been relatively reliable (3 burnt headlights in 14 months but other then that perfect) and is very comfortable and fun to drive. One thing I would like to caution is maintenance after free period becomes very expensive. My biggest complaint is this car does not hold its value at all. I have received offers of less then half the original purchase price from several different dealers, including original dealer, for trade in. The car is only 14 months old and is in showroom condition. It lost 13K in 14 months. GM discounts :(

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  Couldnt ask for more for your $$$ - 2007 Saab 9-7X
  By dimaf999 - September 18 - 4:10 am

  Very good vehicle, much better fit and finish then the siblings. Engine is plenty powerful. Good handling. Very smooth ride.