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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  Awesome Ride! - 2000 Saab 9-5
  By toxicavenger70 - April 30 - 7:26 pm

  This is my second 9-5 wagon but this one is Limited Edition Gary Fisher. Great car but I did do a Saab ECU upgrade and it took all the turbo lag out of it! No slow starts from the light anymore! It is almost like I have it in Sport Mode all the time. Best seats I have ever sat in for a long time and heated seats that dont cook your bottom. Car handles great in our Colorado snow with snowtires (no studs). It did have the standard SID problems, Coolant bypass valve, #6 PVC update and crappy tires. But I get BBA reman. to fix the SID and it has a warranty for 86 bones, PCV update 50 bones and now the car is ready to rock!

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  love it! - 2005 Saab 9-3
  By dbl - April 30 - 7:06 am

  This car was purchased during the incentive period of 2005. Had not thought much about a Saab at the time but was unimpressed by any of the GM, Ford, Chrysler cars. The incentives made the Saab affordable for us. Extremely happy with performance and design. This car has brought back the fun in driving. Have almost 4000 miles on the car and like it better each day.

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  Steps in the right direction - 2004 Saab 9-3
  By jchilds3 - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I love the body restyling. I actually have the Vector model. Its really fun to drive. I wish that Saab had taken a few more steps in redesigning the interior. I would like more brushed aluminum trim on the dash and the pedals to make the car even sportier.

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  Solid, but Fun Car... - 2002 Saab 9-3
  By nm - April 26 - 10:00 am

  We looked at Nissans (Altima and Maxima), Toyotas (Camry and Corolla SE), Fords, Mini, and Volvos. We liked the Saab the best because they gave us a great lease deal and we did not have to mess around with all of those Option packages. The 9-3 Turbo has everything you will need right out of the gate. Its fast, nice-looking (midnight blue), functional (OnStar), luxurious (Leather, Power Everything, Sunroof), and reliable. I drive on the highway all day and this car is a joy at high speeds. At night, the dashboard lights are easy on the eyes.

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  Solid, but Fun Car... - 2002 Saab 9-3
  By NM - April 26 - 10:00 am

  We looked at Nissans (Altima and Maxima), Toyotas (Camry and Corolla SE), Fords, Mini, and Volvos. We liked the Saab the best because they gave us a great lease deal and we did not have to mess around with all of those Option packages. The 9-3 Turbo has everything you will need right out of the gate. Its fast, nice-looking (midnight blue), functional (OnStar), luxurious (Leather, Power Everything, Sunroof), and reliable. I drive on the highway all day and this car is a joy at high speeds. At night, the dashboard lights are easy on the eyes.

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  Performance - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By Lisa - April 24 - 9:00 am

  I bought my Saab 1/2005. It is my 3rd Saab. This wagon has been terrific in bad weather conditions such as snow, ice, and rain. I have driven it to Tahoe on many occasions and it has been very steady and easy to handle. The winter package has been a plus. The wagon is getting about 28 mpg as I mostly drive it freeway. Occasionally I am getting 29-30 - but I have a rack on and that does affect this. So far, I have been very pleased and found that with all the sports I do, it has made a great work/sport car without being a gas hog.

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  Best Seat on the Highway - 1999 Saab 9-5
  By NOTIZ - April 23 - 10:00 am

  This is the best seat in any car made.No problems with car after 80ooo miles.They should bring the turbo diesel over from Europe to better the fuel mileage.

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  No wonder Saab is bankrupt - 2008 Saab 9-3
  By TriHill - April 23 - 1:46 am

  The city mileage totally stinks on this car, between 10-20 mpg. For some reason on the highway, theres a disparity jump to 30-40 mpg. Great car for road trips, but I am a city driver most of the year, so this is not a good car for that. A lot of the electronics and computer systems onboard have bugs in them. I have had to take the car in at least monthly for these annoying fixes. Customer service is poor for things that should be covered by the warranty, particularly within the first year of car ownership where most of the problems have been happening. I will tell you that the first repair service wasnt an oil change...it had to do with changing a light bulb.

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  Piece of junk - 2002 Saab 9-5
  By tasnault1 - April 23 - 1:00 am

  worst car I ever owned, and I have owned pontiacs and chevys - had performance tires that didnt work in the snow, even an inch of snow! dealer would not let me trade the $250 performance tires for some regular ones...several flats, interior issues and goofy problems throughout the 1+ year of owning this car

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  Bought it new - 2001 Saab 9-5
  By Doc W - April 22 - 8:23 am

  Had this car for 9 years and it has been great. Ive owned many European cars and the trick is to follow maintenance strictly. Maintenance is expensive, but cheaper than a car payment, and it looks as classy as 9 years ago.