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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  Very Good Car, Great Deal! - 2002 Saab 9-5
  By SAAB MAN - April 17 - 1:33 am

  I have owned my 95 Linear since 2002 and have driven on the German autobahn and I can tell you that it will do every bit of the 160 mph on the dash and it does it smoothly. Some say that the turbo is not quick enough well for me, it is plenty quick. I know because the aggressive driving on german road. The ride is very smooth. The gas mileage is great and I am sure it would get better if I slowed down.

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  Do Not Buy Unless Youre Rich! - 2007 Saab 9-5
  By veadp - April 5 - 6:07 pm

  I have a 2007 Saab 9-5 Aero with Automatic Transmission. It has 93,000km. Do Not Buy This Car Unless Money Grows On Trees For You! If the car is working, its a joy to drive, extremely comfortable, nice and responsive, with just enough power. However, this car is known for Ignition Coil Issues and Fuel Pump Issues, among other things. Normally, these parts are readily available and relatively inexpensive to replace, however, Saab just had to be like BMW, Benz and Audi and the cost to replace parts are ridiculously Expensive and Only the OEM parts will work! I had to replace the Igntion Coils ($500), the MAF Sensor ($250) and Fuel Pump ($500). And the car still doesnt work properly!

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  Pretty Good so Far - 2005 Saab 9-7X
  By Toyota Family - March 30 - 12:46 am

  The 9-7 has been great so far, the car is more comfortable than the living room and stereo/ air/ features are great. Friends compliment it a lot, and I never see them on the road, although they do look like a lot of cheaper GM cars. Only complaints are wind noise (not sure if its side mirrors draft or sealing) and gas mileage (15 mpg avg over 15k miles). I dont commute so not such a big deal. Overall, I am very happy to be in the car.

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  GREAT CAR - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By saabian - March 24 - 10:03 am

  I recently got this car for a Christmas present from my parents. Im seventeen years old and previously had a 2005 accord. So far I loooove the Saab. It drives like a dream and has wonderful gas mileage. All my friends love my car. It doesnt take long to get used to the ignition in the console but leaving your sunroof open while raining it could cause a problem.

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  A swedish sedan - 2005 Saab 9-3
  By Bart - March 20 - 4:06 am

  While not a quirky as Saabs past, this car still maintains distinctive Saab Features: Nightpanel, Key in the middle, hidden cupholders. This large sedan gets better MPG than my Focus, and has performance when needed. The seats are comfortable, standard with leather.

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  Not a perfect car but fun to drive - 1999 Saab 9-5
  By dd - March 16 - 3:06 pm

  Bought it with some warranty still in effect. Good thing, needed a whole new heating system and a turbo almost immediately. But looks great, drives very well and doesnt drink a lot of gas! Best part is driving curvy hills - sticks to the road like a sports car. And I do that almost every day to get to work.

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  Yahoo a Saabaru - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By b9e - March 13 - 3:13 am

  Subaru and Saab are very similar companies. Both trace thier heritage to Airplanes, both make extensive use of Turbo charging, and both are, well, a little quirky. Not quite luxury brands, but a step above thier VW/Toyota breathren. Saab has been known for hatchbacks, which, following the introduction of the 93 sport sedan, disappeared from the lineup. Enter the 92x. Basically a reskined Subie Impreza/Wrx, with some cabin quieting. The exterior looks more saab-like than the swedish made 93 sedan. And with the GM discount, its cheaper than the Subaru. Like the Impreza, this car handles great, but fuel consumption suffers (the much larger 93 gets better mpgs).

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  Good SUV - 2005 Saab 9-7X
  By L8R - March 9 - 8:33 pm

  Bought it cert pre-owned w 36k miles on it. Drove it from Florida to Alaska through Yukon without one hitch. V8 is sharp, powerful, easily passes 18 wheelers on 2 lane roads. Steering is very nimble for an SUV, but a little numb (prob GM-based). Makes u-turns as well as my sport car (in 2 and half lanes). Interior provides nearly every feature a Mercedes SUV does. Good interior size and rear seats fold down for carrying bigger stuff. Performs better than most cars in the snow and ice (use studded snow tires!) due to its immense weight, but the engine doesnt make it feel heavy. 1 and 2 gear perform very well without over revving. Heated seats burn my back! (Good thing w -25 F temp).

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  Great car and value - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By Chad - March 6 - 3:50 pm

  We just purchased our 9-2x Aero and have been extremely satisfied. We purchased under GMs Employee Discount promotion for approx. $8000 below MSRP. Thus, we have a premium label, upgraded stereo, climate control, etc.,arguably better looks and handling with the same engine performance and reliability as the WRX, all for $1000s less. Many articles have been written about the cars performance, so Ill just say it is very quick and has excellent handling. The AWD is a useful feature on the slick Seattle streets. Up until the promotion I was set on a sedan (Legacy GT or TSX), but the value was too good to pass up and now I have to admit I really like the styling and driving something unique.

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  Not worth the money - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By shellEy - February 28 - 7:36 pm

  For a car that costs as much as this did, I expected much higher quality. The engineers did a poor job of ergonomic design, parts break (and when they do, its *very* expensive to fix), and there are known bugs which Saab doesnt seem to care about fixing. (Repairs on my car in 100,000 miles: fuel pump, brakes (twice!), rear-hatch-closed sensor, engine-temp gauge...) My pet peeve is if you set the interior temperature, I expect the car to maintain that temp. Instead, itll either be too hot or too cold.