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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  All good but for the little glitches - 2002 Saab 9-5
  By bcrzmon - March 24 - 3:10 pm

  My wife bought this car on ebay. I was initially skeptical and nervous about the higher cost of repair, but this car is very fun to drive and the swedish styling and lux features are hard to beat (especially for the price). The repair bills can be a bit high, but normal for this class. Nothing major has gone wrong though and I can live with a broken sunroof, no backup alarm battery, the cup holder issue, 1 busted seat heater cause ultimately I really like being in this car.

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  A great car, but some complaints. - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By volunteerals - March 22 - 3:06 am

  This car has been really excellent, but not perfect. As the first new car I bought for myself out of college, I wanted something that would last me for years, get good gas mileage, and was fun to drive. So far, so good! The gas mileage is pretty good, I average about 28 mpg in the winter. The styling is nice, but the interior is a little bland. My biggest complaint would have to be the brakes. I had to replace them far too early in my opinion, and was told that Saab had changed the braking ratio without changing the brakes. Not cool. The top speed in first gear is also quite low, little oomph until 2nd. Otherwise, none of the problems others have had, such as electrical and whatnot.

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  Concervatively stylish - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By turbofan - March 17 - 2:00 am

  Great job by SAAB! Stay away from auto tranny-its slow.I dint like some interior plastics-seem to be hard and cheap to touch(door handles) Those who say its build on Grand Am platform are on BMW payroll. Saab wheelbase is 105.3, Grand Am 107 and BMW 325 is 107.3. BMW is built on "stretched" Grand Am platform:)

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  Computer Problems - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By Kate M - March 7 - 10:00 am

  Ive never loved a car like I do my new 93 Arc sport sedan. Its a great looking and fun to drive car. Unfortunately, weve had several major electronic problems in its first 3 months. The power in the left door went out, then the power seat, then the radio malfunctioned, then the onstar, then the airbag....now the computer decided to shut off the engine in the middle of traffic and it refused to restart. Im really frustrated with the computer in this car. At first I thought it was just the SAAB quirkiness...now I know its a lot more serious than that. Im afraid to drive it not knowing what the computer is going to do next.

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  BEST BUY - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By CHLLR - February 8 - 10:30 pm

  Excellent combination of Saab inspired good looks, quiet cabin and Subaru practicality, sporty performance, race proven chassis design and reliability. Umpteen suppliers from aftermarket for Impreza WRX souped-up parts.

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  Could Have Been Better - 1999 Saab 9-3
  By Westportviggen - February 3 - 2:00 am

  I have a grey 2001 5-door Viggen . I am generally happy with the car. The car is a great start to a true performance car. It has very nice power and handling atributes. It rips out of those second gears turns with incredible power. I havent driven any other front wheel drive car that can spin tired out of a turn at 50+ mph. BUT IT COULD BE BETTER!!!!

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  1st Time Owner - Not the Last... - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By victor824 - January 31 - 11:13 pm

  Nice car! I was very impressed with the performance and handling. The interior worked well for me and the power delivered by the 250 hp engine was exhilarating! The windshield washer reservoir had to be replaced twice - then they came out with the recall. The back brakes created a tremendous amount of dust compared to the front. ???? Finally replaced the pads with EBC reds - problem solved. The Saab emblems peeled off after just three years but the dealer replaced them free. The turbo blew a gasket at 75000 miles and the dealer originally quoted it at $3700 but when I declined they talked to Saab and could get it done for $900. ????

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  14 Months of Ownership - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By Jm94 - January 28 - 7:36 am

  I had the Silver Bullet for 14 months before I traded it in. The 92x is a very fun car to drive. On an open winding road, I cant imagine a better vehicle. It also handles extremely well in the rain. Every day use though is a different story. In stop and go traffic, it beats you up. I took a 5 hour road trip and found that it performed much better on the highway than I expected, but by hour 4, my back, shoulders and neck hurt so much I couldnt wait. Turbolag is poor, slow off the line, from 30-70 in 3rd gear, its an F16, arguably one of the fastest cars on the road. Bottom line, this car is like driving a race car. What it lacks in comfort, it makes up for in fun.

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  Impressed with ride, not Reliability - 1999 Saab 9-5
  By Last Saab - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 9-5 new in Germany. I bought it for safety, performance, and reliability. Handled great in Europe and is still fun to drive, when it works. Have 70,000 miles on it now and pay average of $600/4 months for service/reoccuring problems. Ex, the clutch system. The clutch lost pressure and became sloppy. Eventually, the clutch no longer engaged! The electronic displays are shorting out, seat controls are fragile. Throttle and ignition controls went out. It is not all bad. The car would cruise smoothly at 130mpr on German roads for 300+ miles/tank with 2x the range in the US. Brakes perform smoothly and stop the car with full control in a short space.

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  Got lucky and didnt get a lemon - 2002 Saab 9-3
  By aigoo - January 21 - 10:36 am

  Thought Id add my two cents. Had an issue with the loose screw in the trunk which made rattling noise. Plastics inside vehicles also make rattling noise at high speed but manageable. Mines manual, and so far at 68K over 2.5 years, I havent had any problems with it. I drive mostly on the highways and drive fast. Starts slow but once it gets moving, hitting 100 is easy. I knew going in that reliability is an issue but Im crossing my fingers that mine will last a while longer...