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 car - 1999 Saab 9-5
  By KB - November 27 - 7:06 am

  Awesome car!!! Very powerful and sharp handling. Great cargo storage, very quiet at highway speeds. Waterpump & alternator at 80,000 miles. One of the safest & most comfortable cars ever built. Excellent fuel economy for size & performance. After owning this I will continue to buy Saab. This is my second Saab. Better than my BMW 735i.

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  Happy camper in Wisconsin - 2004 Saab 9-3
  By sdettmann - November 25 - 4:43 am

  Purchased used (off lease) late in 2008 when Saab looked like it might not survive. Great buy. Car had been very well cared for, and dealer was able to provide a complete service record. Car is solidly built and remarkably quiet with the top up. While no sports car, it is quite peppy and fun to drive. Some turbo lag, so it is important to keep the RPMs up around 3000 if you want to go fast. Comfortable interior in the front. I am 62" and have plenty of room above my head, even with the seat elevated to its highest position. You can put adults in the back seat, if they have no feet or legs (good for children in car seats though.) Have driven the car 30,000 in two years, with no problem

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  Improved WRX, more affordable than WRX - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By b_thunder - November 23 - 7:26 am

  Its a great wagon - speed, handling, AWD traction and cargo space in one classy package. And a lot of fun to drive. It does suffer from turbo lag and has average at best fuel economy. Nevertheless, this car (IMHO) not only looks better that WRX, but it is overall a better car. Considering current GM rebates and other discounts, it can be had for a lot less than 2005 WRX wagon which makes 9-2x Aero an excellent value.

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  My New Saabaru! - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By Craggar - November 22 - 11:10 am

  If Beauty is only skin deep, this is the car it drives! Saab did a good job on the exterior styling, but underneath it all is a good ol dependable Subaru. Interior trim is definitely econo-grade. I agree - this car is FUN to drive! The engine likes to rev, pulls strong from 3K on up to redline. Not much low-end torque. The 5-spd shifter is a bit notchy, but Im getting used to it. AWD is great. No wheel spins in the Florida rain, you just GO. Fantastic brakes. One last thing - HEY SAAB, please fire the product manager and interior designer who picked the "parchment" seat color and dont hire them back until they can get coffee, ketchup and mud stains out of that fabric!

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  saabaerowner - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By Mike Stack - November 20 - 6:50 pm

  Great car!!! Have had it for 2 years, works great, very sturdy great horsepower, all around an amazing car

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  No better ragtop for the price - 2009 Saab 9-3
  By Ken Krutsch - November 20 - 5:23 pm

  Love my Saab convertible. Went from a Mercedes C-class to a 9-3 Bumblebee Yellow 2.0T convertible. I miss the acceleration of the MB, but the Saab 2.0T is not off by much. The handling actually seems to be improved from the 2006 C-class, possibly due to the shorter wheel base and ReAxis feature (passive turning rear wheels). I get a lot of looks in this car, which is fun, and the subtle design bells and whistles are everywhere. For example, with the top down, either in hot or cold weather, the climate control seems to just magically adjust all of the settings for a comfortable ride - including the automated heated seats. You can tell this is a car designed by people that live in the snow

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  Gorgeous but unreliable - 2005 Saab 9-3
  By befar - November 20 - 9:06 am

  Let me start with the good. The car is fabulous to drive. I have owned Mercedes, Lexus, Honda, and older Saabs in the past and this is by far the most fun car to drive. It is also more comfortable then most of my friends (they drive BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexus). Now for the bad, I have had the car less than four months and it is going in for warranty work the SEVENTH time this week. The total days spent in the shop for various build problems is over 24. Weather stripping, windows off tracks, A/C issues and leather cracks are just the beginning of the list. I have 6000 miles on it and can tell you this car only is good if it is not your only source of transportation.

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  2000 Gary Fisher Edition Saab 9-5 Wagon - 2000 Saab 9-5
  By Steve - November 20 - 4:00 am

  Purchased this car on eBay w/ 101,000 miles. I drive this car almost 200 miles per day in my sales job. Ive replaced the DIC, serpentine belt, and battery since owning the car. Ive completed routine maintenance when necessary (i.e. new tires, spark plugs, & brakes). Up to now this has been my BEST car for all the driving I that I do. This is saying a lot. Ive had BMWs, Jaguar and Audi that cost me a fortune in frequent repairs.

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  Saab 9-2x - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By gerry davis - November 17 - 11:26 pm

  The interior is very plain and understated, very few bells or whistles. The seats are very tight fitting, almost like race seats. This is a good feature when cornering hard as you dont slide in the seat at all. For those who are somewhat ample in the posteror region they might be uncomfortable. The seat fabric is very very prone to coffee stains, Saab could have thought this out better. My guess is that the demographic who buys this car also drinks a lot of coffee. The car is fun to drive with ample horse power and great handling. The awd is awesome in snow.

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  Better than its WRX cousin - 2005 Saab 9-2X
  By apowell - November 16 - 7:43 pm

  Purchased the car during in July 2005, and have been very happy with everything, except turbo lag. The 2006 model gets a larger engine and should fix this problem. The car performs very well, so well that in snow and ice I can punch the gas and the 9-2x flys off the line. I also like the interior, easy to read gauges and very supportive seats (much better than WRX seats), also I chose the cold weather package w/ heated seats. The WRX only offers heated seats w/ the limited package (a $2000 option on WRX)!!!