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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  S-hameful A-utomobile A-lways B-roken - 2000 Saab 9-3
  By Used2LoveSaabs - December 25 - 3:50 pm

  I bought my Saab used in 03 with 52000 miles on it, expecting to keep it for 10 years. The car has been a constant repair nightmare and all issues are apparently well known problems with this model. The worst issue has been the engine completely blowing at 96,000 miles due to "sludge" build-up. It cost me about $7,000 to replace mine. I have been stranded twice due to DI cassette failure and twice for serpentine belt failure. I have also had to replaced the AC compressor. Do not buy!

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  Best car for the Money, If you can fix it yourself - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By mrdotkom - December 19 - 1:14 am

  If youre not a mechanic you bought the wrong car. If, like myself, you enjoy working on your car and dont mind changing ignition coils on the side of the highway in a hail storm you can get a great value on this car. I bought this car after the previous owner failed to diagnose the blown ignition cassette. After ~$150 bucks I got a great deal on it. The CEL lights most people are reporting are as a result of non-OE specific spark plugs. Most people spend too much money at the shop and not enough time learning about proper maintenance and service. This car has never been in the shop since Ive owned it and for the next 50k miles I expect it to be somwhere between my garage and the highway

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  9-2x fun and fulfilling - 2006 Saab 9-2X
  By KLauder - December 15 - 6:53 pm

  Ive had the 9-2x since this summer and so far it has been a very fun car. The AWD and turbo make city drivng fun with its quickness and cornering abilities. Having traded in a muscle car that was killing me in gas it has been a lot easier on the wallet at fillup time. Not as great as I expected (about 20 MPG avg.) but that is probably a combination of driving it in a fun manner and the city driving. With two kids it has also been easier having a four door vehicle but keeping a sporty look and feel.

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  Saab is good for you - 2002 Saab 9-3
  By muratd - December 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought a Saab 93. It has many standart options and also safety features such as ABS, side airbags... It is a fast car, no turbo lag as others claim. I like its style, it is different from the other mass market cars. Hope the new model will be as quirky as the current one.

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  Great used car value! - 1999 Saab 9-3
  By ryno - December 3 - 2:00 am

  My 9-3SE HO 5sp is a great drivers car with impressive acceleration, ample cargo space, and loads of standard options. It is amazing how much this car depreciates in value in the first few years, but this makes it a great used car value.

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  Saab 9-3 Vector - 2003 Saab 9-3
  By cheerboy23 - December 3 - 2:00 am

  This car is really fun to drive, very unique, and styled awesome. I love the car, but it is very unreliable. It has been in to service 8 times in the 8 months that i have owned the car. It has left me stranded multiple times and I do not trust its reliability. The interior has aged far too quickly in the short time that I have owned it. I regret the purchase of the Saab and I wish that I could get rid of it. Other that those things, the car is great.

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  Fast, spacious, classy - 2008 Saab 9-5
  By Adrian - December 2 - 4:56 pm

  After driving several fleet Saab 9-5s in Norway, we bought one when moving to Canada. Its roomy, has great pace on the highway and (from the Norway experience) good dynamics on hard pack snow, despite not being 4WD. Comes with lots of great gadgets (for the price) which fortunately do not lead to a profusion of switches and clutter. Only gripe is the easily marked interior plastic surfaces.

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  Great car to by used - 2004 Saab 9-5
  By CaliforniaSaab - November 30 - 8:40 pm

  No better value, as depreciation runs high. Got mine with 23,000 miles for $15k at Carmax. What a deal. Spotless reliability so far, now at 45,000 miles. Very comfortable. Great on freeway. Handling could be a little tighter but thats what you get with FWD.

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  Need another car - 2000 Saab 9-5
  By redsaabfun - November 7 - 5:16 am

  For the first several years we owned this car, it was our weekend car. So there was very little that went wrong. We only put 4k miles p/year on it. Once it became my wifes every day car, the problems started ramping up. Lost the serpentine belt 50 miles from home at 14,000 miles. Two water pumps, digital display replaced once, turbo problems. The car is in the shop right now for yet another water pump, that was replaced, yes you guess it, just past the shop warranty of 1 year or 12k miles.

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  Saab 9-5 is a great car - 2004 Saab 9-5
  By Timothy Moore - November 4 - 2:33 pm

  I have been very pleased with my second Saab purchase. I get a kick out of driving this car and cant keep it away from my brother. It is a great, enjoyable, classy and beautiful car. While quirky in some respects, it is a car that stands out from the rest. I love my 9-5.