I feel I am pretty clued up on cars and what is what. I will very rarely drive past a garage forecourt without a quick glance to see whats there etc.
Every day on my route into work I pass a Saab garage and 9 times out of 10 I get caught at the traffic lights outside it.
Today is the first time that I can remember actually looking at the cars on the forecourt and there just seemed to be row upon row of the same Saab (not sure how many models they have now) but they all looked the same, bland and boring.
Maybe this wasn't helped by the fact that they didn't seem to sell any non-Saab cars but am I the only one that feels this way? Where is their market, what is their niche? I remember years ago they were up there with the Volvos and the big bumpers and were maybe even deemed to be semi-prestige, certainly compared to a Cortina or Cavalier of the day but now I really qouldn't give one a second glance.
Any Saab owners out there care to comemnt?
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As far as looks are concerned, I think Saab's are one of the least bland and boring looking cars around.
I've never owned one but I certainly wouldn't mind the experience.
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>> As far as looks are concerned, I think Saab's are one of the least bland and boring looking cars around.
I agree, it's the unreliability and the poor chassis control that puts me off. They look better than they drive.
Last edited by: corax on Tue 13 Jul 10 at 17:27
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Well I agree. No matter which model in the range it is, they all look the same to me. While other manufactureres have gone for the "corporate grill" look and failed becasue a new "corporate grill" has come along before they've refreshd all of the models with the old one, SAAB have succeeded with the "same car, different sizes" look. Perhaps success is due to such a slow rate of introduction of new models. Maybe it's the dead hand of GM.
Don't get me wrong, SAAB used to be ok. Then GM came along. Now they've gone. Let's hope Spyker make their mark in a positive way, and quickly.
JH
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I think you could level the same accusation at any number of brands. From head on, who can tell a BMW 3 and 5 series apart at a quick glance these days, or a Focus and Mondeo, a Mercedes C and E class, a Peugeot 208/308....
I've always thought aesthetics were one of Saab's strengths. SWMBO had a 9-3 Aero from work last year and it was a gorgeous looking thing. We both remarked on it.
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I wouldn't say no to being bored by this ~ tinyurl.com/2vpxzvn
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Completely agree.
A friend had a '54 9.5 with all the bells & whistles but I found it characterless. As did he after the initial few months. The last Saab I owned was an H reg 9000S 2.3t Caarlson, which, although beautifully upholstered in grey 'Bridge of Weir' leather with walnut dash, was not inspiring to drive. It went like stink in a straight line, guzzled fuel but was very spacious as a hatch.
Probably a 99Turbo (with lag) would have been more fun. The last I saw of my Caarlson was in a garage with all its electrics ripped out following several months of unsolved gremlins. Never again, more is the pity.
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Retro-styling seems to be in fashion - I'm surprised they haven't resurrected the Saab 96 look.
They'd have to pass on the 2-stroke engine though!
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>>I'm surprised they haven't resurrected the Saab 96 look.
My father had one of these in the mid 60's. A nice looking car but not a lot of leg room in the back, and it wasn't long before rust appeared.
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I had a 9-5 Estate as a rental car a while back Apart from the Dame Edna Everage frontal treatment it was a very attractively styled car. Unfortunately that was the only real positive aspect. It felt very outdated to drive with a lumpy ride, massive understeer in the bends, vague steering with loads of torque steer and road noise that has been eliminated from most other modern cars. The petrol engine was lively, if rather raucous, and drank like a fish in connection with the slow shifting automatic transmission. The centre console mounted ignition switch is a real fiddle to use, especially with a spare key and big rental company key fob. Inferior to a Mondeo in every possible way.
I saw one of the new 9-5s in Stuttgart recently. It looked ok from some angles, but with so much competition, who on earth is going to buy it?
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They used to be well known for their turbo engines and safety. Nowadays there are lots of manufacturers out there producing good turbocharged engines (VW 2.0 TFSI for example), and most cars have good safety features.
Saab need to find something thats different on their cars to make people want to buy one, something thats going to be increasingly hard in todays platform sharing environment.
Bagpuss I've driven a 9-5 and felt the same. Wallowy suspension, unremarkable engine linked to an autobox. The electric window switches are between the seats but sort of behind you, I don't call that ergonomic, I found it infuriating.
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>> The petrol engine was lively, if rather raucous
Yup, that's what I remember from this Aero as well. Superb performance, but very coarse over 4000 RPM like an 80's Ford engine. By 5000 RPM, mechanical sympathy was kicking in. It was that bad.
SWMBO took it on a round trip to Manchester on work, didn't thrash it, didn't encounter too much in the way of traffic, and still only got 27 mpg. Even the S60 I had at the time with the notoriously "thirsty" 5 pot Volvo petrol engine would have comfortably gone into the 30's in similar circumstances, and would rev to 6000 RPM without so much as a vibration. It had covered 140,000 MORE miles too.
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The subject line says it all?
:)
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I'm accustomed to automotive ugliness, although if I walk into town I still have to avert my eyes as I pass the two Panamera's in the Porsche dealers.
I have a soft spot for Saab, having owned a couple of 96 V4's in the past but I have concluded the last generation was bland, and the 9.3 Sportwagon that is in the dealers next door is not helped by being in solid white, but as I was walking past, a brand new 95 Aero went past and that is just too ugly to be bland. I nearly lost my lunch.
tinyurl.com/3y3ponv
I visited the SAAB website to see if that is what it was supposed to look like, but that's just another web site that seems to be build for the gratification of the web designers than anything else :-)
Last edited by: borasport on Tue 7 Sep 10 at 13:47
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A Saab used to be another Vauxhall but more expensive and less appealing.
Now it's just the latter.
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I like the look of the new 9-5.
Good to see they're sticking with the 2.0T (and larger 2.8T) petrol engines. May have to look out for a nearly new Aero in a couple of years.
Interestingly enough the 2.0T puts out more bhp than my Vectra (with the same basic engine) with a heavier body and less CO2.
Oh and I also want either the Java or Oak metallic.
Last edited by: Marc on Tue 7 Sep 10 at 15:20
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Saab cars - anonymous and characterless - Clk Sec
