If you’ve been hanging around here a while you might be familiar with a commenter here named Kroum.
Kroum lives in Canada and for quite a while now he’s been interested in a Turbo X. Whilst he didn’t coin the phrase Official Car of The Sith (I think that honour actually goes to Autoblog), he did make the video 
. I’ve been corresponding with Kroum for a little while now on some site redevelopment stuff, and it was with no small amount of sadness that I read the following story earlier today.
As I have in-laws in Canada, I used to joke on this site that I’d love to move there and run Saab in Canada. Maybe I should?
Kroum’s story:
——
I would like to share some disappointment with you. As you know, I expressed interest in a six speed manual Turbo X sedan as early as November of last year, even after an initial let down by the sub-300 hp numbers. I spoke to both the general manager and two of the sales reps at my Saab dealership (Saab Saturn Hummer on the Queensway) as far back as October, and my name is supposedly on the list. Yet, after 5 full months, I know nothing further about the car.
I have made regular stops to the dealership on weekends, asking for updates, news… Nothing. I have not received a single call from the dealership, even if just out of courtesy to keep me updated, and even if the update is simply “no update yet, but we are on the ball”; I have to walk there myself and proactively seek news. Who is the client here?
At the same time, I keep reading about people in the U.S. receiving packages, people in Norway being told they are number X on the local waiting lists, etc. Yet Saab Canada does not even know how much the car is going to cost!
Imagine, I am prepared to spend $55-60K Canadian on a car I have not driven, and only saw in the flesh last month in Detroit. What are the options on the car? What is the lease rate? Anything, for god’s sake!
So having been completely ignored by my dealer, I am really starting to get the feeling my business is not really that important to them. After all, they do have all those Hummers and Opels, ahem, Saturns to move right? And yes, I am pissed off. Am I not supposed to be the very incarnation of Saab’s target group? Young, independent, successful, I make good money, yet I friggin’ have to beg for any information?
I really love Saab, Steve. But I work hard for my money. So I have started looking at my options for the kind of money I will be spending on the Turbo X, and have narrowed them down to BMW 335xi and Audi S4 or S5.
I filled an online form at bmw.ca last night and got a call from my nearest dealer….. this morning.
“Hello sir, thank you for your interest in the 335xi coupe. What would be a good time for you to come, talk about the car and take it for a test drive? Saturday noon? Most certainly, I will see you then.”
The car will costs a little more than the Turbo X when properly optioned, but you get a little more hp and torque, direct injection twin turbo, an AWD system that surely is not as good as XWD, but is good nonetheless, and you get free maintenance for your entire lease – which could easily even out the pricing. Similar story with the Audi S4 or S5. Both cars are fairly handsome (the 335xi in question is the coupe, not the butt-ugly sedan).
The Turbo X is still my number one option… But it has now become an option. Just a few months ago, it was a certain sale. I have to be rational, I only spend my money where it’s wanted. And to be absolutely blunt, a big part of me favouring the Saab over the BMW and the Audi is my desire to be different and separate myself from the pack. I would feel like a sheep driving the Bimmer, but I would feel like an idiot if I blindly buy the Saab after having waited for months on end to at least know what my lease payment will look like. And this comes from a hardcore Saab nut – imagine what an average buyer would do.
Anyhow, I am really bummed about this whole thing. It’s almost March now and I am no further than I was in October. You are a first-hand witness to my sincere excitement of the Turbo X, doing the Darth Vader flick et al. I was talking to people at work, spreading the Saab love.
I hope to have an idea what is going to happen within a few weeks. If Saab Canada doesn’t at least have pricing by mid-March, for a car they expect to move in April, then why do they even bother staying in business?
I will keep you posted.
——
I know Zippy has mentioned a lack of Turbo X pricing in Canada in recent comments here. I guess the full extent of that fact didn’t really hit home until I read Kroum’s story in full.
Seriously, if they can’t sell a Turbo X to an enthusiast who’s been on the wire since October last year, if they can’t even give him a call, then who are they going to sell them to?
GM folks reading this might think that I’m hurting the brand by publishing stories like this, that I’m trying to embarrass Saab Canada. But how could the brand hurt any more in Canada than what it already is with service like this?
This might be a last resort, but just how far are you from South Anchorage? There’s a Chevrolet and Saab dealership there. Maybe you could drop in and fly out so to speak????
Research is a wonderful thing..
You when posting is always go to have a few facts under your belt…
Kroum… now I’ve found out that your local dealer is in Toronto.. My Alaska Idea seems a bit erm.. (please insert word)
Sorry…
still funny all the same
As I´ve said earlier.. Let the one´s interested sell Saab and the others just go hmm them selves. Maybe an idea is to ask employees if they are interested in the brand or if it´s just another job to be able to drive around in a brand new car? (often the case. I know as a former car salesman)If they are not interested in the brand then do not employ them.. As salesmen or any other position.
It’s a shame and sad in the same time .We can feel how Kroum is disapointed .
Swade, you are not embarassing GM, you are doing them a service.
Without stories like this, they will still be in their little happy nest thinking things are fine and dandy.
It’s time they have a rude awakening. The competitors are offering better customer services and GM/Saab MUST match or exceed.
Korum’s story is not isolated, witness the situation in UK. One of the bigger export market for Saab.
It felt ask if they really don’t want our money, I like Saab but there’s a limit to how much crap I can take from a dealer – I’m not a masocist that enjoys spending money at someplace that treat me bad!
Following the lack of ability to obtain an Aero for me to test drive, I have now booked test drive at a local Mazda dealer for the new 6 and RX-8 in 2 weeks time. I will write a full report of my expereince there.
Hopefully someone at Saab Canada will read this and be mortified.
Heck … at least a little upset.
It would be great if they actually had the … uh … snowballs … to respond here — and include what they are doing to fix the problem.
Heck, if they can’t sell a car to someone who SEEKS THEM OUT and actually REQUESTS it, are all the Saab sales in Canada just happy accidents?
One trick that sometimes works is to walk into the service department and ask them (or their receptionist) who the newest or worst salesperson is in the showroom … and seek them out.
Maybe the lack of commissions will make them a little hungrier than the one that stalked you from the second you stepped on to the lot.
Alas, mirrors my own experience. Trotted off to the International Autoshow here in Toronto (one of the largest in North America) Saturday evening with my shopping list (BMW 3/Merc C/Audi 4/Saab 9-3) . 6:30 pm Saturday night…show open til 10 pm . First off, the Saab stand was the most pedestrian of the show…Also, no salesmen…and no literature. A marketing rep. from GM Canada was wandering around, I asked him about Turbo X…he apologized for not having a great knowledge of the Saab brand but he heard that an Automatic X was to be priced at 57, 500 CDN with first orders in May. And that XWD would not filter down into the rest of the lineup for another year! The fact that the Turbo X on the podium was a shil (apparently it was a re-badged Aero, lacking XWD) just added to the lacklustreness of it all. Compare the Mercedes stand:Professional. Plenty of literature. Identifiable salesman. And they had cars available for immediate testing (in the convention lot). Plus a full complement of accessories (which they volunteered a discount on as it was getting near the show end). Come on Saab, get your act in gear!
Not defending this agregious case of poor (or rather “non-existent”) customer service, but perhaps the administration of GM Canada (I don’t even think there’s a “Saab Canada”, it’s just GM Canada) isn’t set-up to handle waiting-list-only cars. Nobody’s been designated to head-up customer relations for the Turbo-X?
Regarding Canadian Saab sales, I’m sure it’s a lot easier to walk onto a Saab dealership and buy a car that’s sitting on the lot. But when you want a car that isn’t yet released and they haven’t been given a price yet from GM it’s going to be hard.
Still, there’s no reason the local dealership can’t keep in touch with you. Someone needs to speak with the dealer’s management on this. This is a potential Saab loyalist lost situation.
This problem is prevelant across Canada it seems. I’ve asked both my salesman and the sales manager at the local dealership in Alberta to give me a ring when they learn the price of and delivery date for the TurboX. Four months or so have passed and no word.
On a side note, I almost dread going to the dealership now. When I initially ordered my 9-2X, the showroom used to always consist of a 9-3, a 9-5, and a 9-7X. Over 2yrs has passed and there are no Saabs in the showroom, only Saturns. The only place you can find Saabs are in back. The dealer lot is so packed with Saturns that there are no places for customers to park.
Hey Kroum,
I feel for you – as a current 9-3 owner in Canada, I feel like I have to convince SAAB to sell me vehicles.
I tried a little experiment and just left a message with our Vancouver dealership to contact me about the Turbo X. I am also interested but way behind in getting names on lists, etc. I will follow up if/when they reply and what they say.
If the sales people are that unresponsive I shudder to think what the SAAB service department is like in your area, and should you buy it (a first year model in some respects) you almost certainly will become well acquainted with them.
I wonder if the limited Turbo X inventory is making dealers feel the cars will sell themselves and therefore they don’t have to work for it?
Its not alot different in the US, GM has stuffed Saab into a bunch of Caddy stores who have no idea what Saab is, was or is going to be…..Of course there is the old time Saab dealers who are suffering with GM’s heavy handed policies. Only they can save Saab in the US, and GM is systematically trying to eliminate them,(see autonews). Saab has no new models to Saab since 2003, won’t have any new models for another 2years or so. Imagine if the Caddy dealers were still selling Catera’s…er…9-5′s….seems to me if I were on the board of directors at GM I’d change management now. How much did those coneheads lose last year? 39 billlion, come on thats ridiculous all the banks exec’s got hacked when they lost alot less and it didn’t happen year after year like it has at GM. The time has come look at what the American public is saying in politic’s….CHANGE…in the US auto world it’s time to change the leaders at GM. My rational is damn, it can’t be any worse……
Kroum, I hear ya LOUD AND CLEAR but it seems Saab Canada doesnt give a (insert naughty word here). When I drove the 08 9-3 a few months back I didnt even receive a ‘follow-up’ call from the dealer which I found kind of odd even though I did mention the fact that I was making a joint purchase decision and had to talk it over with my ‘significant other’. With one Saab dealer here in Vancouver I am having serious doubts as to invest my money in the brand – even though I am totally in love with the idea of a snow silver 9-3 with XWD . Audi is out the window for reasons I have explained before and all that is left is that BMW 328Ci. I actually just called Saab Canada to check if they had any idea as to pricing, their response. “There is a lot of excitement around the new TurboX and we suggest you call a dealer in your area.” They never even bothered to ask me where I was calling from and offer me a phone number for said dealer.
Shawn, I dont reckon you will hear anything back my friend.
NineTwoX, you NAILED it with your ‘no Saab’s in the showroom’ remark! You dont live in Vancouver do you?
PS $57,500 LOL!!! Someone is smoking some high-grade “BC Bud” as I think they would need to know at least $10,000 off of that price to sell one.
Kroum – that is exactly the same situation we have in Germany… I did not write a post here for a couple of weeks now [busy with my own website], but was visiting TS on a daily basis, but your story made me wonder what will happen to Saab in the near future… I was trying to get a test drive for the new TTID Machine since last October and as the introduction was postponed over and over again I tried to get in a 2.0t Biopower version. So I contacted Saab Germany for a testdrive again and they called me back 2 days after that trying to figure out, what the nearest dealer was… and the nearest they found in their system was 100km away, even though I know there’s one within 20KM. This dealer was not listed as a Saabdealer and the woman on the line told me, that the Data “granted” to them was not up to date ?!? What? She promised to send out my wish for a drive to all the dealers in my state and told me, that they will contact me within a few hours, maybe within a day… nothing happened at all, of course [meaning sadly].
I always think of all the none-saab-related-customers ou there and of all the reasons Saab only moves a car here in Germany with discounts up to 25% [Only 2 french cars are worse, being topped by the *drums* Opel Vectra]. Maybe that happens for a reason? My father is im- and exporting cars as well and we could not sell a single Saab since mid last year even though promoting them heavily… I tried to get a test drive in a BMW Convertible as well and the guys over there not only contacted me at once, but invited me on cup of coffee as well… they talked to me for a whole 70min!! They are constantly providing me with all the latest news and materials… but me, driving a bimmer?nah… that just feels so strange! Saab needs to move a rather old car in the eyes of a german costumer interested in ‘verts. You can get USB / digital radio and TV / high Performance 900W sound system / biturbo in a bimmer and they are friendly, too… anyone out there wondering how long this can go on? the next real new Saab is not exactly around the corner – meaning mid 2008 ! If the dealerships stop believing in what they are selling right now, how do they think to exist for another year?
The woman has now called me 6 or 7 times asking me, if and when a SINGLE Saab dealer did give me a test drive… I always have to tell her – NOPE, no one
Wow, it sure looks like my case is everything but an exception. 5 other people in this thread alone sharing the poor experience… just wow! That’s 1/10th of all Turbo X units allocated for Canada.
Ever since Saab Canada’s previous brand manager Magnus Hansen was relocated back to Sweden, I feel like the brand has went downfill fast. Good management is just so important… Magnus came to a Saab Club meeting within a couple of months of his assignment to Canada, he was bulding excitement, organizing events, he let people (me included) test-drive his company cars just for thrills.
WooDz, awsome comment, made my day!
Come to think of it, I do fancy a cruise to Alaska at some point of time.
But please all. Lets not forget that every brand have their bad dealers. In Stockholm and Uppsala the BMW, Merc, and many of the Volvo dealers are freakin shi..y. I konow many Saab dealers that totaly squasch the competition. It´s sad that many of your Saab dealers are bad, but stil.. There are many good of them out there. But Saab is a Small brand and should stick out as service minded out of the ordinary. I´ve worked as a salesman for several car dealers and the service stunk at some of them.. Specially Mazda and Subaru.
After reading this blog for about the last year, I have to ask, “why?”
Why do you put up with a company that treats you, the customer, so poorly? Why just sit back and shrug off the lack of the most basic information? Why bother with car dealers that treat you like a inconvenience? Saabs are great cars, but are they really worth all this?
I have been looking for a sporty wagon in America (not easy), and for the longest time I wanted a black 9-3 Aero, but after reading this site, I really don’t feel comfortable spending close to $40,000 on a vehicle when I am not sure that the dealer will even want to talk to me after I buy it. I literally had to go through and explain the current incentives to my local dealer, since he had no clue. Then when I asked if they had the car (07 or 08 9-3 Aero SC), his response was “I’m not sure”.
For a long time, I had blinders on, so I only looked at the Saab, but then I took a good hard look at the A4, 328xi, WRX, V50, V70, Passat, Jetta and the X-type wagons. With that many other good-to-fantastic options, the odds of a Saab “landing” in my driveway are pretty crummy, even after the incentives and GM employee pricing (I am not, family member is).
For example, I contacted a local VW dealer about pricing for the upcoming Jetta TDI wagon. He didn’t know it, but his response was “I will find that out for you”. The next day, I had a voicemail saying that official pricing isn’t out yet, but from what he can gather, it should be somewhere in the $26,000 to $28,000 range, and offered to put me on the waiting list. Is this not the same exact situation in Canada with the Turbo X? Volvo offered to drop a car off for me to test drive (it was a back V50 T5 AWD). I was talking to my Subaru dealer and he was selling WRXs for sticker, and Jaguar was giving away iPhones with X-Types one weekend.
Saab? Well, I am just not sure…
And please US customers.. You think that over 30000 grand for a new car is a heck a lot of money.. In Sweden a Mazda 3 1,6 is approx 26000 USD.. No alloys included base price. And we still make less money/month than the US employees + have among the highest taxes in the world, pay 2 USD/litre petrol unleaded 95.. You pay 3 dollars 90 cents for a gallon (ca 3,8 litres) See the difference? So stop wining about that! God, It´s freakin… makes me somewhat mad.. That´s all. Sorry..
BEn.. all the competitors have bad dealers too. So stop focusing on the rants about bad service here. Most Saab dealers are realy good ones.
Poor sales and service is not Saab exclusive. Obviously other brands suffer from this as well but there is a difference – size. When you have a lot more dealers selling and servicing a lot more product, you’re going to get a lot more problems. The size of Saabs dealer network should be more than manageable, making sure that each dealer is the best at what they do should be an easy task.
Fortunately my dealer is one of the better ones. They get Saabs and they get Saab customers. In fact, I think just about every one on staff drives a Saab. They love the product and it shows. Of course, they are not a large multi-brand GM dealer, they are one of the smaller boutique dealer with a Saab-only showroom and service center (they also have Nissan across the parking lot). If GM thinks that pairing Saab with other GM brands like Hummer and Cadillac is going to help the brand, they are in for a big surprise. Things are only going to get worse.
Tompa, I am sure this is true, but when I can WALK from my local Saab dealer to a Audi, VW, Jaguar, BMW or Volvo showroom and will get better service or more car for my money or just an answer to a simple question, why not? I want a car. I don’t want to go on a quest to find the good Saab dealers in America. I want to walk in, sign some papers and drive out. When Saab makes this hard, people will walk away, in this case, quite literally…
Oh, and my Saab dealer is not a “really good” one. Friend had a 9-3 vert, and it would be gone for like 2 days for an oil change, without a loner. More major services would put him without car for a week. One one occasion, he made the appointment for an oil change and 3 days later was told he didn’t have the right appointment type, that no service was performed, and he could pick his car up THE NEXT DAY.
Some service….
All we have to do , is kick butt at all those highly paid people in Detroit, and make saab affordable, make saab like a saab, stop spending hugh money on all those silly marketing campaigns, and spend that money more in the dealerships. Can you imagine that I can easily get an A6, V70, E class for the leaseprice of a 9³ ? Is that normal ? SAAB, wake up !!
The fact that other brands also have bad dealers is no excuse. It is the consumer’s right to expect a certain service level, and when our expectations aren’t met, then we can try another supplier. For some reason Saab owners are very loyal and we put up with a lot of crap, probably because Saab cars are so special. If we weren’t so damn loyal, Saab would have been bankrupt many years ago.
Unfortunate, but there is very little GM can do. Dealers are independent business people and while GM can limit the volume of cars they get, GM can’t MAKE a dealer give good service. You would think a dealer would choose to do this on their own, since a sale is a sale.
Frank A, when you are selling a supposed premium brand you expect better than average service. If GM cant get it right sell Saab to someone who can!
In my opinion, it is mostly like a case of Saab Canada not informing the dealerships.
When I ordered my 9-2X, I was told 9-12 weeks for delivery (they were following Saab Canada’s info). After the 12 week mark and no car, I got to experience Saab Canada’s incompetence first hand. The way my dealership handled the situation was outstanding and they couldn’t handle it any better.
Budds SAAB has had the pricing for weeks now
Thought I would give a sensible comment.
Things like his annoy me. There is no reason why Saab Canada cannot take a provisional order. I find it hard to believe that your local dealer has so little information on price and estimated build date. It could well be that the TurboX will not be introduced until May but that shouldn’t stop them from being able to supply you a bit more info.
I hope that everything does work out and yes, if anyone at GM reads this I think it would do well for somebody to contact you via Swade. If I could help you myself I would.
I’m truly sorry to hear of this news, I hope you will get a result soon.
lagom ar bast
$54995 for the AERO X sedan
$56305 for the sport combi version
for your additional information
The “normal” AERO AWD option will be $2340
I’ve sent an email to Lee (a Saab dealer according to his email) asking for clarification of the above, but am very appreciative of him leaving the comment. I’ll update when I hear back. – SW
by the way , thats the pricing in Canada
In the hopes of counterbalancing the general gloom and doom of Kroum’s and others dealer experiences, I’d like to relay my experience this past weekend at my local Saab dealer in Edmonton (Canada).
For a few months I’ve been meaning to drop by the dealer for a look at the new ’08s that had arrived, but with road conditions snowy and slippery in the past couple months, I decided to wait until the roads dried up to get a better feel for the car. I know – you say “a Saab should be driven in the snow!”. But without snow tires on the testers, this isn’t an option for me. Snow tires, or no driving.
On Saturday I dropped by my dealer unannounced and expressed my interest in seeing and experiencing the new ’08 SportCombi and asked if they had some on the lot (there was only an ’07 SportCombi in the showroom). They had dozens on the lot – mostly blocked in by banks of snow. But there was a very sweet Aero back there and the saleswoman volunteered to dig it out and allow me to take it for a test drive. This was a stock inventory unit with the white protective plastic still on it. Brand new. They scooped out the snow around the car, we pushed it over a hump of snow and it was ready to go for a spin. Only 21 km on the clock. Very nice.
The test drive was amazing. This car is brilliant. I’ll post some more details another time because I also want to mention the followup conversation I had with the saleswoman and another salesman. I had asked about the TurboX and if this dealership would even see one. There are apparently a couple on order and already paid for, and they expect to see them in about April. We talked for a bit more about the XWD on the upcoming ’08s, the ELSD on the TurboX and on the following ’09 models and that I would be interested in seeing the Turbo X when it arrives – even if it is not available for driving. I just want to see the thing. They said the TurboX may be at the Edmonton Auto Show this weekend. But they didn’t know for sure as they aren’t told until the day before. So I”ll be going this weekend to check it out – hopefully.
All in all, they spent a good amount of time with me talking up the brand, the availability time frames for new ’08s and of course the TurboX.
All in all it was a very pleasant experience and I felt welcomed but not pressured. I believe they were good salespeople, although perhaps not Saab fans. I had mentioned the upcoming arrival of the new 9-1 concept in Geneva, but neither of them knew anything about it at all. Even little was known of the upcoming 9-5.
There are good salespeople and there are bad salespeople. And if you’re lucky, you’ll find a good salesperson that is a Saab fan. I’ve had other not so good experiences at this same dealer with different salespeople. So unfortunately it appears to come down to dealers finding “good people”.
Unfortuntely for Kroum, he’s stumbled upon a dealer that is apparently awash in cash based upon their indifferent attitude towards a customer interested in a premium model. Saab Canada (or GM Canada I suppose) really needs to sharpen their tools if they want to capture – or keep – any significant market share. With the strong Canadian dollar, buyers are also looking south of the border, which takes away from domestic sales. I don’t think Saab buyers are seeking huge discounts or deals, but with the right treatment and respect for us the customer, we will stay with you. To be a premium brand, Saab needs to go beyond in more ways than one.
Kroum,
Burlington dealer has 2 coming in May, call BIG John at Leggat he will set you up. If you have a problem with a service from Queensway (sadly) tell them about it, put it in writing, send it to the General Manager. I am doing that on another SAAB service issue. I have visited Volvo and Audi dealerships as of late (not purchased but getting a hands on of dealer/car etc…) Saab has so much potential and sometimes sales people cannot manage opportunities like other sales people or how we would want them too. Maybe go in with a deposit cheque know car will be under $60,000CDN that may make them be more proactive.
Best of luck send photos of whatever you get maybe a 07 S4 (they’re going at $20,000 off right now!) and morph it into a saab for kicks!
Tompa: not to rub it in, but in the U.S. we pay on average (nationwide) USD3.13 per U.S. gallon, not USD3.90. That would work-out to about $0.83 per liter. I’m just sayin’. Why’s that vein popping out of your head?
Also, it appears from comments here that most Saab dealers in Canada are hardly “really good ones”. So far we’ve heard horror stories from two of Canada’s largest cities: Toronto and Vancouver. I don’t remember reading here (not just in this post but in general) any commenters from Canada saying, “I have a really great local Saab dealer”.
Richard – That’s the dealership I bought my 9-2X at. Definitly exceptional sales people.
Do you know what sort of discounts they had on the 07s?
NineTwoX – I did ask about the pricing on the nicely appointed ’07 SportCombi Aero that was in the showroom, but we got to talking about TurboX’s and other juicy stuff and I neglected to followup with them on that. I think they may only have a handful of ’07s left, so I suspect the discount may be significant.
Keith is the man you want to talk to at Saturn Saab West Edmonton. He’s the Saab guru that I’ve spoken with many times over the years.
Wow. CND55K is roughly USD56,260 today. That’s a lot of money for a car. Are all cars in Saab’s segment around that price in Canada?
Maybe they didn’t want to release pricing until now because they were still deciding whether to give a price break based on the exchange rate now that the Canadian Dollar is higher than the U.S. Dollar?
And now I’m reading Richard’s positive experience with a Canadian Saab dealer (in Edmonton), of course, just after I commented that I’ve never read of a good Canadian dealer. D’oh!
1985 Gripen, a BMW 335xi starts at CA$52,500 so a Saab starting at CA$54,995 with less power to brag about is, quite frankly, laughable. CA$11,000 more for 25bhp, XWD and eLSD – get a grip on reality, puhleeese! Anyone who pays more for a Turbo X than a 335i needs to be certified INSANE! I think Saab should price the range here in Canada as follows as its a joke trying to compete with BMW, Audi and MB.
9-3SS with 2.0T CA$29995
9-3SS with 2.8T CA$36000
9-3SS TurboX fully loaded CA$45000
I wonder how many Turbo X’s will be unsold here in Canada. My bet is a substantial amount of them unless Saab realises they are overcharging by a good CA$8000! Saab is, IMHO, lacking some serious credibility issues here in Canada!:(
Zippy,
those prices make me weep. I realise that Canada benefits from having the huge US market next door but seriously, you guys don’t know how good you’ve got it.
We don’t even get the X options on BMW here ( X3 & X5 is it) and the pricing for a 335 starts at about $120,000. Keep in mind that the Aussie$$ is currently at a 25 year high against the US of around 94c so we are not talking Pacific Pesos here.
Relatively speaking though – its hard not to see Saab as overpriced – as they are here.
PT, that’s the price we gotta pay to keep a couple of thousand bogans from Broadmeadows, Geelong and Fisherman’s Bend in work, I guess.
now where is that eyeroll emoticon……..
Hey bud, welcome to the club!!!
I’m STILL waiting a response from Saab Australia about my engine issues with the Viggen. Deafening silence.
sorry guys….
to clear things up
I typed AERO X and it should have read TURBO X for pricing
TURBO X sedan $54995
TURBO X sport combi $56305
AWD option on a AERO $2340 ( AERO FWD stick $43990)
This is the pricing in CANADA
Cheers
oh by the way…..
I loved the Darth Vader ….TURBO X morph
as a SAAB guy I passed that one on to the management with a “that would make a great ad”
thanks
Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. It was definitely an eye-opener to see there are quite a few unhappy Saab fans out there, I think I was pateint enough for a few months, and of course annoyance builds up.
Also want to state that I have been happy with the servicing of my cirrent 9-3 SS at the Queensway so far. But I do pay a hefty premium for this (e.g. $170 for an oil change), so this is not something to brag about.
I would refrain from making comments on the pricing until I hear official confirmation, but at 55K CAD (and with CAD/USD at parity for months now) that makes the Turbo X more expensive than the new C63 AMG and the new M3. And you have the discounts on al these 2007 S4s Brian mentioned.
“I have a really great local Saab dealer”. In Canada.
My wife has a 2000 9-5 and we’ve loved it. The dealer has been friendly and responsive to concerns, and has obliged us with loaners when required, even out of warranty.
I wish I could say the same for my Audi dealer; at present I drive a 2001 S4 sedan which I like but don’t love (my previous car was an ’87 M6). The Audi has had lots of niggling problems, I always felt like the dealer was trying to inflate any service/repair, and the day my warranty was up – a loaner – surely you jest, sir
Back in late 2007 I asked my Saab dealer to keep me informed re: the Turbo X. In January I got an Email that they were available for order. I went in to check out the 2008 Aero Sportcombi, decided it was the wagon for me, and placed an order for an X, to be delivered in April.
Easy.
Now, I wait
Just to let you know Kroum, these prices are straight from GM and are official as I am a SAAB dealer
I have shopped at both Queensway Saturn/SAAB/Hummer and at Budd’s in Oakville. I liked the salepeople I was talked too at each, but it was obvious that SAAB is not the focus of the Queensway dealer. At least they are still a dealer (unlike the Brampton dealer that simply dropped SAAB and sells only Saturns now).
I still have a hard time with the CDN-US price difference. The Turbo X equals 41,716.70 CAD just an hour and a bit down the highway. $13,000 cheaper is hard to ignore.
Thanks, Lee. Miraculously, I got a call today and I’ll be paying Queensway Saab a visit on Saturday after my 335xi test drive.
Like Chris points out, a $13K difference is very hard to swallow, albeit expected by me.
Hi Chris,
yep that makes sense, except a US dealer will not sell a new car to a Canadian , and you have to pay cash for the whole thing
We ,as dealers are fighting with GM to adjust pricing and its frustrating
I’d like to publicly post a big Thankyou to Lee for shedding some light on this pricing issue for the Turbo X. Obviously there are dealers out there who care about the brand and the car, and Budds’ Saab is one of them.
How miraculous was that call, really, Kroum?
I think GM Canada also should be thanking Lee and recognize him for possibly saving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Saab sales which might have gone elsewhere had he not stepped-in to help.
…and remember cars bought in the US that come from Europe are subject to 6.1% import duty coming into Canada
Irony intended, Swade.
Yeah, forgot my emoticon….
– SW
Thanks Swade, Gripen….
The power of the internet and this site to get things done
I just hate hearing negative things about SAAB
If you guys have any other questions please feel free to contact me
Cheers
Lee
1. i wouldn’t let a catatonic dealer stand in the way of getting my hands on a turbo-x, or any saab–for that matter. i feel that i’m paying for the product rather than for the service. i’d feel differently if i were talking about a (swedish?) massage or something to that effect, however.
2. it sounds odd, though, that there’s no mention of the dealer even requesting a down payment, to reserve your place on the list. i know mini cooper did that a few years ago.
that dealer doesn’t sound like it’s ready for “prime time.” therefore:
3. can you buy the turbo-x from another dealer and have it shipped to your (dreaded) local dealer for delivery?
luck.
Kudo’s to Lee for stepping up on the info, nice to know somebody cares.
Been to this dealer a few times to peek and plan. Highly reccommended, dedicated SAAB showroom and sales staff.
Kroum, before you head to BMW, understand that you may be looking at the rosy sales perspective. Having had a BMW product recently, their sales guys are great to deal with, responsive to the customer, promise you the world. Their customer service isn’t quite as good… I spent more time in a 2 1/2 yr time frame driving loaner cars than my own car. I was however pleased to find that the same courtesy was extended not only to the owners of the lower series numbers, but also to the megabucks 7 series owners.
My wife now drives a Mercedes, and I have a 9-3 Aero Sportcombi… My experience with the dealer (KW SAAB-Saturn) has been excellent, both with sales and with service. Service has been completed quickly, on or under estimate, and when required a new Saturn Aura loaner has been provided.
Sorry to hear Queensway hasn’t been overly responsive. I bought a set of OEM alloy rims and winter tires from them, and found their service guys were great to deal with, after an internet inquiry.
I agree with the comments in this thread, that SAAB needs to pick up their socks generally if they want to retain loyal customers. My only gripe with KW SAAB is the quality of their showroom facilities – they are pretty industrial for the target market, no where close to BMW or Mercedes. Last time in for service, I was offered a desk, computer and internet if required to continue work while waiting for the car… there is hope, and KW is only 90 km west of Toronto area.
Lee, great work.
Swade, see, there IS a mission for this blog !
NineTwoX – I just stopped by the dealer again this morning to pick up some parts (cheaper than I expected – amazing!) and asked about the price on the very nice ’07 SportCombi Aero. It is priced on the floor at $42,000. I can’t recall the original list price for the model, but the sales guy did say that price included any incentives or discounts. I’m sure with some good haggling (can we still haggle with GM – I remember some “no haggle” campaign a few years back) one might get that price sub-40K. And that would be a steal of a deal – well, for here in Canada anyway.
I also spoke briefly with Keith and he confirmed that the TurboX is at the auto show. That’s what will get me in the doors this year.
This Edmonton dealer is expecting three TurboX’s and two are already sold. So there may be one on the floor to check out in the next month or two.
Mmm…TurboX.
The whole US vs CAN pricing is really starting to make me consider buying a car in the US using a US based address….here are the main reasons;
1.Audi S5, $51,350 US (65,900 CAN) +$14,550
2.BMW 335xi Sedan, 46,475 US (59,650) +$13,175
3.BMW335xi Coupe, 47,525 US (61,250) +$13,725
4.BMW 535xi Sedan, 58,325 US (77,400) +$19,075
5.BMW M3 Sedan, 56,525 US (69,900) +$16,100
6. BMW M3 Coupe, 60,175 US (71,300) +$14,800
I have optioned the cars as I want them, no Nav, no useless gadgets….just what I want….
So given the fact that I drove Saab’s for over 10 years (2 900’s, 2 95’s) and thoroughly enjoyed them I honestly have taken the Turbo X off the list for now and will either buy one of the above cars from the States or wait for the 2009 Saab 93 Aero c/w XWD+eLSD for about $48,000 Canadian and hope for good lease/finance rates
And on a side note I bought all my Saab’s from Budd’s in Oakville and they are one of the best dealerships to deal with in Ontario.
Hello everyone!
I am sorry to hear of some of the poor customer service experiences that people have had and taken the time to share with us on this blog. I would like to point out some positive things that are going to happen this year.
The Turbo X availability is limited as you all know but there also making the 2008 9-3 Aero’s available with XWD as an option.
Next year Saab with introduce the XWD option in the 2009 9-3 2.0 T’s … that translates into a HOT SAAB for Subaru money.
Then there’s the 9-4 XWD out in 2009
Now for my wish list!
9-1 X BioHybrid.. mixed in with maybe a Chevy Volt with some work could become a Aero Xish roadster car for us SAAB NUTS!
Keep your heads up and help the effort.
I purchased a 1996 Saab 9000 CSE a number of years ago from Budd’s Saturn Saab in Oakville, Ontario, Mr. Lee Andrews was the sales rep. I received excellent service, exceptional really and if I buy another Saab I will go back to him even though I live thousands of kilometers from Toronto. Servicing a Saab in Canada (outside the metro areas) can be impossible. Needed a part for the transmission and had to replace the tranny since they do not make the part anymore, for a 12 year old car. Also involved a 500 km tow to Edmonton since no one in my area of northern Alberta will even look at a Saab. Maybe Volvo next time?
Hi David,
If you’re looking for an experienced Saab mechanic in the Edmonton area, I’d contact Mark G at Chris’ Auto Service (780 469 8016) in Edmonton. He’s been my Saab mechanic for some 10 years and he knows how to fix and treat a Saab. And he drives them too. He used to own and run JohnG Auto – it was almost an Edmonton landmark- before he closed up the business and opened up a bay at Chris’. Mark has been doing this a long time and I’ve found that he is very thorough in his diagnoses and seems to enjoy a good mechanical challenge. God knows I’ve presented him with enough challenges with my own ’02 9-3SE!
Edmonton is obviously a fair distance from where you are (presumably Fort Mac), but at least you’ll know you’re dealing with a guy who knows Saabs from getting his nails dirty, and not from reading a textbook. The Saab dealer will give you the latter at about $30 an hour more than Mark.
Richard
Thanks David
I’m even still with SAAB, 15 years now, to sell you another some day
cheers
Lee
…and by the way guys……wait until you see the new 2010 9-5…it will knock your socks off!
good thinks coming to SAAB