Overall I’m more than happy with the car. It’s my 5th Saab, and I’ve had some good ones in the past, including a 900 Carlsson and most recently a 9-3 Aero (last of the hatches). I love the look of the X, and as I approach it to get in I can’t help but grin at times. I also park in the petrol station in a position where I can see the car whilst I’m queueing, so that I can admire it from afar! How sad is that?!! I just don’t think I’d get that same feeling driving around in an Audi (ok, maybe an S5).

The performance is perfectly good, without being amazing. The power delivery is such that you don’t always realise how quick you’re going until you look at the dial. However, there are also times when you just feel it needs a bit more. I may treat myself to an upgrade before long, and will therefore need to check out both the BSR and Hirsh options. The AWD and handling is obviously very good, although it does take some getting used to. Whilst I always have a lot of confidence when cornering, it can feel like the car is pivoting around me and is quite unlike any other car I’ve driven.

It has to be said that the interior is not brilliant, but it’s by no means poor. It does look a little drab compared to the class leaders, but exterior styling is far more important for me.

After almost 6 months I am still very happy with the car, although I do feel it is somewhat over-priced…and I also paid the price for ordering early! However, how many other cars in the price range would give me that grin?

But it would certainly have been nice to meet both of you! For now, I guess I’ll have to be content with admiring the few Turbo X’s I’ll spot around here – and they are certainly not going to be a common sight even on the Swedish roads (not really sure about the Swedish allotment).

Cheers,
Johnny

Today walking to class I saw a ~1990 or so C900 Turbo convertible parked right next to a white pre-facelift 9-3SC 2.0T and the comparison really stuck with me. The C900 had a shape that’s iconic and still looks fresh to this day, and the turbo models had performance that easily matched or beat BMW’s top regular production 3-series of the time, the 325i.

The 9-3SC on the other hand looked almost, but not quite there. The shape of the beltline, pillars, and tail make for what is easily the best looking sportwagons on the market, but the bland front end dulls what would otherwise be the best looking car in it’s class. Almost, but not quite. The interior is no different as some of the best seats in the 9-3′s segment with are paired with what are easily the cheapest interior materials in it’s segment. I love the simple, ergonomic dash layout wonder how many buyers could have been brought to Saab on that interior alone if GM had only chosen to execute that interior with the materials and switchgear that belong in a $30k+ car. Again, Saab’s frustratingly close to getting it right, only to be held back by some easily fixable flaws. The same thing goes for handling and controls, if the Japanese can put a great shifter and communicative steering in their $20k econoboxes then there’s no reason why Saab’s still have to have rubbery shifters and numb steering.

Saab right now is in the middle of a sales crisis, and while car sales are down across the board, Saab is still seeing sales drops beyond those of it’s rivals. Saab is also ranked dead last in terms of owner loyalty, and the current addition of XWD hasn’t done much to help that. Saab right now doesn’t just need the enthusiasts if it wants to survive, it needs those precious “conquest” sales from people who have never bought a Saab before. As long Saab’s products like the “halo” Turbo X get almost universally panned by the major automotive journalists for being “Almost, but not quite”, that isn’t going to happen. That said, I have high hopes for the NG9-5 and 9-4X, and I’m anxiously looking forward to how GM manages to fix the “not quite” parts of those cars.

It’s just frustrating to see a brand with so much going for it getting held back by such easily fixable flaws.

That said, I find it very interesting and important to read third-party reviews of Saab cars against other brands that are more or less officially acknowledged by Saab as competitors. And I am slightly uncomfortable with not being able to discuss the results here objectively without being accused of being anti-Saab, and of writing “appalling” comments.

I sincerely congratulate Joe and all the rest of you here who have managed to get yourselves a Turbo X. I have driven it and it is a truly wonderful car. You made the right choice!

Happy Saabing,
Johnny

For once I am looking forward to the Canadian winter – this will be the ultimate test of how good the Turbo X really is. Then in spring, I may think about BSR stage 1 to help 1st and 2nd gears.