While Swade’s enroute to Whistler, we have:
A little-known Automotive website names Saab a “Best Brand Buy”.
Forbes.com names the Saab 9-5 “worthy of a second look”.
Our favorite Nothern European 9-5 photog is back with new pictures.
Did someone say “car lust”? Of course, it’s an SPG!
Autotropolis.com has named Saab the “Best Brand Buy” based upon the following statements:
It’s too bad Saab is often an overlooked brand because this GM-owned Scandinavian automaker has it all: fun to drive, above average fuel economy, safety that rivals its nemesis Volvo and even sexy good looks.
Another reason to buy Saab? The price and fuel economy. The MSRP of a base Saab 9-3 is just $28,835. And, seven of Saab’s 9-3 models get 27 mpg or better.
I think that we’d all agree!
Forbes.com has grouped together several cars under the “worthy of a second look” category. The Saab 9-5 is the lowest volume car on the list at just under 2,000 units sold year-to-date. As an interesting aside, the Audi A3 hatchback also made the list at low volume which cetainly doesn’t encourage those of us that would like to have an option for a hatchback 9-3. I think that the A3 isn’t selling because the darn thing doesn’t look special at all and it costs almost the same as a 9-3.
Erik Nygard has two beautiful Saab 9-5s: one a wagon, the other a sedan. He’s also pretty darned handy with his camera. Lucky for us.
Erik Nygard
Finally, Mr. Hafner, apparently a fellow blogger, has named the bull-nose C900 SPG as his all-time favorite, or, as, he puts it, “This is the big one, the big Kahuna, the lustiest of my Car Lusts.” Amen, brothah!
The A3 isn’t a combi-coupé either, it’s a small wagon (combi). It’s like when Saab was allegedly looking to sales of the ovloV C30 to see if America’s ready to buy a hatchback again. It was a bad benchmark.
That SPG… is nice. I’m partial to the non-integrated-bumper slab-nosed C900s, being the proud owner of an ’85 900T. All the SPGs are nice, but I especially like those white prototypes (from ’84). Maybe the draw for me is their rarity.
I’m looking for a Saab to replace my wife’s ’01 9-3. On my shopping list is either an ’05-’06 9-5 combi (it would HAVE to have the ventilated seats though), ’05-’06 9-3 ‘vert, or maybe even an ’08 9-3 combi (usually I let someone else take that new car depreciation hit, but the Employee Discount for Everyone pricing might be tempting…).
You are right 1985 Gripen – the A3 is a bad benchmark when we look at the us sales. In Germany most people that are interested in buying an A3 [and that's an awful lot] are not even considering the 3 door version and instead take the Sportback. This market is growing over here – some elder clients tend to buy a “step down” and dismiss the A4 due to high costs and beeing to lengthy. Saab will be allright with a delta sized NG 9-3 ! And even more so with a hatch variant! That Saab is overlooked is one of the main problems – probably that is why GM decided to go massive into promoting the future with all the concepts… just to wet our appetits
even though it’s hard to sit and wait for the real product. To much ground has been lost, Saab needs to move minds before introducing and then selling new cars – otherwise they have perfect products but nobody knows about it. If you show someone a Saab who is into buying a new midsized Combi most of them are surprised by the stylish Sportcombi and its capabilities. Unfortunately they then read a test in the Autobild of the Turbo X and see that it gets its ass kicked by the rivalries…. see here:http://www.autobild.de/artikel/vier-sportliche-kombis-im-test_783284.html – worst performance on the racetrack, worst overall quality and highest pricetag 
… that’s what Autobild says after having it compared for the first time. The only thing that helps is this orange beast of an 9-5!! Beautiful car, surely not to be seen after every corner!
Don’t forget LeftLaneNews that had yet another Saab review the other day:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/saab-9-3-convertible-review.html
rayman146: Is autobild a German magazine? Were the rivals in that test all German cars? I’m not surprised the Swedish contender allegedly has “bad quality” and fails all the tests. I’m sure there’s no mention that the Turbo-X beat both the BMW M3 and the Porsche 911 in the slalom?
Mind you all. The Ultra tacky and crapy Autobild mag and website is a typical naked girl auto publication.. Sorry if I´m unclear. But please look at Auto motor und sport instead for some value in reading. Autobild favours german cars in every aspect.. specialy if some foreign brand rivals them.. They probably would place the Golf Gti ahead of the Turbo X just because VW´s german..
But I have to be clear on a couple of thngs about Germany.. The people is extremely friendly, and getting close to Frankfurt.a.M and downwards the country is so beautiful. I´m a big fan of Rüdesheim and Eltville and try to go to those places as often as I can.
Of course – the rivals have been an A4 Avant 3.2 FSi / VW Passat Variant R36 / BMW 335i Touring and the Turbo X and I didn’t say that we could trust any publication coming out of the Bild [Springer] Imperium, but the perception the readers have is that it’s not up to the competition.
… and Auto Motor Sport at least said, the Turbo X has very impressive and extremely comfy seats – the rest is true [smaller trunk, cheaper materials, a thirsty engine] and everyone knows about it. But nonetheless, I wished they would say what matters most – that the package is great, even though failing to be best in every aspect [what you have to be, to win in this competition] and that it has, what a VW Passat would never incorporate – - SOUL – - and the special feeling you have once behind the [big] steering wheel 
Standard advertising psychology – the more you get to here it’s a less impressive car, the more you’ll probably believe it
hm:)
dunno if you guys have seen this pic before,it is taken by Lasse Sward from Alltommotor.se during his NY-trip:
http://www.alltommotor.se/artiklar/nyheter/1.3854
Well, shiver me timbers! Yeoman EnG