Category Archives: Road Tests

Edmunds provide puzzling Saab Turbo X road test

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Thanks to Nate for passing this one on….

I’ve written a fair bit in the past about frustrating road tests, and this road test of the Saab Turbo X SportCombi is a classic example. The test comes from Edmunds in the US and you’d think with a “pros” list like this, that they’d really love the car:

Excellent handling, precise steering, all-wheel-drive security, comfortable seats, easy-to-use interior controls, loads of cargo space, funky Saab character.

Well, you’d think so, but Edmunds find themselves only able to recommend it to die-hard Saab nuts who want the latest, or as they put it:

we could only recommend it to a guy named Sven who has two kids and lives at the top of Latigo Canyon Road.

They point out that the Turbo X is a limited edition and therefore, that their review has a very limited shelf life. They should be aware, however, that the 2009 Saab 9-3 XWD Aero is going to be a very similar package, so Saab can have stupidity like this to look forward to for the next few years from Edmunds.

Their “Cons” list is as follows:

Hilariously overpriced, disappointing gas mileage, droning exhaust note, inadequate cupholders, some chintzy interior bits, tight backseat.

They’ve gone overboard with the superlatives when it comes to pricing (if they were in Australia, I’d agree), are subjective when it comes to the exhaust note (I’ve heard from many actual owners who love it) and no car should ever be measured by its cupholders.

The point here: That “pros” list vastly outweighs the “cons” list and it’s just blatantly unfair that they’d give it an unfavourable opinion when there’s so much going for the car. If they were objective about it, they’d see that.

The do have some valid points, however.

Criticisms about cupholders are OK as addendums that don’t form opinions, but Edmunds are right to critique the interior materials as they have.

Although its materials aren’t bad, the 9-3′s cabin quality is far from worthy of its inflated sticker. Perhaps at $36,000 we wouldn’t be complaining, given the Turbo X’s performance capabilities and utility.

There’s actually a lot of great high points in this review. When it comes to what cars are actually made for – driving – the Turbo X excels and provides the exact impression that Saab were looking for.

It does fall short in some areas, but not to the extent that Edmunds claims. It’s OK to find some shortcomings in a car, but they should have been more objective about writing them up.

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Quite possibly the best 2008 Saab 9-3 road test report – ever.

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I’ll admit I’ve not been a huge fan of Left Lane News over the years, but perhaps I neet to take a second look. I’ll keep the reasons for my indifference to myself, but suffice to say that when Andrew Ganz from LLN emailed me to let me know he’d prepared a review of the 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T, I was curious but not overly excited.

After reading the review for myself, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I’ll go further and say that this is a review that could sell Saabs all by itself. This is a thoroughly researched piece of work that should be a yardstick for many of the ‘professional’ auto journalists out there. Quite a compliment, especially seeing Andrew used my most hated “Q” word in the text :-)

Here’s a few snippets, but I suggest that any person interested in Saabs click through and read it for themselves. It really is worth the time. For one thing, Andrew’s reviewing the car that most Saab buyers in the US will end up with – the base model 2.0T. It’s so base it’s even got the 16 inch wheels.

Here were go:

By the late 1980s, Saab’s future was bleak: The ubiquitous 900 traced its roots to the 1968 99 and the 9000, an impressively roomy and fast sedan, was essentially conceived without the budget for a replacement. Fortunately, the General stepped in and the world still has Saabs, albeit Saabs based on GM-engineered platforms.

One the 9-3 base:

….based on GM’s Epsilon platform, which, in an extended configuration, also underpins the Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6 and even the Fiat Croma in Europe. That said, the 9-3 is marketed as a considerably more upscale vehicle and includes many of the features you’d expect to see in the entry-level sports/luxury sedan market. Not to mention that it looks and feels absolutely nothing like its platform mates.

And therein is a good indication of the quality of this review. Countless other publications would stop at listing the other GM models and craft a literary sneer to go along with it. The separation of the 9-3 is both appropriate and accurate.

….It’s not nearly as unique as the classic 900s were with their distinctive hatchback shape, but the 9-3 is overall a pleasant, vaguely generic European design. The 2008 upgrades go a long way to giving it a unique external identity….

….Otherwise, the interior design is functional and fairly upscale. The materials and designs aren’t quite as richly upscale as you’ll see in a BMW 3-Series, but they’re sufficient for the 9-3’s lower price point. Few materials feel genuinely out of place, but few also truly exceed expectations.

Again, objective and accurate.

Finally:

Why you would buy it:
You’re looking for a less-expensive way to experience unique European flavor and you want a car with personality as well as surprising performance and efficiency.

Why you wouldn’t:
You’re a Saab purist disheartened by the GM-sourced motor and platform.

Even the pictures do the reader a service by pointing out the good and the bad:

Head on over to Left Lane News and check it out for yourself. If you’re in the market for a 2008 Saab 9-3, then it’s well worth a read.

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Friday Snippets

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If you haven’t had your say in the Tell GM About It: the Saab 9-1 post yet, then please head on over and do so.

The more people, the bigger the voice, and this is a car that definitely needs a voice. In fact, you can help by letting other Saab enthusiasts you know who may not frequent this site about the campaign. We’re not trying to stir up trouble here and this is just a small pocket of people on the web, but GM have to know that there’s people who are keen on this car.

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Karl Brauer from Edmunds is quite familiar with the individual nature of a good Saab. Until recently, he was the owner of a very nice Saab Sonett III. His publication is also one of the most widely used automotive resources on the web.

So when he says today’s Saabs should have more quirkiness, and for less cost, I think Saab should listen (despite my objection to the Q word).

In summary, he says that the Turbo X is a great car, but costs too much compared to its natural rivals and doesn’t offer enough of the individual traits that Saabs were known for in the past. I may not agree with his comparative analysis and I certainly don’t think a Turbo X is too expensive in the US (compared to what other markets are paying). But I definitely agree with the need for more individuality.

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Scripps News has a really great review of the Lynx Yellow Saab 9-3 Convertible, including some yellow Saab history that I didn’t know.

A good read, especially for those interested in picking up a convertible in the near future. I’ve actually got a little bit of convertible fever myself at the moment, but a C900 Convertible is going to be more in line with my budget when it comes time to pull the trigger.

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Jill Ciminillo from the Chicago Sun Times has also written a review of the 9-3 Convertible, and makes an interesting point about the top that I couldn’t disagree with more:

So, as far as soft tops go, the 9-3’s is one of the best. But still, a hard top would look so much better.

I’m yet to see a hard-top convertible that looks natural. The roof always looks a little out of place on the hard tops, like it wasn’t quite designed to be that way, but the necessities of physics made it so.

Nah, give me a soft top any day. If a car’s going to be a convertible, let it be a convertible. Why disguise it as a coupe?

It’s also a good review and definitely click-worthy.

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I’ve gotta say……. I like the way GM are covering the design and build process of the Chevy Volt. This is a game-changer for them and despite my own frustrations with them and the way the manage Saab, I hope they hit a home run with this one and shut the critics up for a long time.

They’ve recently released a number of new images of the production version of the car, and have a dedicated section over at GM Media so that people can get the latest as soon as it’s available.

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Here’s another reason why it’s great to have a successful motorsports program: you get to make cool videos like this one:

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With just days to go before the big trip north, my previously trouble-free laptop decided to give me some trouble. Big Trouble. Trouble so big that the whole hard drive had to be reformatted and everything (EVERYTHING) was wiped and had to be reloaded.

The lesson: if you’ve got a whole bunch of great photos, say….photos from your trip-of-a-lifetime to Sweden, make sure you back them up externally before your computer decides to eat them.

:-(

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Saab TTiD in Aussie diesel comparo

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The Motor Report is a relatively new Australian motoring website and they’ve recently completed their first comparison road test.

It’s the Saab TTiD Aero vs the Ford Mondeo TDCi.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Let’s be honest here, shall we? I don’t think TMR deliberately thought let’s get these two cars from very different segments and do a direct comparison between them. I think it probably went more like this: we’ve got two diesels available this week – let’s do a comparison!

It’s an odd pairing, but worth reading about just the same. Here in Australia, the Saab is some $25,000 more expensive than the Mondeo, so the review aims to answer whether or not they think the difference is worthwhile.

They frame the question as if it’s being asked by an accountant. Well, as a CPA qualified accountant myself (there, I said it), I can tell you that if you’ve got the $25,000 extra in your pocket, you’ll probably opt for the TTiD and smile all the way home in your comfortable seats, with all those extra horses and torques to get you there. If you’re stretching to put that extra money together, then you’ll probably convince yourself that you’re happy in the Mondeo and barely give it another thought.

A few snippets:

….With clam-shell bonnet, deep traditional Saab grille, all-new headlamp lenses, and a very nice fore and aft balance, the TTiD is a return to form by Saab in exterior styling…..

….You will more immediately feel ‘at home’ in the Saab – you sit low and snug, everything is nicely at hand and, while the matt-black plastic dominating the fascia is a let-down, there is an understated integrity to the look and feel.

….Once on the move….the Saab comes on like a shower. It is impressively swift and emits a very satisfying turbo whistle when things become serious. Here the TTiD can be favourably compared to fancied rivals like the BMW 520d…..

They readily acknowledge that the TTiD is a better all-round package, but that’s not to say that the Mondeo hasn’t got a few tricks up its sleeve as well. It looks good and the turbodiesel powerplant has got plenty of pulling power for a family hauler. It’s got leather. It’s got gadgets. The Saab has all those things, and it’s got better versions of them, to boot.

In the end, it’s not that much of a surprise. If you’re a road-tester, why write a value-based road test that favours a seemingly expensive car if the cheaper model ticks the boxes. They way it ticks them doesn’t matter to most. The Mondeo diesel will outsell the Saab by a significant margin in the coming years as it’s only two-thirds of the price and is much more visible to the average car buyer.

The TTiD will sell to those that go looking for it. They’ll be cashed up, and when they finally get it, they’ll be glad they made the effort.

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NY Times on the Turbo X

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Normally when there’s a new Saab review out there, I might get one or two emails about it. Over the weekend I think I had close to ten about this one (thanks to everyone). Such is the drawing power of the New York Times and the writing of Ezra Dyer.

Dyer is the hot new property in Automotive writing and rightly so. He’s darn good. And apparently, he owns an old Saab!

This isn’t his finest piece of work. It’s far less emotive than other stuff I’ve seen. But it’s interest for us isn’t in his expression, it’s in his subject – the Saab 9-3 Turbo X. Dyer was at the same event that Eggs n Grits attended in Boston back in May.

Let’s start where we always do – at the finish:

The Saabs of the ’80s and early ’90s became cult hits not because they were offbeat, though they were, but because they had BMW-beating performance to back up the swagger promised by their spoilers and turbo-boost gauges.

The 9000 was good looking and had seats you could spend all day in. It had top-of-the-curve performance delivered in Swedish style, and, 17 years later, I’m glad to say the Turbo X makes that description relevant again.

Yes. This review does a few things to remind us about why we were excited before the Turbo X arrived, and why we were even more excited once it came.

It’s a very good car.

There may be a few automotive jerkalists that still like to bow at the Teutonic altar, but the Turbo X is a genuine step forward for Saab and boasts some serious credentials that are rightly recognised.

I won’t reproduce much more of the article here is it’s not a long one (though it was a long time in the making – a May drive finally put to print in August??) but here’s a couple of favourite parts:

….the fact that I can mention a Saab and an M3 in the same sentence, without that sentence being, “The Saab is drastically inferior to the M3,” constitutes a significant reordering of the European luxury-car pecking order…..

….This car has balance, a poised approach to aggressive cornering that you wouldn’t expect from a Saab, and I say it’s high time for that.

The Turbo X isn’t perfect, but it’s very, very good. I’m really pleased that someone with the profile of Ezra Dyer is writing it up that way. Go hit the link before it gets archived and hard to find.

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2006 Saab 9-7x 5.3i review

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Long-time lurkers would be familiar with Andy Rupert. He’s a former 900 owner, famous for his plaid door inserts and that song about Bringing Back The Hatch.

Nowadays, Andy works at a Volvo dealership in Ohio and recently had the chance to take a 9-7x off the lot for a few days. My thanks to Andy for allowing me share his thoughts on what’s going to be one of Saab’s rarer models.

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Working at a car dealership has taught me several things. The first lesson is that you never know how long you will have a demo vehicle. It may last a month. It may last a day. You just never know. I’ve also learned that you should never put much gas in the tank of a demo vehicle. As soon as you fill-up the tank, the car will sell and for some strange reason the customer won’t refund you the money. Sure enough, after putting $20 in the tank last night, the SAAB 97X was taken from me. Therefore, my review of this ‘Swedish’ SUV will be limited to four days and less than 100 miles. Even so, I have some thoughts to share.

First Impressions

My wife likes the 9-7x. In fact, the first day home, she announced her approval of purchasing it should we need to replace the minivan. That says something about the vehicle as she normally doesn’t like foreign brands. As strange as it may seem, she never did like the SAAB 900s or either of the Jaguars we have owned.

Rather than question her tastes (at least for the moment), I think this may say something about a portion of the American market. Die-hard Saabisti may decry the re-badging of the Trailblazer/Envoy, but some people really don’t care. They actually like the way it looks. And to be honest, the black 9-7x I’ve been driving does look pretty good.

Performance

Last Thursday evening, I was handed the keys to the 9-7x. One of the first things I noted as I pulled out of the parking lot was the explosive acceleration of the 300 hp V8.

For instance, as I was preparing to turn right onto Mentor Avenue, another car was driving past. With every other car I’ve driven, it was appropriate to push the accelerator when the car was directly in front of my bumper. That usually allowed me to enter traffic without having to worry about hitting the car as it passed. Not so with the 9-7x. As I pressed the accelerator, I thought that I was going to hit the car driving past!

Acceleration on the highway was also impressive for an SUV. It doesn’t quite compare to a compact car with the same specs. But the fact that the 300 hp is backed up with 330 lb. feet or torque is quite notable at all times.

Interior

Several weeks of looking through the window of the vehicle produced in me a desire to test drive this vehicle. The perforated black leather seats, wood accents, and a tasteful amount of chrome trim made the 9-7x look like the finest car on the lot.

However, as I drove the vehicle home, I was quicky reminded that it indeed was a truck — especially on concrete roads. To make matters worse the driver’s seat back felt like (and on closer inspection looked like) square sofa seat cushions from a hide-away bed. They were not very comfortable at all. But I must admit that I had grown accustomed to the glove-like, comfortable seats in the Volvo S60 R.

Now take those comments for what they are worth. I have had a trouble with my back for the last twenty years. And driving any SUV over Tyler Blvd. is probably not going to be very comfortable. But then again … on the way back from church last night, my wife commented on how comfortable the passenger seat was. Go figure.

I did appreciate the accessibility of the rear storage compartment. The 9-7x comes with a two piece rear hatch. By pressing a large button underneath the hatch window, the hinged window itself can be opened. This is a nice option as it enables you to access smaller items without opening the entire hatch. Of course, it only takes a moment longer to open the entire hatch, but every little time saver is appreciated.

Conclusion

Overall, I enjoyed driving the SAAB 9-7x 5.3i. It is a nice looking, powerful vehicle SUV that allows five passengers to travel in style. While the seats may not be as comfortable as those in a 9000 Aero, you do get used to them after a while. And if you are not intimidated by the current price of gas, this is the time to buy. Leikin Motor Company has two in stock for under US $20,000.

Quite the deal, I’d say.

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Two new Turbo-X reviews

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Like the rhyming headline?

:-)

I haven’t featured any reviews for a little while as they were all starting to blend into one another. Given that we’ve had a bit of a break, though, I thought it OK to bring these onto the front page.

From Australia:

Here we have Drive.com.au’s coverage of the event I attended at Lang Lang a few weeks ago. I had the option of attending the press event and maybe I should have as they got the chance to drive the car themselves.

It seems it made the appropriate impression, too. Whilst they’re not jumping out of their skins about it, the surefootedness of the car was noticed:

Saab invited us down to Holden’s cold, windswept proving ground at Lang Lang where we could put the hottest 9-3 through its paces in relative safety.

First was the skid pan, where a slalom course would demonstrate how tightly the Turbo X could spear through the cones. Yes, it goes hard, but although it is claimed the 9-3 could almost match a Porsche 911 for exit speed at the end of a slalom, with no 911 to test it against, we’ll just have to take that on trust. Then it was on to a wet circular track to demonstrate the Turbo X’s grip. Sprint halfway around the outer edge of the circle, switch to a full inside loop, and then down the other outside half to a stop.

It’s difficult looking at the speedo when gravity is trying to throw you out the side window, but other drivers said they had the Turbo X up to 80 km/h in a loop no wider than a soccer pitch.

And from the US:

MotiveMag got to drive the Turbo X at Road Atlanta and their tagline We’ve been waiting nearly a decade for a Saab like the Turbo X should tell you most of what you need to know:

We tested a standard 9-3 and a Turbo X sedan back-to-back at Road Atlanta and around a wet skidpad, and found that the Turbo X is a huge improvement over the 9-3 according to any metric you care to use.

It really is. that. good.

Enjoy either review at your leisure.

And if you’ve picked up a Turbo X recently and we don’t know about it yet, then why not shoot through a photo as well as your initial impressions of the car.

Maybe August should be the month of Turbo X loving? The photos mightn’t change much, though :-)

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Saab Turbo X: What it’s all about…

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Some time ago I put a post up here asking new Turbo X owners how their cars were going.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s been a bit of traffic in that comment thread over the last few days. One owner has even posted his mini-review in there and in keeping with my theory that the best judges of a car are those who actually pay for it, I thought I’d reproduce it here.

Saabs are a bucketload better than what the press give them credit for, hence we try and tell the great stories about Saab here. The satisfaction and happiness evident here make for a pretty good recommendation if you ask me.

Our owner’s name is Bob. I’m not familiar with who Bob is, but his story seems to include some prior Saab ownership, as well as wider Swedish ownership having traded a Volvo S60R for his Turbo X.

His review (for which I thank him), as posted in comments on June 17, goes like this:

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OK, here is a mini review.

I got my car 10 days ago and I am now at almost 1000 miles, as I had to drive around the state. It had 200 miles on it as it had to be driven for the trade. It is a Sedan Navi 6 speed. Looks gorgeous and I love the relatively narrow wheelbase which is so SAAB. Very aggressive looking, esp. from the rear, as it stands a bit elevated.

No gas cap lock, but XM module takes it’s place. Got me a Stant locking cap.

Peels off like there is no tomorrow, kicks your head back, then just goes. My fault was that I was used to the Volvo S60R’s longer clutch so I was hesitant to drop it fast. The clutch is quite short and you just drop it, the car is so powerful it will not die, as long as you are at 2000 rpm. My mistake was to grind the clutch thinking it was already engaged while accelerating. No more, now I got the hang of it and it is a blast.

The cop in our two stoplight town was having his donut and looking at me downthrottle (brrrvvmmm), downshifting (oh so sweet noise to my ears it does it like the Lamborghinis in the movies) to stop, then we looked at each other, then PING! I am off to 35 mph in 1 sec, he just jumped into his car and followed me all the way to work 5 miles down the road at 30mph. We talked and he had a good laugh, he thought i was going to gun it for 80 in town :)

Well, now he now knows my new car and aversion of lawyers :(

On the twisties going up on a 20 deg gradient it sings in 3rd gear with the Haldex doing its magic on gravel, love how it howls for more. Windows down is a must.

On the highway I stopped dropping in 5th to pass, all it takes is a gentle “milking” of the turbo with the needle in the orange zone (just like the 2001 9-3 I had) and voila, I am flying slowly releasing the gas while this things “buuuugs” whistling past people.

So far I’ve had about 10 people stop me and talk to me about the car, but keep in mind I live in the deep country, I may have the only SAAB in town :) People turn heads to watch (men more than women) the source of that sweet throaty growl that this thing puts out between 1500-2500 rpm in town.

Needless to say I am in love again. Not much time to play though: infant seat in the middle and two child seats on the back row. I’ve already removed juice, crackers, and ice cream from the car :)

My 5 year-old looked at the car one evening when I pulled in and commented on the car, “Oh daddy your car looks like a monster”, then pointed to the LED eyebrows over the active cornering halogens that really wiggle as I turn the steering wheel.

K&N filter 33-2337 arrived today, UltimatePedals ($120 alternative to Hirsch’s $400 aluminum extravaganza) are on the way. To BSR or not to BSR? I pray RICA does a PPC based tune just like I had in my S60R.

Get it while you can!

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