y2ks2k

Ive never "gotten" the Saab thing either. Its kind of a brand like BMW in the early 80s'... it was a status symbol that all the Yuppies wanted (in the US). BMW was able to make something of it SAAB never did and still works under the "Im very different so the elitists can buy me" theory.

Sleepy

I always thought Saabs were primarily an east-coast thing. I have NEVER found them attractive, but all of my NY friends wanted one. Odd.

orangebarius

my friend's neighbor has 3 of them. old ones, new ones and they are always in the shop. i have no idea why he keeps buying them. at least his sons didnt follow in his footsteps. they have a hondas and a subaru.

SavesTheDay

when I was 7 I pulled a "Tommy Boy" on the rear passenger door of my dad's 900s. Definite POS.

Skatemur

people buy SAABs for the same reason that you like the CR. Everyone has their own tastes. SAABs dont look as terrible as they used to (at least not on the outside).

yellow2001

until your read the fine print

curiouz_G

HOLY CRAP. i just went to Saabs website and looked at their 93 sports sedan aero edition... MSRP is 33,545! wow...thats g35 sedan territory

UnkieTrunkie

Saab is a Swedish badge, which (traditionally) meant it had to pass the Saab Elk Test.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-moose-test.htm

Hoonda

You can't tell me these aren't attractive:







I have a Saab myself... a 2000 9-3 Viggen. At first I was looking around for an E36 328/M3 or a B4 audi A4/S4. I came across my saab at a european used car dealer for $11k and I couldn't let it up. The first thing that got me was the looks and the price... then I found out that it had 235 horsepower. That got me pretty good. Then I found out it was ultra-rare... only 3000 of the Viggen models were made. It was an awesome car for a great deal that I couldn't pass up. I've since put 10k miles on it and I've had some time to get a few impressions from it... first off, this thing moves. The 235 hp rating is deceiving. It's already underrated from the factory... most have been dynoed at about 220 WHP. But the torque curve is what got me and is what almost all saab owners absolutely love. It has a bit of turbo lag but at about 2200 rpm all 270ish lb-ft of torque come on and stay on all the way to almost redline. It's intense. This thing pulls from 30-70 almost as fast... if not faster... than my dad's 370 hp mustang.
The interior is absolutely awesome. Some people don't like the layout because it's not the prettiest but I have found it to be more ergonomic than anything I've ever driven. I could practically drive this car with my eyes closed haha. The seats in the Viggen are to die for. More comfortable and supportive than any bmw/mercedes/audi whatever I have been in. But it does have a few flaws that would drive people away. The torque steer is pretty insane. With all that torque only being channeled through a FWD drivetrain, you have to have some pretty beefy forearms to handle this thing in 2nd and 3rd gear. It will literally try to pull you off the road while the tires are screeching trying to get traction. It's an inherent flaw in the placement of the steering rack... on an unsupported rubber mount on the already flexy firewall, but it is actually very easily fixed. For about $500 dollars you can get a new mount and brace for the rack, some new lower control arm bushings, and a subframe brace that will pretty much eliminate the car's craziness. But the torque steer is actually kind of fun. It's a challenge to try and tame this car and it actually makes it fun if you're not autocrossing it. The shifter is kinda rubbery too but that is also easily fixed. The brakes are very impressive. They are absolutely huge, with incredible bite. I haven't driven them to the fullest but I've always heard about how they don't easily fade in track conditions.

Anyways... sorry about the novel here. I still haven't figured out saab's identity fully but I have to say I love having something a little different. Yes, they're "quirky" but that's what makes them fun. BTW My car looks almost exactly like the second black one minus the awesome BBS wheels.

i_heart_my_DB8

I know people have their own tastes, that's great.

But your comparison to the CR doesn't make sense to me. For instance, even if you don't like the CR, I would hope someone could explain why THEY like it. For example, "I like the CR because it's a focused driver's machine that I can daily drive as well as track." Even if you don't like it, at least there's a reason.

I'm trying to find the reasoning behind SAAB purchases. Is it just because they're quirky? Is it because they look good/unique?

Again... nothing against SAABs. I actually like some of them... but I can't think of enough reasons to buy one.