Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 10:37:12 -0500 From: Dan <dannospamam.com> Subject: Re: Any Saab employees here?
On 4/6/2005 8:27 AM, Johannes wrote: > > Tex wrote: > >>"ma_twain" <ma_twainnospamo.com> wrote in message >>news:4253614F.9070000nospamo.com... >> >> >>>Tex - I notice you did not use the words "reliable" and "durable" to >>>describe the "two true Saab vehicles".I did not hesitate to buy a 12 year >>>old Classic 900 turbo. I have not bought a 9-3 because of the reliability >>>and repair cost issues. >> >>Who are you kidding? I don't care who made your car. A car older than 10 >>years and with 100k+ miles on the odometer, will invariably have more repair >>issues than any new car. The fact that most here happily fix their older >>Saabs regularly, suggests that they need fixing regularly (not exactly a >>good sign of quality). According to the JD Powers ratings, initial quality >>marks for 1993 Saab 900 are actually similar to Saabs from 1997 and 2004. >>That suggests that Saab quality hasn't really gone up nor has it gone down >>(these marks are generally all relative to their contemporaries). > > > I've just got the Powers survey 2005 (UK) in Auto Express. The 9-5 get > position 26 out of 100 cars, the 9-3 get position 48, i.e. it just escapes > the bottom half mark, though ahead of Vauxhall Vectra which gets a miserable > position 67. > > A 9-3 owner comment was: "Not really a 'sports saloon". Perhaps the Saab > advertising has backfired somewhat. High running costs pulls it down. > > I remember that some years back the Saab 9000 got a near top position, but > maybe the competition has caught up. Now you find Honda, Lexus and Skoda! > taking top positions. > > To be viable as a manufacturer, Saab has to sell a substantial number of cars, > that is cars that appeal to a lot of people, i.e. not niche cars. A car such > as Classic 900 may have enthusiastic followers, but that car wouldn't sell at > a profit if it was produced today. It quite often happens like that; fortunate > owners of special models count themselves lucky that they got there just in > time. My 1993 9000 CSE is still like new, while similar aged Ford Mondeos are > rust buckets. A large percentage of these ratings has to do with computer problems (e.g. BMW). Every once and awhile I have some problems with my 2004 9-3 InfoDisplay but nothing major. Mechanically, no problems at all. So I am very happy with my SAAB (my first). I consider myself a stickler for quality so I am not glossing my eyes over.