Matty Mooling

I was driving to work today and i drove by this car real fast and i thought to myself what the hell is that. so i slowed down and got beside it. it was a new Saab 9-2x Aero. They're really nice looking cars but not cheap. 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, 227 hp and 217 lb. ft. torque, functional hood scoop, sport-tuned suspension, 17" alloys, and auto transmission all for 30k. I'm not a big fan of 5 door cars but I wouldn't mind having one of these.

juddz

Buy a Subaru WRX instead, and you'll save about four grand. The Saab 9-2X is just a Subaru with a Saab nose. The cars are essentially IDENTICAL where it matters. Same engine. Same chassis. Same powertrain. Made on the same assembly line in Japan. Save for a little nicer interior trim on the Saab, and that aforementioned shnoz, you don't get a lot more for your four grand of additional investment.

It's nice.... but it's not a REAL Saab. Wait until the spring, when the Saab 9-7X comes out for a real laugh. It's a Chevy Trailblazer with a Saab nose on it. I'm not kidding. You can read all about it in the Detroit News if you don't believe me.

How does this happen? Saab is 100% owned by General Motors. GM also owns a chunk of Subaru. In order to sell more Saabs, they decided to spin new "Saabs" out of existing GM products. Even though a Japan-made Subaru wagon and an Ohio-made full frame SUV are far removed from what the Swedish brand once stood for. But don't forget, this is the same company that brought you the Caddy Cimmaron twenty years ago, spun off the lowly Cavalier platform. What else would you expect?

turbonium959

Yeah, Saabaru! Honestly, I think its good that SAAB chose this car to become a part of thier name. Its popular, fast, and its something they were missing from their line up. However, just adding a different nose does not make it any better. Its still is very much an Impreza inside and out, and the four grand difference is what you pay for nicer treatment at the dealers, and yeah, the name of course!

However, adding 9-7 is a big mistake! SAABs original concept looked so much different and so much better than what was finally chosen.

eggynatey

Y'know? I think Saab's having a little trouble selling those, and IIRC, they're actually a little less expensive than a WRX at this point.

juddz

....want a real Saab that's also fast? 9-3 turbos are nice cars.

Or, go back several years to the Saab 9-3 Viggen. If you don't mind gobs of torque steer, it's fast as hell. Just think of the throttle as an automatic lane changing device.... I know it's a handful, but it's still a cool car. For someone other than myself, you see.

Phantom Cruiser

Nice...me likey

meGrimlock

wow, sounds like youre really railin' on this car.
basically the 9-2 was conceived to attract the younger bmw 3-series crowd that saab would like a slice of. the wrx does just that, though i thought the 9-2 had a stiffer suspension too? this part is just a nitpick; but i think GM has a partnership with fuji heavy ind., which is the parent co. of subaru, which equals enough of a controlling interest. its not so bad, the GTO came from the australian Holden Monaro (also GM owned), the Ford 500 platform came from the Volvo S80, whats a little mixing of the gene pools? i do think the 9-3 is a sweet car...wish that was in the driveway instead of the protege.
-meGrimlock

juddz

My point was, why pay extra for the badge on the hood when you can have the same car for four grand less? You can buy an STI for the price of this Saab with a turbo and all the options. It is true that this is the product of a GM partnership... but what Saab really needs is an original vehicle that emphasizes its "Saabness". This used to mean a quirky, fun car that was safe yet fun to drive, affordable yet had some cachet, built in Sweden with a number of features and styling cues reminiscent of their days assembling aircraft. Like an ignition switch in the console, wraparound windshield, etc. These used to be very distinctive cars down to the last bolt. The fact that Saab's market share is slipping emphasizes the possibility that America isn't enamored with the GM parts bins Saabs of late. Even the 9-3 (while an awesome car) has a lot of the same components found in the latest Malibu and Pontiac G6.

The GTO, while it seemed like a good idea, is a tremendous flop in the market. They have sold less than half of what they expected. And, the jury is still out on the Ford 500, but I will bet it won't be the smash hit that cross town rival Chrysler's 300C is. Why? It doesn't offer a great deal of power, is conservatively styled, and its proportions are strange. Wait till you see one on the road... they are hugely tall for a sedan.

amuso

I've also head that Nissan makes the undercarriage of all the new Saab's.
Never been a big fan of Saab's at all, but they lost their soul after they got bought up.
Seeing the picture of the 9-2 I instantly thought about the Lancer Evo... Seems like they want the Saab to be a Japanese competitor. I guess most larger car manufacturers buy up various smaller labels to have a more versatile product range...
Don't get me wrong, it's a nice looking car. But I think some of the engineering that made it top notch may have gone from it... I don't know, since I've never driven a Saab But I'd rather go with something less expensive with the same performance...