I do not know why Saab acquired 9-2. The only difference is the front. Look at the car from the side or rear - it is a regular Impreza. Even the powerplant is the same, and nothing else (save interior) separates this car from Subaru.

It's like selling Cavalier as Toyota in Japan. Why? Why?

 

Personally, I think Saab offers very little over the competition, espectially for the price...

9-3 is a great looking car, but IMO, the wrong wheels are being driven...if I'm not mistaken, the 9-3 vert is well north of $40k. That money easily buys a well equipped 325i vert.

9-2x is another very attractive car, but, why bother spending more money on a heavier, slower version of the WRX?

9-7x...yeck! I don't like the Trailblazer derived utes...so I wont even go here...

 

That's a good question.

Ok, so maybe Saab wouldn't have survived without GM. Alright, fair enough. But GM appears to be quickly converting Saab into an upscale Saturn ....so what is the point of that?

Saab's quirky charm comes ( or used to come) from all the aviation industry "think" that these cars embodied. Wasn't for everyone, but some guys lived and breathed them.

Ok, so maybe Saab could go a bit more mainstream, in the interest of increased volume. But I just don't see the sense in sucking the brand dry.

 

Which in turn brings up yet another question:

If the purpose of Saturn is to bring in buyers who lean towards foreign brands, and Saab is both GM and a foreign brand, and GM is basing Saabs off of the same chassis as Ions, Malibus, and Trailblazers, what is the point of Saturn when it's customers could just as easily be hearded into Saab and Chevrolet showrooms?

This is starting to sound like Abbott & Costello's "Whos on first" routine:

"We have Oldsmobile, Buick, Saturn, and Saab.

Oldsmobile is a historic name with the highest quality ratings of GM's lineup, while Buick's clientelle is dying off. Saturn was created on a whim by CEO Roger Smith back at the start of the 90s & has had no new product or investment in over 10 years but attracts buyers who'd purchase imports, though those buyers are few & far between. Saab has a disappearing customer base, no new models & doesn't make enough to develop new models. It would surely die in a few years.

Yet, we'll kill Oldsmobile and pay off it's dealers & invest billions of dollars turning Buick into what Cadillac used to be. We'll buy Saab, and we'll pump billions into them & add a few billion to Saturn sending Saab's quirkiness (which isn't selling) to Saturn & Buick & Saturn's somewhat dull look to Saab. Oh, by the way, we also have both Opel & Vauxhall in Europe that is doing pretty well that we'll put Saab up against. Meanwhile, Chevrolet will have both the same chassis & the same price range as the Saturn here in the US. By the way, we sell Saabs in the US too. Cadillac is moving to BMW levels.

Any questions?"

Writing your own confusing comedy skit with this stuff is just too easy.

 

I think Saab was on its way to death when GM bought them. Personally, I like the 9-2x and the 9-3vert, but they are WAY overpriced. I checked out a 9-3 convertable and it was a very nice car but NOT for the $40,000 sticker on the window! I think thats a big issue there, Saab never really sat well in the general public's eye and now they're overpriced?

I think GM had a plan for Saab and it never took off or else it did and crashed right after lift-off. I wouldnt be surprised in a few years to see Saab's grave right next to Oldsmobile's unless some changes are made. (mostly with the damn pricing)

 

i like the new 9-3's, alot
one of the milf's at work traded in her bmw 5series for the sport sedan. looks just like this one
http://www.saabusa.com/main/US/en/im...93S_ext_16.jpg

drool

 

so like I was saying, GM needs to chop about $10k off the 9-3's price tag to reflect the car's true value.

 

I paid 27k for my 9-3 new....

 

 

Here's a bright idea:

A majority of Saabs are sold in the United States, but Saab's current dealer network in the U.S. doesn't amount to much. Why not pair Saab and Saturn franchises?

GM could abandon the planned Saturn L-series replacement and the as-yet-undefined "larger than Vue crossover" SUV, with Saab models standing in for the more upscale Saturns. Saturn has a good reputation for friendly dealers, something that could hardly hurt an upscale pretender like Saab.

 

The 9-3 starts around 25k, and they are decently equipped like that. Their pricing is considerably cheaper than the 3 series. If you are saying that just because the car is based on Epsilon, then please. A nicely loaded 9-3 Vector can be had for 32-ish (sticker)with a 210 hp turbo 2.0L and a six speed manual. Perfectly appropriate for the class. The convertible is a bit pricey, but have you looked at a 3 Series convertible? Audi A4? Mercedes C320? All more expensive for a very similar package.

[guionM, fyi, I don't think any Saab shares a platform with the Ion. The Ion is on delta (along with the new Cobalt). The 9-3 is on epsilon (along with the Malibu, Pontiac G6, and an Opel - Vectra?).]

I haven't yet driven a 9-2x, but I have driven a 9-3 and it feels very much like a Saab to me. You can't honestly say that if you park a Malibu (or G6, for that matter) next to a 9-3, you can tell they are related. Completely different cars in styling, driving dynamics, interiors, powertrains, etc. No one would know they were related if they didn't follow the industry. That is platform sharing, which is different from badge engineering.

 

Sounds like someone's been travelling to Canada . They already do that up here, with Saturn-Saab-Isuzu dealers.

 

heh, did you also happen to notice that SAAB doesn't have the same brand image that the germans do? the germans have their image for a reason. SAAB isn't even close to being in the same league image-wise.

 

The Detroit News reviewers seemed to like the 9-3 Convertible, despite an as-tested price that almost made me choke.

http://info.detnews.com/autosconsume...x.cfm?id=14994

Laying out $47,000 for an Epsilon-based vehicle seems wasteful, at best. When the G6 arrives on the same platform with the available retractable hardtop and more performance, it will probably make this 9-3 another "why buy" Saab.

 

Well, that is why they are cheaper. Like I said, the 9-3 starts at 25 grand. I'm not sure what a 3 Series starts at, but I think it is closer to 30. And every test I've ever read of a 3 series complains about how overpriced all the options are. Acura isn't quite in the same league as BMW/MB/Lexus, either, and its prices (NSX excluded) reflect that. Hell, when R&T tested the new 530i (six cylinder), they managed to get one that was over 50 grand!