1996 SAAB 900 SE Turbo review from North America

Clutch cable breaks once per year, check engine light on permanently (untraceable problem), rad fan ($$), driver's heated seat has never worked, rear muffler, DI cassette ($$), stuck intake valve ($$), front struts, front flex pipe, starter, alternator, antennae, display pixels, stereo can be finicky at times, leaky sunroof, driver's window rollers.

Challenge to service this vehicle yourself (tough to get at many parts). Parts are very expensive and difficult to source at times.

Terrible resale value.

I've owned my green 4 door 900 SE Turbo for 4 years and it has been slightly better than average (for an old European car) reliability wise... break downs few and far between... but a couple of expensive ones. At one point I didn't have to do anything beyond regular maintenance for about a year and a half. The only problematic component seems to be the clutch cable/release mechanism. The clutch mechanism on this car becomes stiff due to a lack of lubrication and the cables aren't strong enough to handle the load, mine breaks every April like clockwork. '97 and up models have a hydraulic clutch.

IMO Saab makes the most comfortable cars on the market, seats and driving position are excellent. Excellent winter car, starts on the coldest days, clears windows and heats up fast, 2nd best car I've driven in the snow (1st best was my '85 900). Well balanced and heavy. Satisfying clunk when you close the door. Saabs are very safe.

Acceleration off the line is not terribly exciting but it has lots of power from 50 KM/H and up. Excellent highway car. Steering is not as sharp as BMW and Audi but has great feel, some body roll but you can still lean in pretty hard and have lots of fun on twisty roads. Love the feel of a turbo "taking off". Good performance/fuel economy balance.

I would only recommend this vehicle to an automotive enthusiast who doesn't mind doing the leg work to find cheap parts and going to the one shop in town (typically) that knows how to fix them... luckily Ottawa has a good shop. A non car person will get taken to the cleaners driving one of these, but will miss out on driving a really nice car.

It's too bad that Saab has abandoned this body style. It provided the cargo space of a wagon with the footprint of a small car.