1997 SAAB 900 SE Taledega review from UK and Ireland

The fan belt jockey wheel destroyed itself two weeks after I got the car - quite common apparently (

Strange car this one, handling a bit vague.

Performance not electrifying

Fuel consumption very poor.

But:

Good boot size

Decent cabin (lots of toys)

Great on the motorway (fuel consumption improves a bit - but only a bit)

Very comfortable and quiet.

When I bought this car for my wife I thought I would hate it, but to be quite honest with you despite its faults I really like it. It is a strange phenomenon, as soon as you start to drive it you get a sort of calm feeling, you don't need to overtake the person in front, you let people out at junctions, it's a sort of anti-BMW very strange.

One of the best things about this car though is that it is not a Mondeo/Vectra/Cavalier yes I know it shares the floorpan with the Cav, but most of it is Saab (The only common parts I could find were the rear wash/wipe squirter, the boot catch - which I have banged my head on so many times I have lost count - the headlight adjuster switch and one other thing which I can't remember now!) it has a Saab engine (with a cam-chain, so no massive bills if the cam-belt goes) Saab suspension, Saab body, and a Saab interior, with what must be the coolest cabin air vents in any car, take a look at one and you will see what I mean.

One final thing, this is probably one of the best value second hand cars around. It has all the toys, a fairly swanky badge, but is half the cost of the equivalent BMW/Audi/VW its even cheaper than its Ford/GM rivals - amazing.