14th Jun 2001, 23:21

Well...try a Volvo. Or a Toyota. A Saab is a car for people who love cars. Saabs are fun to drive and iconoclastic, but they are *not* noted for reliability. Try a Toyota for a totally banal, but economical experience.

Volvos are also an option. They are cars for people who hate cars. They are safe, boring, reliable, boring.

25th Jun 2001, 15:38

You say you bought it with 100,000 miles on the clock... did you get it inspected? The problem with used cars is that you don't know how well it's been maintained before you bought it. So a used Saab with 100,000 miles cannot neccasarily be blamed on the manufacturer, can it?

25th Jul 2001, 10:50

I've found SAABs to be very reliable. My 900s had 300,000 on it and was still going strong with only normal maintenance and minimal repair when I traded it for my 88spg. You can find a piece of crap anything, but I think the general consensus (sp?) is that SAABs are a car that is extremely well made and will last forever, but you MUST take care of it.

17th Aug 2001, 21:50

A piece of crap huh? I'd take it off your hands in a second and restore it. I have a 1987 900 turbo and I love it. I can only imagine that the SPG would be worlds better.

20th Dec 2004, 19:13

I have a 1988 SPG, and I love this car. My grandfather purchased this car for me in 1988. I was 18 years old, and I wanted a 900 so bad. We stopped at the dealer to look at a regular 900, and there was an SPG in the show room. My grandfather saw how much I wanted it. He told the salesman to write it up, and I've had this car ever since, with no problems at all; just brakes and tune ups etc.

My mother has had 4 brand new cars to my one Saab 900 SPG, and her cars had problem after problem. So this car is far from being a piece of crap.

12th Feb 2005, 21:12

My 88 900 has gone coast to coast numerous times and not one tick wrong. It has 256,000 on it now and it still looks like a work of art. Don't bash cars you know nothing about.

27th Mar 2005, 19:39

It is very true that Saabs can be reliable cars. My first car was an 84 900s sedan with the 8-valve engine, I have since had several cars since then, but NONE have been as reliable as my Saab. Anything that went wrong was nothing than normal maintenance issues. Nothing screams performance like and class like a Saab, just cannot say enough good things about them. I've spotted an SPG, dealer has no idea it's an SPG and I'm getting it for a STEAL! Can't wait. Has an automatic though, any ideas on converting it to a stick?

Masterkevj@cox.net.

28th Dec 2008, 21:42

My dad has one of these cars at the moment. It was given to him by a friend who didn't want it anymore. He has taken me to school in this car many times. Four out of five times, a random attractive girl I don't even know will call me a f****t. It really is a sheer embarrassment to Sweden.

Last week the water pump broke, we ran out of gas due to a leak, and wheel almost came off all on one outing. I'll admit it isn't a bad looking car but it has a minuscule aftermarket and the tuning capabilities are limited compared to other manufacturer's products of the same era. For example, this car will normally cost a good $4000, but I managed to get a 1989 Nissan 240SX with aftermarket exhaust and a totally new interior for $1500. The Nissan is faster, looks better, has a gigantic aftermarket, endless tuning capabilities, is very reliable, gets better gas mileage, and it's rear wheel drive. By comparison, the Saab falls short by miles.

But there is one thing Saab has going for it. It's a terrific car for a trip to the store or a drive around town. Unfortunately, I despise this heaving load of poop dipped in moldy sausage juice and dropped into the sewer where it was swallowed and thrown up by a genetically altered flamingo, because it just isn't something you want to be seen in public with.

23rd Apr 2011, 10:35

Shame, an unfortunate experience with one car shouldn't put you off the make for life, but it does tend to. Saab 900s, though, are actually very reliable and tend to cost less in the long term, because they don't go wrong so often as many other cars (including some other Saab models).

It's also a shame there wasn't more information - just slanging a car without much explanation is less than helpful... Read other comments on the 900 and you'll maybe think it's worth another try?