1987 SAAB 900 Turbo review from North America

When I purchased the car it needed a new transmission due to a curb accident, a new clutch, and I replaced the shocks with aftermarket Bilsteins to increase riding comfort and control. A Gerret T3 turbo has also been replaced as the original which worked fine, but I wanted extra boost since it's a heavy car. After these repairs the car looks, drives, and is as reliable as it was when it was new, if not more so.

My 'new' Grey/Blue 1987 Saab 900 Turbo is a serious car to drive, with 18 PSI Turbo and suspension upgrades it's a Rolls Royce of a classic 900 Turbo.

Its been very reliable and other than regular maintenance like brake pads and new tyres the car is rock solid in the reliability column and with still having less than 100,000 miles I'm honoured to drive a classic saab that feels like it did when it was new, but with select components added as sensable practical upgrades.

The interior is a very cool feeling dark blue leather, my previous car was also a 1987 saab 900 turbo identical in model to this one, but with burgundy leather interiour which sounds nice, but in actuality is very gloomy and depressing to live in day to day. The leather in a saab 900 as in many cars becomes very hot and sticky during the summer and cold and stiff in the winter.

The heated seats are a nice addition, but mine tend to get warm just as you are pulling into work in the morning, however the heater of the car is amazing and I can comfortably drive around town in the winter with the sunroof open if my heart desires to do so.

The car handles superbly in the snow, granted I have a hefty set of snow tyres installed, but I think its mainly due to the engine being practically in front of the front drive axel.

Visibility in the car is superb and even with it being a hatchback the rear windows extend back more than enough to know where every corner of the car is at a given time.

Very nimble in traffic for a full sized car that weighs almost 2 tons.

Fuel consumption is around 32MPG, more than the owner's manual's stated 28MPG. Town driving however brings that figure down to more like 10MPG.

Overall the car is a blessing to own in the safety departments, very overly constructed and the body will last 500,000 miles if you can keep the car working that long.

Preforming many typical maintenance procedures on your own will save you a small fortune in repair bills and the parts are very reasonably priced.

All and all definitely a car I will hold on to and recommend to someone like a student or practical businessman who wants more quality then quantity in their automobile.

Brandon B.