1996 SAAB 9000 CD from UK and Ireland - Comments

Resale value - the value of this car goes into free-fall the moment you sign for it.

Dealer service - when asked about how come the value falls off so quickly, the main agent dealer salesman says "you just have to accept it". When his boss is asked about this, he says "you just have to accept what he says". Every query about this car was met by "you just have to accept it". Well, I don't.

Handling - it wallows all over the place. This may have been caused by the trailing link falling off for no apparent reason. Except of course, the car was supplied by the main dealer.

Fuel economy - there isn't any. Best I've got was 27 miles per gallon, worst was 22. It's a joke.

Fuel filler cap lock. Motor failed after 11 months. Main agent didn't want to replace it even though it was still under warranty. I made them replace it or I wasn't taking the car away. They put a new motor in the lock - which failed, 11 months later.

The car is deceptively fast - you can easily be doing 90 before you really think you're doing over 70.

Overall, steer well clear of these - there is no dealer support and you just lose money on them.

If you want to look like a high speed loser who accepts zero service and buys on the cheap, it would be a great car.

Why do you keep going back to the same dealer? Perhaps if you found a more professional, more sympathetic dealer you wouldn't be too hard on the car. Unfortunately as with many reviews here, bad dealer experience is one reason that an owner would stay clear of a marque next time around. Another thing -- try an independent SAAB garage, since you're stuck with the car, you've got nothing else to lose.

You are clearly in the minority if you read the other reviews from other 9000 owners. Maybe you just bought a dog? Did you expect fuel economy in the 30-40MPG range when you bought such a big heavy car? Ever studied physics? Guess not. Try servicing it - I can get 38 on a motorway run, and 28 commuting which is way better than my 900 was!

There are also plenty of quality Saab specialists around that aren't main dealers and don't charge their silly prices. Oh, and they hold their value just fine if you look after them.

Buying a Saab is not a rational decision; it is a purely emotional one. Sure, they have their little (and not so little) niggles, but when they are on song very few cars compare to the Saab 9000 for driver interaction and aura.

If you're unable to see what is special about older Saabs, then you wouldn't understand.

These cars are reputed as being expensive to maintain - but have you tried BMW or Mercedes? As for fuel economy - I get around 30 Mpg on long trips (highway@90-100 mph and mountain roads@40-60 mph) and 20-22 mpg in city driving (depending on season). About what the book says... It's a '92 CS non-turbo and so far I have only had to fix the steering rack (expensive!!!).

Handling is superb - you will only realize how fast you are going when you reach a steep curve and find yourself going 50-60! Braking is very good (ABS a must!) and curve insertion is very neutral... Best car I've driven to date!

You answered you own comments. People buy Saab not for resale value, especially used. Saab owners drive their Saabs hard and fast. Because they can easily do it like you said. Not like a high speed loser that was just showing off for a while. I drove my first & second Saab 9000 to 235 km/h a few times, but mostly at the 200 - 220 range.

Yes, you need the authorized dealer to service Saab cars and replace many parts overtimes, just like Porsche, Audi, MB, BMW. You cannot be cheap like a Japanese car, because Saab is a performance car similar to a race car that needs good parts to drive at high speed, just so you know.