1991 SAAB 9000 Carlsson from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

During the two years I owned it, these are the faults that occurred.

Climate control only ran at full heat or full cold.

Electric passenger seat faulty.

Dash light blew.

Roof lining became loose.

Something to do with the air intake, unsure of actual problem, but was fixed easily.

Great car! Before this I had a Ford Falcon of the same year & it cost me triple to maintain in the same amount of time as the Saab did.

Reliable, fast, great handling, amazing luggage space & so cheap to buy.

The only thing that bothered me for a while was getting used to front wheel drive.

Servicing & basic mechanical repair's are relatively cheap, but electrical repaires are very expensive

Eg: Quoted $1200 to repair my climate control system!

Panel replacement parts on limited models such as the Carlsson are absolutely over the top.

Eg: Quoted $3000 for both side skirts!!but this is where insurance comes in handy.

Overall I loved this car & only sold it because I bought a boat & needed a larger car to tow it. I am now looking for another Saab, but a later Aero model.

Since I had my Saab, three of my friends have bought & still own various model Saab's & all are very happy.

Re Carlson 9000

Well...I am on a bit of a high!! (lol) just a couple of hours ago I paid half of a 1991 Carlson with the balance to pay when I go interstate to collect it. I am getting "toey" already!!... Its not my first SAAB nor turbo SAAB, but the 900's turned me right off some years ago, I considered them very little car for an awful lot of money, but then I bought two 9000's...ahhhh different story!! I should say that the most blinding turbo I drove was an R5 in Europe. Driving alongside a semi at a slow 125 on Auto route... decide to pass... boot it lightly and the truck stops still and vanishes in the rear vision mirror!!...but consumption was hard to get better than 10 for such a light car, and 16 to 18 with a nudge and up to 20 when really working. Ouch!! with fuel at $1.60Au, or so!!.Booting it at low speed needed skill to keep it one one side of the road as there was some minor suspension wear which was enough to make it into a wild horse.,,,,the power to weight is enormous and you feel it with the cursed fwd.. I like rwd. Thus I like BMW's..Fuel costs and fast driving ...that's why European cars perform well, but efficiently.

But back to the Carlson.. what a beautiful car... nothing flash, just like a beautiful woman whose beauty is benchmark, in a dress which hints of something of promise... they are the Susan Haywards and the Ingrid Bergmans of the motoring family with the seductive pout of a young Bardot. No macho Lambo or Ferrari or Masserati, these are the one you can love, adore, put on a pedestal and worship. They get hormonal with age a little, but wrap a wallet around them every now and then I think and they will come back and bite your earlobe...

I like cars with tractable grunt and something special. Thus the cars most people drive leave me...well...soft. I own a non catalytic Sapphire 4x4 Cosworth also, garaged in France (may sell next year) ; but...Saab-ward bound once more..

I was buying an "L"motored younger car when the 91 Carlson suddenly became available at less money than half the older 9000 CS turbos are trying to get. I hope never to need body parts, but appreciate the warning Steve .. opportune early buying might be the best...hnmmmmm!!

The SAAB climate control can be a dream or a curse and so can engine dramas caused by traction control, faulty DI, accelerator pots an so on and I don't like "vacuum control" since I had it in my 46 Pontiacs and Buicks a long time ago but that's what they have!!...so one has to become acquainted with the car to survive.

The "L" car I am also involved in had an $8200 service bill one time (no not a new motor, small items) back in 2002..such ripping charges really damage the SAAB credibility. SAAB has some grating on the road features, worsened with traction control, but as a drivers car it is lively and un-fatiguing. Fuel consumption for such a luxury car is just brilliant!! not 4/10 as some say.Service regularly pays dividends as does top synthetic oil.

Handling has been exquisitely worked out even for a transverse engine. Reviews from day one were brilliant also, but if one cynically suspects that was "cheque in the glove-box"job then well!!... fifteen or so years later the cars are still a joy and look really good as most others fall away from fashion into ugliness.

SAABs' high mileage tells a story and it isn't a bad one, but it makes them sound worn out and cheap instead of great road cars. Both my other SAABs have excess of 350,000 and still really move well. One Turbo will go for spares though soon... too many good and new parts to let it go for peanuts.

Now I'd like anyone who owns a Carlson to get in touch somehow, as I guess friendships help when you own one as are many pairs of eyes looking for parts or seeing them around. email me on aussiefrog1@hotmail.com if that's OK with the site here and lets swap Carlson ideas... which can then end up here to benefit others... is that OK Steve?..cheers Tony.

Of cause that's OK. Good to hear further comments.

Kind Regards

Steve.

Hi Guys,

Got to love those Carlsson hey?

I've had mine for about a month now, and what a car!!

The previous owner obviously wasn't the brightest spark in the universe and put a 900 cv joint into a 9000. My Saab mechanic (fantastic guy) figured this out after I heard a scraping sound from the front left. But all fixed now. Also don't know about you guys, but I have had to replace 10+ globes in the dash, 3 in the climate control unit, 3 edu globes, and a few others as well.

Must say I love the turbo. This is the first turbo car I have ever owned and man... I love the power.

Nice to hear that someone else has fallen in love with Carlsson as well. Hope all keep going well for you guys.

Richard.

I got my 1990 2.0 FPT Carlsson in July 2007 and am still madly in love with the thing! I progressed through a series of Volvo 400's (I still have all of them, bad at letting cars go!) to the Carly. As I live in Ireland, I had never seen a Carlsson before... they were never officially imported here.

I spent the entire 1980's drooling over Saabs, but I never thought I'd own one. I never thought I'd own one because of the costs. They certainly are a lot of thrill for very little money though, if you look in the right places for parts (like Ebay) and have a wee bit of patience. I would strongly recommend, apart from basic regular servicing, stockpiling of parts. Think ahead, and if stuff comes up cheap buy it anyway!

What clinched it for me was the boost. Everything normal until 50 m.p.h., then put the foot down and have a sustained whiplash moment! In every car I have driven you can get thrown back into the seat for a few seconds, then it's over. In the Saab you just keep keep getting pushed back as she whizzes on up! The performance is truly amazing.

Following a short test - drive I just had to have the thing. I smiled so much that I felt my face was going to fall off. How many cars can make you feel like that? Add in decent economy (30 m.p.g. regularly), safety, and timeless, understated but 'means business' look and it's about the most perfect all - 'round car you can get. Mine has 166,000 miles on it and the only thing that's sagging is the headlining!

Regards,

Anthony Halpin.