1987 SAAB 9000 Turbo review from Australia and New Zealand

The Swedish temptress invites you to spend more on her because she can give so much. But does it ever end?

Admittedly, so long as the timing chain is kept in check, the engine is near bullet proof. You can get half a million kilometres on it without much sweat. For me, this included the turbo, but others have had different experiences.

The tranny, is a different story. The clutch is an expensive fix. The synchros on 2nd gear bit the dust a while ago, and 1st, 3rd and reverse were following suit.

No problems with the suspension.

After 15 years, rust was becoming an issue (I live in Sydney, Australia). Affected areas included the sunroof, inside bits of the doors and 'the aquarium' a region in front of the windscreen in the engine bay (affectionately known as such because, by design, this area fills with water... don't ask!).

Front wheel bearings generally go every 100K kms.

Electrics - too much of it for my liking - looks like Saab where trying to differentiate this model from the cheaper 900 by loading it up with gimmicky crap. It includes the most annoying AC system I've known. It turns on by design when you switch on the ignition. If you're air con works, this isn't much of an issue, but still, the compressor affects fuel economy.

The headlight high beam relay is a nuisance - this (expensive) thing (s) die after every 5-10 years or so due to a design fault which relies on the mechanical strength of a bit of solder.

If you have approximately 2-8 grand to spare on top of purchase price, pick up an OK one and you'll have yourself a fantastic machine that won't cost you another cent for a good few years! Few of us in the market for a 5 grand car do, and hence, the very low resale value of a car that once retailed for >$65,000.

5 door hatchback, with greater (useful) carrying capacity than many large 4WDs. In manual turbo form, the 2.0L engine delivers all the power you require on the open road and with fuel economy that still compares with many similar cars that are 15 years younger. Ride and handling is what you would expect from a leading Euro manufacturer (not the finest, but not bad at all either). All this in a neat well-made package.

In Australia, however, ownership of a Saab is an expensive and love-hate experience. And only those in the know respect the car for what it is.