don't buy a saab

Danger - Caution:
If you own a Saab - Potentially Dangerous Stall Problems - call dealer manufacturor for recall info.

In the auto industry, Volvo and Saab are often referred to as the pain sisters. Due to their limitied appeal, low sales, and less than spectacular profitability, Volvo and Saab have earned their deragatory knickname. They are a pain in the neck for both manufacturors and dealers.

Volvo has been forever one of the most boring vehicles ever designed and manufacturored. Saab seems to be the inheritor of quirky - bad design, mechanically poor to questionalbe reliability, and less than derirrable styling. GM, it is rummored, is ready to drop Saab if profits don't improve.

Unlike Saab, Volvo may be turning itself around. Recently, Volvo made made a dramatic move to change its image from safe and boring to safe and sexy. And as unlikely as it may have seemed, thier strategy is starting to work. They have created some very nice styles that are gaining acceptance from the public and reviewers alike.
ITALY: Italian car designer Pininfarina (Ferrari) and Ford's Volvo Car Corporation on Monday announced a joint venture to develop and produce a convertible car for the Swedish car maker, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

Saab on the other hand is still floundering. As we stated, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

We believe it would be better for GM to dump Saab and start with a quality vehicle that has quality, a desirable image, and a super reputation. Otherwise they are only throwing good money after bad.

Taking over Saab was a poor choice - GM is spending too much time and energy tryiing to bail out a group of losing auto lines ( see the story of how Saturn's future was jepardized in a vain attempt to save the Oldsmobile).

Presently, GM is not in the best of financial conditions and trying to carry the Saab is like dead weight. Saab's lease program could back fire in the future.

The new dealer look we believe does not look that good and more importantly, what does the look of the dealership have to do with the quality of the car?

What exactly is the Saab? Is is a luxury car or a sports car? In our opinion it does niether very well and cannot hold a candle to the competition. If Saab is thought to be an alternative to the BMW or the Audi, it falls a far cry from matching them is overall value.

This car is an odd duck. From the strange and annoying placement of the ignition switch between the fronts seats to the weak and tiny 4 cyliner engine the Saab is a loser in our book.

The main weakenesses of the Saab is the tiny 4 cly turbo -- we believe it will be expensive to maintain, can be potentially troublesome, as well as affect the ride characteristic due to the off-the-line dely due to turbo lag and throttle response delay.

The Saab's road handling as well as its overall refinement does not rival the proven European models. The Linears and Aeros appear to be high priced little 4-cyl cars. The 9-3's with their front-wheel-drive destroys any potential handling prowess. On top of it all the competition offers all-wheel drive for better all-weather security.

Competition With wide price ranges and numerous body configurations, this diverse segment has two clear Best choices--the refined Lexus LS 430 and the unique Audi A6. The LS 430 can't be beat for comfort and features.

The A6 is a blend of space, performance, design sophistication, powertrain choices, and workmanship at prices below those of most rivals.

This hotly contested segment has its benchmark in the Lexus ES 300. It blends comfort, style, luxury, and sport into an efficient package at an affordable price. ES 300 manages to offer a little more luxury than others in the class.

Our opinion: the Saab is quicky and weird -- very little appeal. Bottom line: You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Your paying too much money for this car. Better choices include:

Acura RL

Audi A6/allroad quattro

BMW 5-Series

Mercedes-Benz E-Class





Caution: Our Don't Buy List -Read Why! Saab GM Attempts to Breathe New Life Into Saab Jan-April sales tank 27.3% GM has tossed at least $1B into Saab since original stake in 1990 GM may have to invest much more to keep Saab on the horizon... GM mistakes: Saturn was sacrificed for Oldsmobile. The Olds competed with the Buick and was phased out, GM bought into Daewoo it went bankrupt. GM bought into Isuzu, it has financial troubles, GM invested in Fiat it is verging on extremely serious trouble, GM competes with itself on toom many levels: GMC trucks vs. Chevy, Buick vs. Pontiac, GM once controled 50% of US market now about 30%. Why? Poor decision making by management. Now GM has invested heavy into the troubled Saab -- just another mistake! The following recent headlines, endorse our opinion that GM is wasting it's time and resources on aquiring new brands, and not paying enough attention to its existing lines. All manufacturers have defects and recalls, but this may be getting out of hand. General Motors recalls 1.8 million cars General Motors is recalling about 1.8 million cars for an electrical defect that could spark a fire in the steering column, according to Reuters General Motors recalls over four million pickup trucks to fix tailgate cables General Motors on Thursday said it will recall more than four million full-size pickup trucks to replace tailgate support cables that may corrode and fracture. March 2004 The Don't Buy List is based on our judgement and we only invite you to follow our logic. Buying a car is one of the largest buying decisions you will make. We are only trying to help you make an intelligent decision. At times price alone is not enough. For example the Daewoo. What seemed like a great price has come back to haunt buyers. Many are losing an enormous amount in resale, warrantee, parts, and insurance. Back to: Don't Buy List Site Map IFI Auto, Inc. PO Box 2543 Palm Beach, FL 33480 (561) 627-2345 Copyright 1999 - 2004 All rights reserved. This site may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without written permission. Pages may be printed for personal use only.	Saab - You Can't make a Silk Purse out of a Sow's Ear! Danger - Caution: If you own a Saab - Potentially Dangerous Stall Problems - call dealer manufacturor for recall info. We recommend that you do not buy this car. In the auto industry, Volvo and Saab are often referred to as the pain sisters. Due to their limitied appeal, low sales, and less than spectacular profitability, Volvo and Saab have earned their deragatory knickname. They are a pain in the neck for both manufacturors and dealers. Volvo has been forever one of the most boring vehicles ever designed and manufacturored. Saab seems to be the inheritor of quirky - bad design, mechanically poor to questionalbe reliability, and less than derirrable styling. GM, it is rummored, is ready to drop Saab if profits don't improve. Unlike Saab, Volvo may be turning itself around. Recently, Volvo made made a dramatic move to change its image from safe and boring to safe and sexy. And as unlikely as it may have seemed, thier strategy is starting to work. They have created some very nice styles that are gaining acceptance from the public and reviewers alike. ITALY: Italian car designer Pininfarina (Ferrari) and Ford's Volvo Car Corporation on Monday announced a joint venture to develop and produce a convertible car for the Swedish car maker, Dow Jones Newswires reported. Saab on the other hand is still floundering. As we stated, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. We believe it would be better for GM to dump Saab and start with a quality vehicle that has quality, a desirable image, and a super reputation. Otherwise they are only throwing good money after bad. Taking over Saab was a poor choice - GM is spending too much time and energy tryiing to bail out a group of losing auto lines ( see the story of how Saturn's future was jepardized in a vain attempt to save the Oldsmobile). Presently, GM is not in the best of financial conditions and trying to carry the Saab is like dead weight. Saab's lease program could back fire in the future. The new dealer look we believe does not look that good and more importantly, what does the look of the dealership have to do with the quality of the car? What exactly is the Saab? Is is a luxury car or a sports car? In our opinion it does niether very well and cannot hold a candle to the competition. If Saab is thought to be an alternative to the BMW or the Audi, it falls a far cry from matching them is overall value. This car is an odd duck. From the strange and annoying placement of the ignition switch between the fronts seats to the weak and tiny 4 cyliner engine the Saab is a loser in our book. The main weakenesses of the Saab is the tiny 4 cly turbo -- we believe it will be expensive to maintain, can be potentially troublesome, as well as affect the ride characteristic due to the off-the-line dely due to turbo lag and throttle response delay. The Saab's road handling as well as its overall refinement does not rival the proven European models. The Linears and Aeros appear to be high priced little 4-cyl cars. The 9-3's with their front-wheel-drive destroys any potential handling prowess. On top of it all the competition offers all-wheel drive for better all-weather security. The following is a list of things that were not up to par with the Saab: Too much road noise Too much nosedive Body lean in hard cornering more than we prefer. Low-profile tires on Aero and optional on others have poor wet-weather traction and expose traction-control system's propensity to cut back engine power, which makes it tricky to cross slippery intersections. Aero suffers minor torque steer--pulling to the side under full acceleration. Automatic climate controls mounted too low for easy use. Manual transmission must be in reverse before ignition key can be removed. Ignition switch is on floor between front seats. The number of buttons and knobs. Linear slightly slow away from a stop. Turbo lag evident, and teams with automatic's slow downshifts to produce a pause before power delivery. Both manuals easy to shift, but long throws and numb feel diminish sportiness. Convertible flexes noticeably, except on smooth roads, and top creaked. Not all cabin plastics up to near-luxury benchmarks. Climate and audio readouts are in dashtop screen; would prefer them closer to controls. Audio-system adjustments not self-explanatory. Knee room disappointingly tight if front seats more than halfway back. Convertibles seat just to small, narrow seat. Sedan's rear roof pillars and high headrest obscure aft visibility. Rear visibility awful in convertible with top raised. Poor decision to purchase better choice. Competition With wide price ranges and numerous body configurations, this diverse segment has two clear Best choices--the refined Lexus LS 430 and the unique Audi A6. The LS 430 can't be beat for comfort and features. The A6 is a blend of space, performance, design sophistication, powertrain choices, and workmanship at prices below those of most rivals. This hotly contested segment has its benchmark in the Lexus ES 300. It blends comfort, style, luxury, and sport into an efficient package at an affordable price. ES 300 manages to offer a little more luxury than others in the class. Our opinion: the Saab is quicky and weird -- very little appeal. Bottom line: You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Your paying too much money for this car. Better choices include: Acura RL Audi A6/allroad quattro BMW 5-Series Mercedes-Benz E-Class What Industry Leaders are Saying: Has Saab Lost Its Identity? Loyalists Think So: * "When they sold it, they should have insisted on input, using their executives and remaining true to the company’s ideals." -- * "But they rolled over and said, ‘You run it.’" * "They gave away their heritage. General Motors is just doing what they know how to do, the way they know how to do it." -- Quotes from: Former Saab executives Sourced From: The New York Times, May 24, 2004	If you choose to buy a Saab. We recommend the following Dealership: Autohaus Saab Pompano Get the best price! Rumor: GM will drop Saab if it does not improve its bottom line. Beware: the new 9-2X wagon is a Subaru makeover. Limited to 2 midsize sedans, Saab awaits Subaru Impreza WRX spinoff June 1 -- Beware: Saab 9-7X is taken from the Chevy TrailBlazer. Buy the TrailBlazer and SAVE MONEY! Our Opinion: A quircky car for strange peope. It cannot compete with other cars in its class. A GM blunder. Debra Kelly-Ennis, President, Saab Cars USA Inc. says that Saab's three priorities are 1. Get a sport-utility, 2. Improve advertising, and 3. Boost per-dealership sales. We have a few suggestions for Ms. Kelly-Ennis: 1. How about starting over with the Saab brand itself and asking the question, Why? As in why Saab in the first place? Artificially-inflated sales via cheap leases and a spiffy new dealer look do not constitute brand momentum. Consumers out there still need to know why - as in why Saab vs. all the other choices out there? 2. A sport-utility? Please. That's a knee-jerk solution that won't solve a damn thing. Saab should just skip that notion completely because they will never have the marketing budget to even cause a blip on the radar screen in the SUV glut - no matter how good the proposed vehicle might be... 3. As for boosting per-dealership sales, if you answer our first question/suggestion, that might happen. As for improving the advertising, as far as we're concerned the new Epsilon platform-based 9-3 is a make or break product for Saab. If you can't convince consumers to buy this vehicle on its own merits, then it won't matter. So, you can improve the advertising all you want, but if the product isn't there, Saab will be toast. Some latest news on GM's Saab problems. GERMANY: GM chief says may build Saabs in US - GM may start building Saab cars for the American market in the United States ... The company's Swedish carmaking unit currently makes big losses and is subject to a cost-cutting plan.