Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 09:33:19 -0500 From: "Kenneth S." <nimrodnopsams.com> Subject: Re: Was 1996 A Bad Year For Saabs?
JMEL5 wrote: > > >Given that I've never, ever, agreed with Consumer Reports on *anything*, > >I personally would give that little to no consideration. The real question > >is, what do folks *here* say? > > > >Dave Hinz > > Well, I'm with you on not necessarily relying on Consumer Reports information. > They often take into account certain factors that just shouldn't apply to > certain cars, like the lack of backseat room in a convertible, however, there > has to be a reliable source out there that simply posts the hard facts of > vehicle reliability. You can ask people on the board, and that is a good > indicator, but I found that often when people love their cars, they will > overlook some of the flaws that a reporting service would not. > > JJ How cars are evaluated overall depends in part on the weight attached to different factors. It seems to me that the Consumer Reports tend to give the first priority to reliability. That certainly is very important, but it would not necessarily be irrational for someone to choose an unreliable car that looked or performed well. Having said that . . . I have a 1996 900SE, which I have owned for about a year, and I have had quite a few problems with it. These have had to be fixed at some expense and inconvenience at the Saab dealership. I hope the problems are now behind me. Now, it IS just possible that the particular Saab that I bought used had not been properly maintained by the previous owner. However, I don't believe this is the case, particularly since some of the problems I encountered have been mentioned by others on this news group (e.g. a check engine light that came on for no accountable reason). In addition, my experience of my car's reliability coincides with the Consumer Reports evaluation of Saabs. I have another car, a 1990 Mazda MX5 Miata, that I bought more than three years ago. There too, my experience coincides with the general reputation of these cars. It has been EXTREMELY reliable, and until a month ago the only repair bill I had for it was the replacement of the backup light switch. (About a month ago I had to get a new clutch, which admittedly was a major expenditure, but has to be done periodically on all manual transmission cars. The mileage on this car is 120,000, and it shows every sign of lasting forever.) The bottom line is that I believe that the Consumer Reports evaluations are valuable, particularly on the matter of reliability. I am highly skeptical about the idea that, if there are any problems with Saabs, they are the fault of the owners. I am also skeptical of the idea that reliable cars are not fun to drive.
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