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Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 22:09:55 -0400
From: "Kenneth S." <nimrodnopsams.com>
Subject: Re: should a buy a saab


Your comments below only illustrate what I said earlier about religious fervor on the subject of Saabs. Apparently, for you, any explanation (including personal attacks) must be put forward other than the deficiencies associated with the car. You CAN validly reject the Consumer Reports approach by saying that implicitly they emphasize reliability at the expense of all other characteristics of a car, such as pleasure in driving. However, that's an entirely different matter from focusing on "mass appeal." There's really nothing to be said in favor of unreliability. It seems particularly futile to claim that an elite few favor unreliable cars that are expensive to repair. The problems I have had with the check engine light, the AC, the central locking, the windshield washer warning light, various rattles, the design flaw in the driver's side mirror, etc., etc. are a reflection of what emerged from the Saab factory. There are nothing to do with the various repair shops that I have patronized. Perhaps later-model Saabs are more reliable. It would seem so from the reviews in Consumer Reports. However, as I said before, this thread was about mid-90s Saabs. I had been interested in owning a Saab for many years, going way back to the days when they had two-stroke engines. Alas, that fixation has been cured by actually owning one. Dave Hinz wrote: > > On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 00:35:05 -0400, Kenneth S. <nimrodnopsams.com> wrote: > > > > I base what I say on: (a) what I see in the U.S. magazine Consumer > > Reports, which rates used cars of different vintages, and identifies > > particular trouble spots; > > You know, it's funny. I've checked Consumer Reports on a number of > products I own or have owned over the years, and not one time have I > aggreed with them. CR is about mass-appeal, and the masses are not > Saab's target market. > > > (b) what the market says, in terms of > > depreciation; > > Depreciation is not a reflection of build quality, it's a reflection > of many things; the discounting program (why buy at the beginning of > the year when you can buy at the end of the model year for many > thousands less?), lease buyout rates, etc etc etc. > > (c) anecdotes about the experience of others; and > > Do happy people post messages saying "Everything is still fine, I just > thought you'd all want to know" often? > > Oh, regarding my '99 9-5, everthing is still fine, I just wanted you > all to know. > > > (d) my > > own experience, including the marked contrast with my other car, which > > is a 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata that has a far higher mileage than my Saab > > 900 SE. > > Yes, we all know you have problems with your car. How many of these > are your service facility's fault, I wonder? > > > Plus, in general, I tend to believe in the principle of "no > > smoke without fire." So far as I know, there is no tendency to question > > the reliability of some cars, notably the Japanese ones, but there are > > widespread stories about the frequent need for expensive repairs to > > Saabs (a fact that I didn't find out until after I bought mine.) > > You didn't know that a car with 1% market penetration would have more > expensive parts than a car with 20% market penetration? (boggle) > > > > It may well be that the engine and drivetrain of Saabs are > > long-lasting. I believe that, because of their construction, they are > > one of the safest cars on the road. However, for me, those positive > > features, plus other things that I like about the car, don't compensate > > for the amount of time and money that I have spent on a whole range of > > repairs, culminating in the recent replacement of the AC evaporator core > > and receiver-dryer at a cost of $1,500. (What part, if any, the Swedish > > climate plays in Saab AC shortcomings, I can't say.) > > Probably as much as the salt content in Tokyo Harbor has to do with the > wiring quality of a Mazda - none at all. > > > There are also several design problems that I didn't anticipate, and > > have never encountered on other cars. To take one strange little > > example, the external driver's side mirror doesn't adjust far enough > > out, and leaves a blind spot close to the left rear side of the car. > > Apparently your head is in an unanticipated location. > > Dave Hinz

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