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Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 16:10:43 GMT
From: Johannes <johsnospamblocksizefitter.com>
Subject: Re: Any Saab employees here?


Dan wrote: > > On 4/6/2005 8:27 AM, Johannes wrote: > > > > Tex wrote: > > > >>"ma_twain" <ma_twainnospamo.com> wrote in message > >>news:4253614F.9070000nospamo.com... > >> > >> > >>>Tex - I notice you did not use the words "reliable" and "durable" to > >>>describe the "two true Saab vehicles".I did not hesitate to buy a 12 year > >>>old Classic 900 turbo. I have not bought a 9-3 because of the reliability > >>>and repair cost issues. > >> > >>Who are you kidding? I don't care who made your car. A car older than 10 > >>years and with 100k+ miles on the odometer, will invariably have more repair > >>issues than any new car. The fact that most here happily fix their older > >>Saabs regularly, suggests that they need fixing regularly (not exactly a > >>good sign of quality). According to the JD Powers ratings, initial quality > >>marks for 1993 Saab 900 are actually similar to Saabs from 1997 and 2004. > >>That suggests that Saab quality hasn't really gone up nor has it gone down > >>(these marks are generally all relative to their contemporaries). > > > > > > I've just got the Powers survey 2005 (UK) in Auto Express. The 9-5 get > > position 26 out of 100 cars, the 9-3 get position 48, i.e. it just escapes > > the bottom half mark, though ahead of Vauxhall Vectra which gets a miserable > > position 67. > > > > A 9-3 owner comment was: "Not really a 'sports saloon". Perhaps the Saab > > advertising has backfired somewhat. High running costs pulls it down. > > > > I remember that some years back the Saab 9000 got a near top position, but > > maybe the competition has caught up. Now you find Honda, Lexus and Skoda! > > taking top positions. > > > > To be viable as a manufacturer, Saab has to sell a substantial number of cars, > > that is cars that appeal to a lot of people, i.e. not niche cars. A car such > > as Classic 900 may have enthusiastic followers, but that car wouldn't sell at > > a profit if it was produced today. It quite often happens like that; fortunate > > owners of special models count themselves lucky that they got there just in > > time. My 1993 9000 CSE is still like new, while similar aged Ford Mondeos are > > rust buckets. > > A large percentage of these ratings has to do with computer problems > (e.g. BMW). Every once and awhile I have some problems with my 2004 9-3 > InfoDisplay but nothing major. Mechanically, no problems at all. So I > am very happy with my SAAB (my first). I consider myself a stickler for > quality so I am not glossing my eyes over. Yes, You have to be careful not to read too much into Powers survey. Like everything else, it has also been 'dummed down'. Earlier reports, gave more information. Especially number of cars in the survey. Cars that tend to be company cars usually get poorer results because owners haven't chosen the cars themselves and garages may be a bit more superficial with company cars. The 9-3 SS get it's best scores for comfort 10'th place, and it's worst scores 83'th place for running cost. Reliability problems, apparently, although one would think that it would be witin warranty? Garages and dealer attitudes plays a large part in the survey; one reason that Skoda scores so high.

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