Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 13:27:15 GMT From: Johannes <johsnospamblocksizefitter.com> Subject: Re: Any Saab employees here?
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.
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