1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Buy the Saab, your co-workers are mistaken. Saabs aren't only dificult to steal, but they aren't really attractive to would be theives, due to their rarity (relatively unpopular, difficult to part out, etc.) Personally, I have never heard of a Saab being stolen, but that may have more to do with a lack of popularity of Saabs here than actual theft rate.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety keeps track of theft information, but they can only rank cars which have a theft rate larger than their margin of error. 9-3's and 9-5's aren't there yet, and who knows, they might never be. I can't find the older information on 900's and 9000's, but I do remember that the theft rate was remarkably low. Scott has that information archived on this site, but the link isn't working. (Search the press releases for IIHS, maybe it will work for you).
For some objective information, here is a press release from a few years ago, the information is applicable to the 9-3, since the 9-3 uses these same anti-theft measures:
Gold medal for unique Saab 9-5 anti-theft system
In 1993, several Swedish authorities introduced strict demands on anti-theft systems for cars. No car maker has managed to meet these demands - until now. The Swedish Automobile Association has awarded Saab its anti-theft medal for the unique system of the Saab 9-5.
The demands specify that it must be impossible to break into the car in less than two minutes, and that it must then be impossible to drive the car away in less than a further five minutes. In addition to the Swedish Automobile Association, these exacting demandsare backed by the Swedish insurance industry, the National Police Board, the National Board for Consumer Policies, the National Road Safety Office and the Swedish Theft Prevention Association, which also performed the practical tests.
"We congratulate Saab on an excellent job," said Tom Corneliusson, Managing Director of the Swedish Automobile Association who presented the medal and diploma to Saab in conjunction with the Association's annual congress. "We are now hoping that other car makers will quickly follow suit and equip their cars with acceptable anti-theft systems."
The anti-theft system of the Saab 9-5 is very extensive. It consists of mechanical obstacles in the form of protection against picking the various locks, and freely rotating lock cylinders that make it impossible to force the locks. The system also includes a two-step locking system operated by the transponder in the key. When the car is locked in the second stage, the doors cannot be opened, not even from inside the car. But if the thief breaks a window to gain access to the car, the effective electronic engine immobilizer will prevent any attempt to drive the car away. Not even the radio is of interest to the would-be thief, since it is divided into several units and each radio unit is individually coded to the car in which it was originally installed and will not fit even into another Saab 9-5.
Here is the link to the IIHS:
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