Thank you, Greg, your points are excellent - wish I had made them myself! I remember thinking about SAAB features, even way back in the days of the SAAB 95 & 96, "This makes so much sense - why hasn't anyone else made a car like this?" For many years, SAAB was about the only car with a total package of safety, practicality, ergonomics, performance, and it was actually fun to drive, too! Plus, it was affordable!! I bought my first SAAB (1964 96) because it was safe and had front-wheel drive to get through the snow (I lived in western PA at the time). Imagine my delight when I discovered it was actually fun to drive, too, and held the road like a train on tracks. Back then, the only other car that could get through the snow relatively easily was the VW Beetle, and it was a poor second to the SAAB because the rear end of the VW tended to fishtail like mad. I can remember times when I was the only car getting up snowy hills.

Your points about SAAB versus other cars of the time are right on. Sadly, somewhere SAAB lost the leadership advantage it once had, and now has to play catch-up with other cars. The natural progression from front-wheel drive would have been AWD; what happened? Now "everybody" except SAAB has all wheel drive - what an opportunity missed!

The 9-3SS is a "good" car, but is it a "great" car? Does it offer advanced features that no or few other manufacturers offer, like SAABs of the past did? Does it offer an outstanding example of excellent value that combines practicality, safety, ergonomics, quality, and performance? That's what it needs to really not just compete, but to pull ahead of the others in today's market, and I frankly don't see that the 9-3SS offers that. SAAB needs to make up for lost time and opportunities, and I don't see that happening by offering cars that are "almost as good as" BMW or Audi.

posted by 65.204....

• Food for thought... Saab, GM, & Ford (long rant), Allen K, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 00:22:32
  • One detail, Wes Miller, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 15:52:58
  • Re: Food for thought... Saab, GM, & Ford (long rant), jp, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 12:29:03
  • Long Counter (?) Rant, Justin VanAbrahams , Tue, 14 Jan 2003 12:24:01
    • Good points, best, KB. n/m, KB88900T, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 17:44:34
    • Not sure about that --, Pete Saab 9-5, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 12:43:40
      • Re: Not sure about that --, RS , Tue, 14 Jan 2003 15:05:51
      • Exactly..., Justin VanAbrahams , Tue, 14 Jan 2003 14:36:43
  • GM and Saab, Dinger, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:39:31
    • It's a little like beer..., Noel, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 13:34:16
      • oh and...., Dinger, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 14:36:17
      • and at the same time it's nothing like beer..., Dinger, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 14:19:58
        • Re: nothing like beer--more like a commodity..., Noel, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 19:03:24
    • Ding, Ding, Dinger - we have a winner!, VP, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 12:02:57
      • "Don't know about running a business" ..., Eli5, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 12:48:52
    • Re: GM and Saab, Steve L, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 10:09:01
      • Thanks you for proving my point >>, Dinger, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 13:58:39
        • Re: Thanks you for proving my point >>, Steve L, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 17:33:25
          • Dinger & Bruce, don't you remember..., Greg Netzner, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 19:39:35
            • Re: Dinger & Bruce, don't you remember..., Steve L, Wed, 15 Jan 2003 10:23:09 <-- Viewing This Message
          • Excellent points! Best, KB. n/m, KB88900T, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 17:52:13
      • The C900 WAS a failure, Bruce, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 11:08:40
        • Re: The C900 WAS a failure, RS , Tue, 14 Jan 2003 11:47:54
    • No, it is not hard to admit, Eli5, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:56:27
  • You miss the point..., pursang, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:28:59
    • Shared platforms & engines, Pete Saab 9-5, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:50:37
    • You can still buy a Jag? Where?, Dinger, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:48:46
      • Thank You!, Brian, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 10:02:52
        • Uh, no, Justin VanAbrahams , Tue, 14 Jan 2003 11:30:25
          • OK- my bad on the S-Type..., Brian, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 11:48:25
        • XJ and XK are still produced aren't they? n/m, Eli5, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 10:05:56
          • Yes..., Brian, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 10:24:21
  • The difference is, Eli5, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 08:40:11
  • nitpick... early 90's audis: gen 1 S4 and V8 amazing!, Martin, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 00:49:12
    • I'll second that (Audis)..., Eric Law, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:28:24
      • I'll second that again (Audis)..., Terraplanem, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 11:47:47

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