2011 Saab 9-4X owners review - Part 3: Performance, handling and equipment

This is the third part of my Saab 9-4X owners review. I currently have about 6,000 miles on the odometer and I still love every bit of this fantastic Saab.


The Saab 9-4X weighs a hefty 4,400 lbs with the 3.0i engine. The Aero is even heavier and can tip the scale up to 4,700 pounds. I owned a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer for a couple of years and it had the typical ride of an SUV. Heavy, pretty slow, vague steering, an engine that ran out of breath beyond 4K rpm and a bit of a mushy suspension. So my expectations of a crossover with similar size and weight were not that high.

While it still is a heavy vehicle, it sure feels pretty quick. The engine likes to rev and has pretty good power all the way up to 5.5 to 6K rpm. It is also a slow-revving and quiet engine when you want it to be. At 55 mph - 90 km/h, you can't hear the engine at all, mostly because it only turns at 1600 revolutions per minute. And that's quite impressive as well.

Check out the video for 0-60 mph in about 8 seconds: link

The brake pedal feel is typical Saab and harder than many other vehicles, especially from Asian origin. I am used to it and prefer it that way. I haven't made any panic stops or did any other brake testing but the brakes are up to the task of stopping the 9-4X.

Continue reading in my blog: Part 3 - Performance, handling and equipment