Is the 9.7 a real SAAB?

[Abarth]

As a past owner of a 5.3 litre 9.7 I would like to hear your true feelings with regards to the 9.7.....

[Dave T]

Yes, it's a Saab. It's just a matter of degree. It is heavily based on the Trailblazer and even looks like one. How many Saab attributes does it have or lack is partially opinion. The 9-3 has quite a few parts found on other GM cars but is an improvement in many ways over the classic 900. Still, there are some things in a 900 that I would have liked to see.

[rpiereck]

Yes it is a Saab. Now, it wasn't designed or made in Sweden, and it lacks some of Saab's DNA, like the missing boomerang on the C-pillar, so perhaps it is less of a Saab, but a Saab nonetheless.

I was in a Saab ride here in Germany last October and there was a 9-7x present. It attracted a lot of attention for being such a large vehicle in Germany, and an extreme gas guzzler too, but it wasn't shunned by Saab drivers who were there in their 900s, 9-3s, 9-5s, etc.

[nordwulf]

It is not a simple yes or no answer. Especially when you also ask the question "What is a real Saab?". And you have to consider the past ownership experience as well. I have never owned a pre-GM Saab so that doesn't fully qualify me answering that question either. I will say my Saab 9-5 is a real Saab but die-hard Saab 900 and earlier owners may laugh at that.

Saab desperately needed a SUV and it was actually one of the more successful Saabs in North America. It wasn't intended for worldwide success so I would rather call it an American Saab. And at that, it was a welcome addition to the Saab 9-3 and 9-5.

I have driven the 9-7X a few times and also owned a Trialblazer in the past. It is amazing what the Saab engineers accomplished and made it a very nice driving vehicle. If they could have made a few more changes to the interior, I think it would have lost some of that GM feel of the other models on that same platform.

http://saabworld.net/f106/2006-saab-...s-release-342/
http://saabworld.net/gallery/g569-saab-9-7x/

[Shazam]

I'd call it a Saab... I'd also call the 9-2x a Saab. If you start ruling out that--or the 9-7x--where does it stop? After all, the 9-3 could be said to be just a Opel Vectra with some different bits... or the 9000 just a Lancia Thema. It goes on and on. As far as SUVs go, I quite like the 9-7x. I've only ever ridden in one and it felt to be a big improvement over a Trailblazer.

[rpiereck]

I remember in Alaska on the hangar next to our there were a Trailblazer and a 9-7x. The shape of both vehicles is the same of course, but parked side by side you could see the huge, uneven panel gaps on the Trailblazer, and the nice, even panel gaps on the big Saab. At least GM put quality into that truck. From what I have read on the interwebs about that line of trucks the Saab is the best riding of all.

[Abarth]

I remember in Alaska on the hangar next to our there were a Trailblazer and a 9-7x. The shape of both vehicles is the same of course, but parked side by side you could see the huge, uneven panel gaps on the Trailblazer, and the nice, even panel gaps on the big Saab. At least GM put quality into that truck. From what I have read on the interwebs about that line of trucks the Saab is the best riding of all.

That is interesting, both were built in Kettering Ohio on the same assembly plant. My ownership was trading in a Range Rover HSE for a 9.7X 5.7 liter, We were together for 36K miles, and the only problem I had was the AC went out during a summer jaunt acroos the desert from So Cal to my in-laws in Scottsdale AZ, 118 degrees F. The Cadillac dealer back then was a SAAB dealer and they fixed it on a Saturday, excellent service. The interior was a bit GM, but still had the uniqueness that is SAABish, and much better than the stable mates on that platform. It sold very well for SAAB.











Tim

[Abarth]

I did a quick search and found that the resale prices on 9-7X's are running between $10K to 17K here on the west coast, about the same as 9-3 SportCombi....

Tim

[SaabScott]

I am very (happily) surprised by the resulting comments! My experience has been that most "Saab" people shun the 9-7X. I agree that it definitely is a Saab ... perhaps a little less so (based on design/build) than those "made by Trolls", but still a Saab all the same!

[Abarth]

Bar Keep, buy that man a beer, and put it on my tab....

Tim