Here's a nice way tos tart the working week, especially if you're considering the purchase of a not-quite-new Saab 9-3.
German magazine Auto Zeitung has published a report covering cars from different classes. Radulf was kind enough to take a scan, make some highlights and send it in.
His notes:
Defects Report: Out of more than five million cars examined from the GTÜ, Auto Zeitung identified the most reliable used cars.Here I send you the "Medium class" with SAAB 9-3: Not so bad at all!
From left to right we see them sorted by age "1 - 3 years" to "9 - 11 years". One to five years, the 9-3 beats all German premium cars ...
Click to enlarge.
This really is quite an impressive result and again raises the same old concerns about US ratings (where Saab doesn't tend to do so well in reports like JD POwer, etc) - vs - European ratings (where Saab seem to do consistently better).
Thanks again to Radulf for sending it in.
If I was 'Advertising Chief' I'd be calling a meeting for Monday morning with the aim to get something out before week's end...
- One 'eyebrow' does not always turn on using the "follow me home" lighting button on the keyfob in the morning. Both always work when used as daytime runners or with headlights.
- Minor picky complaint about our much used and abused cargo blind, being replaced under warranty.
What can I say but that it exceeds the excellent quality of the 73,000km old 2006 we traded for it.
http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.automotorsport.se%2Fnews%2F19626%2Fsaab-ska-visa-ny-9-3-f%25C3%25B6r-biogas%2F&sl=sv&tl=en&history_state0=
check it out :)
But I can't help... I still love it :)
As far as I know, the issue with JD Power is that items are weighed the same: if you don't like your car's starting key/button placement, your 'complaint' weighs the same on the end results as if your car had a blow engine. Curious methodology, to say the least...
I would be curios of scores also on C and E classes.
seeing this, is strange that Autobuild Romania (from autobuild germany) just published a list of most reliable 25 second hand cars from German marketplace from previous generations of cars; no saabs in them, lots of german ofcourse (VWs, bmw, Skodas, Audis, c class); and from here seams that OG 9-3 should be in (A4 and bmw 3er was there, also in 8-9 and 9-11 years scored below OG 9-3)
the German automakers have been very successful at keeping the myth of reliability up while, in reality, they are as fragile as any other car on the road...They are more successful about keeping customers loyal and quiet...like Saab they use OEMs and the issues that keep some Saabs off the road, also affect Alfa/Vauxhall and the big German 3...
And, on mine it is the one on the driver's side that struggles.
Rarely noticed it as of late though. Maybe more of a winter phenomena?
I´ve never had any real problems with my Saabs (Other than my clutch wich is now fixed) so it´s strange that so many out there say that they have and that those problems are worse in Saabs than in any other vehicle. I´ve always had respect for peoples opinions but some Saab drivers tend to think that Audi has a better quality through and through. Why? Have they driven one for a longer duration? Or is it trust in lazy journo stuff?
Americans may hate me for saying this, but often you are the ones complaining on your vehicles the most. Saab does Not build vehicles for the american market on a special "car builder learner" line. Nope, every car is just as good as the ones sent to Europe etc. (Oh why do I distrust JDPower so much??)
Saab has to take advantage of these good facts and make people aware of Saabs safety, performance and quality. Quality that is no worse than the rest of the premium competition. It may be that Saab needs to up the material quality in the 9-3 as Saab now has done to the NG9-5 to be considered as "Premium" and also change the engines in the last couple of years in the current 9-3 to that of the NG9-5 with Direct injection etc. But otherwise Saab is in pare with the competition. And Saab has something unique.. That superb Saab feeling. I can climb into a Saab with my eyes closed and emediately feel that it is a Saab. Can an Audi driver do the same and feel the difference between a Hyundai or the new Citroën C5 and an Audi? Meybe some can, but Saab has that special something that is so typical.
Oh, I´ll get alot of c**p from some of you but hey, prove me wrong.
Cheers guys and girls
It's due to the lack of qualified techs, which itself is due to GM dealerships.
Saabs are very similar to German cars at the components and systems levels. They are also different from American and Japanese cars. The fact that Saabs have been sold in GM dealerships means that, in many instances, they are being worked on by people who aren't familiar with the "Bosch way."
I think that most "lemon Saab" stories start with "I took my Saab to the Hummer/Cadillac dealership..."
Audi/BMW/Mercedes/VW don't have the same issues here because techs who know and love German cars tend to work at those dealerships instead of at GM dealerships that happen to sell Saab.
>>> And conditions were much better than those of Audi/BMW/Mercedes offers.
>>> Service of my dealer lightyears above German premium.
>>> 99% satisfied. (That one percent is for new improved SAABs to come.)