SAABSUNITED

The headline says it all.

This is Nate’s story, complete with obligatory Saab hug. There’s some good stuff about dealer relationships in here, too. Kudos to Iowa City for doing what they do.

——

I took possession of my Turbo X SportCombi on Tuesday, October 19th, and I could not be happier. I have longed for this car ever since we saw the spy pics of the prototypes that were bashed as looking like Pontiac Sunfires! I am blessed to own my dream car.

My original plan was to purchase one with a manual gearbox. I ended up purchasing the automatic gearbox. My wife and I plan to own this car for some time, so I thought the automatic would be the safer bet. A lifetime of high impact athletics has left me with bad knees and I would hate to have to trade my Turbo X because of my gimpiness! Trust me; it was a battle royal between Macho Nate and Responsible Nate. I even had a manual lined up for purchase at an out-of-state-dealer.

I purchased the Turbo X from my local dealer at Iowa City SAAB. It was purchased sight unseen. I have a lot of trust with my local dealer. If they say the car is clean, then that is good enough for me. They backed that up with a CPO warranty, too. I think that there is a great lesson for any SAAB dealer. Develop trust with your customers and they will buy cars from you. My wife and I have now purchased three cars from this great dealership and I am sure that there will be more in the future.

A side note: This car was traded in for a NG 9-5. I am happy to take one for the team!

The car is GREAT! I have never driven an AWD car before. I have never known what the expression “drives like it is on rails” was meant to describe. I do now! This car is just stuck to the ground. My friends that have driven it have all commented on the firmness of the car and how much control the driver has over it. And this is with the automatic gearbox. They would be even more impressed if they only knew of all the compromises that SAAB to deal with and engineer around.

The exhaust note is great. I actually think that the car is very quiet and the exhaust is subdued in the cabin. I know that this is something that others have complained about. I am very familiar with the interior since it is a lot like my wife’s car. If I have one criticism it is the door handles. I have read other commenters complain about the Cadillac door handles in the past. I often wondered what the big deal was. Now I know. They are clucky when compared to traditional SAAB door handles.

Our financial plan dictates that my wife and I hold onto our cars for some time. Given that, it is quite fitting that we both have black sportcombis. We call them “his” and “hers”! She has a black 2007 9-3 SportCombi 2.0 Anniversary Edition. They make quite a pair in the driveway. Although I will own this for some time I plan to spruce it up once a year with some type of Hirsch goodie. Initially it will likely be the interior. But once Hirsch gets the 300 HP engine tune here in the US I will be all over it. Genuine SAAB also has a 2-point sub frame brace that I am aiming for and of course, a SAAB roof rack for my kayak ☺

I trust all you Turbo X owners are enjoying your vehicles. Those who got their X’s first have possibly crossed the 12 month anniversary already. Amazingly, there are still some for sale in some parts of the world and I received a query earlier this week from a guy who’s thinking of picking one up.

His name is Nate and here’s what he’s thinking…..

I am young (26) but I work hard and I am a young professional here in San Diego, CA and saving up for my first new Saab. I currently have a 2004 9-3 Linear (bought with 40k miles) that I have become attached to, it is an amazing car. I know have 105 miles on it and I am ready to upgrade. I know I want to get another Saab for sure. The model I have fallen in love with is the 2008 9-3 Turbo-X since the first time I saw one.
My question to you is, do you think it would be smart to buy a Saab right now or wait? Also, what do you think is a good price point for the X? I know there were only 600 sent here to the US, but I found the exact one I want for $35,900 US Dollars ($47,500 sticker). Do you feel I can work them down at all? I am always one to negotiate but I wanted to ask an expert if they felt this model Saab would be a good buy.

Nah. Far from an expert, but I’m happy to share what I think.
I think the Turbo-X is an absolute ass-kicker of a vehicle. Yes, there are 2009 vehicles with XWD but if I had a chance at an X, I’d grab it.
Practical people who are wise with their money will possibly disagree, but I’m a bit of a sentimentalist. I’d go for the Turbo-X for the same reason I prefer the 99 Turbo over the clasic 900 turbo. Because it’s the first of it’s kind. To me, that’s significant.
I think you could possibly talk them down a little more than that (though to we Aussies, that’s an incredibly cheap price anyway) given that sales are so hard to come by at the moment.
——
More important than my philosophisations (thanks R. Shelton), why not take the thoughts of a real-life Turbo X owner into consideration.
Clive was the first guy in Australia to take delivery of a Turbo X and he’s recently passed his first anniversary with it.
I heard from Clive earlier this week and here are his impressions of 12 months with the Saab Turbo X. You might remember that Clive’s X is Loud, Fast and In Control:

19136 kms in my Turbo X, and l have now officially owned my car for slightly over 12 months.
l still have that Saab smile. Every time l start the Saab from a cold start, as my #2 son in law says, it’s metal mayhem: cam overlap that produces a nice uneven signature from an engine with urge and a delicious raucous exhaust note. And the really nice part is that it seems to be getting that little bit louder; it fits my future plan of growing old disgracefully.
This is a great car. The XWD loves corners. Power in and power out. No braking, just control the car with the accelerator pedal. The V6 torque band is phenomenal , the suspension and braking are set up with perfect balance (to my mind) and the steering is responsive.
Is this the perfect Saab? Maybe, maybe not. However what is the perfect car?
Does it demonstrate that Saab can develop unique cars? Absolutely, and the Turbo X is part of the evolution!
One of my favourite subjects is to reflect on the wonderfully “accurate” – if not bizarre – press reviews. Firstly, l must state that my Turbo X is a manual. To me this car is a car that deserves only the 6 speed manual box. Condemn me to washing my mouth out with soap if you like, but to me that is a fact.
The following is my response to the most negative press reports

1. Torque steer, the urban legend. The Turbo X has no torque steer, which is actually the point of the XWD… the press should try a 2008 Mazda MP3. It sets a new standard for torque steer.
2. Poor steering – the steering is in fact very good and precise, l have actually managed to miss trams (a feature of Melbourne’s city and inner suburban roads) , trucks and anything else that you would expect on the road.
3. Fuel consumption – if you drive it like you stole it then the litres-per-100kms are unfortunately not very good.
4. Competitors – Yes , the very serious contenders that it has been measured against including ….wait for it ……the very intimidating and performance based Subaru Liberty….. yes they both have 4 wheels however XWD drive and AWD are not the same. Not all 2Wd’s are the same, either, at least in my experience. Also, power per tonne – the Turbo X is right in there amongst its peers including BMW
5. The dash panel – No, l have not been bored senseless by the apparently less than exciting internal fitout and instrumentation and all that black plastic. The gauges all work, they are not fluoro disco lights, they are Saab instruments and they tell me what l want to know
6. Noisy – it’s true, this is not a quiet car. It has unique aspects including an exhaust note that is so unSwedish……

This is the future not the past.

Yes, there are still Turbo X’s here for sale in Australia, as there may be in your part of the world, too.
I just got an email from Kurt at Heartland Saab in Sydney about a Turbo X they delivered last Friday. The customer was moving on from a Subaru WRX and Jeep Cherokee.
Saab Australia put together a little Turbo X owners package to go with the car.
From Kurt:

The box Includes a key ring with Carbon Fibre finish (as per the vehicle’s interior), Turbo X Hat, Coffee Thermos, Pen and Driving Gloves.
Also Included was a custom made Turbo X branded car cover, which we put over the car in the showroom before the customer took delivery. It looked great and so many people wanted to know what was under the cover. Its also a great way for the new owner to protect his Turbo X when its parked in his garage.

Of course, we have pictures…..




——
I’ve seen most of those Turbo X accessories before and have shown the CF keyring (which I reckon is the bees knees, personally) way back when the X’s first started selling.
I hadn’t seen one of those custom covers before, though, and that’s a real genuine bonus item. A good custom car cover can keep the car cleaner for so much longer.
Kurt got an email from the new owner today, and yes, he’s very happy, especially with the car in manual form. Their demonstrator was an auto, so the extra buzz with the manual seems like it must have been a pleasant bonus.