Just How Good Is a Tuned Saab?

It’s not every day you see a 162-mph Saab 900. Tuned Saabs are rare for a reason, but can tens of thousands of dollars in upgrades turn a quirky hatchback into a legit performance car? Matt Farah is about to find out.
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[andershj]

Saab is also probably one of the safest cars out there too. In the early 90's my dad and grandfather was driving on a one lane road when suddenly, one car in the other lane decided to pass the car in front of them, not knowing there was a Saab 900 waiting to smash that car. Despite this being an 80 km/h head-on collision, my dad and grandfather had no injuries at all, they were fine thanks to Saab's high end engineering.

[moccina]

Miss that "saab smell"...hard to describe unless you've owned one. Also, the floorboard ignition was so badass.  Nostalgia!

[production]

Dad of a very good friend of mine drives SAAB 900s as his daily driver. Buys them with 300.000km + on the clock, fixes them up a bit and they drive for years and years. They are indestructible, and every electrical component still works factory new. Thats some swedish quality right there

[michaelwoods]

I bought my 1985 SAAB 900S in West Germany, when I was stationed there with the US Air Force. I bought her new, still own her today....and she is still going strong. I must admit she has aged better than I have, she has just shy of 300, 000 miles on her, with tender loving care and proper maintenance she drives like a dream. I bought my wife a new SAAB in 2007, and it too runs like a dream.

[hnhaha]

I don't think that Saab were trying to be different to be different.
I they they were different because they were trying to do something better; they just never had enough cash. Given enough cash, I have no doubt they would have given BMW, Merc, and Audi a good run for their money on performance, and Volvo a kicking in performance.

[rabot]

I used to overlook Saabs for decades, until I bought my first one. Great, sturdy built cars! I sure miss them...

[Oblio]

Until you own a Saab, you dont really get it

[oOJakkeOo]

I own a Saab 9-3 05 with 207hp. You simply can't find more car and power for the money. At the same time, it's an excellent car to drive for every month of the year, because it's made for with extreme weather conditions in mind. It's true that people look elsewhere when buying a car, because people always buy what other people buy. VW, Audi, Ford, Toyota etc have all gotten in to the market as normal, regular cars. Nobody wants a Saab because of the fact that it's different and many haven't even heard of the brand Saab. Bland and boring is the future of cars. There is no space for radical design solutions and quirkiness anymore. However I'm going to proudly own Saab until they are completely gone.

[alexrhino]

I bought a '94 9000 Aero the day I graduated high school for $1000. It was the funnest car I have ever owned and never let me down. I ran it into a full sized bull at 40 mph. Had my SRS light not been on I probably wouldnt have needed seven stitches in my lip from the steering wheel. I traded the remains of that car in on a '93 900s. That car went to hell and back with me. I drove it to and from CO and AZ from IL at least once a year until I moved to CO. Then I drove it from CO to CA, IL and AZ almost once every 3 months. I put 12000 miles on it in 3 months at one point and changed the oil in it every 10000. It only had the 2 belts for the alternator and the window sprayers didnt work but it made it down 4x4 roads in NV and everywhere I wanted it to take me. Those two Saabs were my favorite cars to drive and I almost cry when I watch these videos. I knew I was going to regret trading the 900 in on a 500hp truck but you cant live in a Saab the way you can in a Tundra. Thats what I keep telling myself at least.

[cheifthumbs]

As a former Saab technician I can say I truly loved working on them. As a driver I have to say meh. They are really nice to drive, just not exciting. Except the 9000 Turbo. That car was ridiculously fast and as Matt pointed out as long as you stayed near redline on shifting you didn't have to worry about turbo lag. Superior build quality, and very thorough PDI at the dealership made buying a New Saab an event. Staunch owners will tell you these cars are either excellent from day one or complete garbage. No middle ground.

[BigDaddyG]

You forgot the main reason there is no SAAB today. They got screwed by GM.

[agusgolturbo]

you can tune a b234 saab engine to 500hp without changing the headgasket...some of the best 4 cylinder engines out there, often forgotten for being "a saab"

[MesoJevlar]

My parents used to work at the SAAB factory. It was always fun to have different pre production-cars and rare options for test purpose at home. Especially the latest 9-5 sportcombi. Only 22 was built for the european market, before the factory was closed down.

[irwinklinger]

I had owned two Volvos, both great running cars, I always felt safe in both. I've always been a fan of Swedish built cars, I had been looking for a Saab, finally found a pre-owned Saab in excellent condition, and thats when I understood why owners love them. The feeling of safety and performance made me smile every time I sat in it, the first time I put the pedal down and the turbo kicked in made me grin with glee! As one of the comments says, "until you own a Saab, you don't really know".

[trefod]

GM owned SAAB when the 9-3 was made. It was a heavily re engineered Opel Vectra, which was in turn one of the most boring family sedans available in Europe at the time. The 900 though was a SAAB construction from the ground up and much more interesting. It was GM that killed SAAB with its platform sharing.

[Alert]

Matt shows a real lack of knowledge about Saabs, the Viggen was not the fastest car Saab ever made but it was really quick in its day and is no slouch even by todays standards. The B235R engine is superb and easily tunable if you want greater performance. Cooling is the main issue in the 9-3 Viggen, the 9-5 HOT had the same engine but less issues tuned. Saab made really solid cars and much safer than most, they did not skimp on strength just to improve the 0-60 time.

[corbingreiner]

I was given a tuned  1991 900turbo;with the promise I'd never sell her. After three years of driving her; you'd have pry her from my dead hands still clutching the Momo steering wheel.I love this weird little car.

[dizzytheokapi]

The nostalgia I feel watching this is unreal. Takes me back to my days of driving my '98 Saab 900 turbo. I very much enjoy European cars, as I've owned a couple VW Jettas (Mk1 Diesel and Mk4 1.8t), but the Saab was hands down, the most fun to drive with the best feeling driver/car connection. They're niche, but incomparable in feeling for car enthusiasts.

[insolentstickleback]

I owned a 1985 900 turbo sedan.  White with burgundy interior, 4 doors, and an immense cargo area with the rear seat folded flat.  I used to leave after classes when I was in college and zip over to the coast, surf, sleep in the car, surf and come back to classes the next morning.  I LOVED that car, some of the best memories of my life.

[Patriiiiick]

Love the shape of the old turbo. Love it.