Saab 9-7X Aero Driven

Product detail lists, the specifications of different equipment lines and their respective features, are not the best part of GoodCarBadCar. In fact, they're completely absent. The Good Car Guy believes in supplying you with opinion, based on knowledge of those product details and experience with the product.

It's been a number of weeks since the Saab 9-7X Aero generated surprise amongst a group of bloggers at General Motors' Milford Proving Grounds near Detroit. I perceived it to be a crazy-fast Chevrolet TrailBlazer - and I was right. But just how fun to drive it would be.... I was yet to see.

Read about other sport-utility vehicles The Good Car Guy drove at Milford

Saab.com will tell you everything you need to know about their aging utility vehicle. They won't display the photograph with a GMC Acadia in the background, showcasing where your SUV$ should go if you're intent on spending those $ at a GM-owned store. The Acadia/Enclave/Outlook are superior machines in both feel and ownership enjoyment.


If, however, performance is your main reason for buying a GM sport-ute (why you're looking for performance in an SUV?), the Saab 9-7X Aero and its Corvette-derived powerplant will stir you to your very core. Besides, amongst all the Buick Rainier's and TrailBlazer's and Envoy's and Bravada's and Ascender's, the 9-7X was and is the best-looking member of the platform.

Check out every piece of information The Good Car Guy wrote regarding drives at Milford

The details are lacking. Even on the website. Clicking through the gallery, I notice the 4.2i, the 5.3i, and the Areo. Hmm? Has Saab forgotten how to spell the model nomenclature of its fastest and most expensive SUV? Out of the virtual world and back into the vehicle, you find an interior straight out of 1998 and a skinny steering wheel more suited to an early 90's Oldsmobile. When spending nearly $50K on a vehicle, you expect top-notch design. Considering that the main point of contact is disappointing and totally out-of-character, that high-dollar figure seems misspent.

Saab has been mentioned at GoodCarBadCar before... twice

For $45,750 in the USA, 390 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque is very welcome and appreciated. The 9-7X made every other sport-ute on the Black Lake seem timid. It roared when others growled and punched when others pinched. Straight-line speed was only one of its terrific performance attributes. Cornering in the Aero was as fun as the same activity in the Pontiac Torrent GXP, itself a surprisingly impressive handler.

Yet I stepped out of the 9-7X and wanted to drive something I could recommend to friends and readers. If you're yearning for performance and want extra space, the 9-7X is way down the list of potential suitors. Sportwagons and smaller crossovers make plenty more sense.

The 9-7X Aero provides one very good reason for buying an expensive Swedish/American ute. It sounds like a Corvette. The other European SUV that can perform this trick is in Mercedes showrooms and costs twice as much.

TWO SAAB COMMERCIALS - GOOD AND BAD?

Saab needs revitilization. Not simply with its image, or the way people perceive its Swedishness, but also with product. Saab's desperately need to stand out from the pack. No, not because they've always been quirky. But because every automaker, especially those competing in the luxury/sports sector, must make their cars stand out from the pack. The pack is huge, people.

H-U-G-E. Saab's 9-3 must outdo Volvo's S40 and S60 (V50 and V70, too), BMW 3-series, Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class, Acura TL, Lexus IS and ES, Infiniti G35, and Alfa Romeo's 159. I acknowledge that advertising alone will not reverse the downward spiral. It most definitely can not be left up to marketing executives alone. The product is in need of improvement, and General Motors would undoubtedly love it if the press/media/blogosphere could get off the Malibu/9-3/G6-shared platform refrain.





Nevertheless, advertising must be taken seriously. People spending a few dozen grand on a car educate themselves regarding their purchase, for the most part. Continually attempting to convince us that the 9-3 is a Swedish military jet fighter is, in my opinion, devaluing the brand. It's become such a joke that the 9-3 isn't actually perceived to be as good a car as it truly is. Play me a commercial of a 9-5 SportCombi directed by what could almost be a Volvo or Lexus marketing maven, and you would begin to have an effect. And that's with the aged veteran, truly outclassed in its midsize luxury sector. Check out the two 9-3 Jet Fighter clip above, the inspiring 9-5 is below.

TOP 5 MOST LEASED VEHICLES IN AMERICA

In order to better understand the current state of affairs in the automotive leasing domain, check this morning's earlier post from GoodCarBadCar.net. If you want to know, and of course you do want to know, which vehicles are leased the most often this year in America, keep reading.

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#10 - Jaguar XJ: 65.8% of customers leased

#9 - BMW X3: 67.3% of customers leased

#8 - Audi A4: 68% of customers leased

#7 - BMW 6-Series: 68.6% of customers leased

#6 - Land Rover Range Rover: 69.6% of customers leased

#5 - Mercedes-Benz E-Class: 70% 

The E-Class has a base price of $52,775 for a powerful V6 with a 7-speed automatic. With similar financial scenarios, a 36-month lease would save you close to $100 per month compared with a 60-month purchase.

#4 - BMW Z4: 70.7% 

Achieving close to 30mpg in a BMW roadster ain't shabby. This $36,700 car was a styling controversy when introduced but, says BMW, can be leased for $379 a month over 36 months.

#3 - Audi A6: 74.1% 

Priced at $42,950, the A6 sedan is a capable beauty that performs in most categories at or near the top of the class. That doesn't mean it sells with the worldwide force of the E-Class or BMW 5-Series, but Audi is a successful company, thanks in no small part to the A6.

#2 - Saab 9-7X: 82.2%

As AutoEnergy put it, the 9-7X is about as Scandinavian as apple pie and ice cream. Think American at its core. GMC and Chevrolet will sell you less luxurious-but-otherwise-identical vehicles in their showrooms, but if you insist.... the 9-7X starts at $41,145. Presently, it's possible that leasing a 9-7X would cost you more because of heavy incentives on the purchasing side. 

#1 - BMW 7-Series: 85.3% 

If you can find $1009 every month for the next 36 months, BMW wants to put you in a "well-equipped" (read: basic) 7-Series. That nets you the strange iDrive system, a wild V8, and abundant luxury features. Only 15% of 7-Series customers take it any other way.

AVOID!

Three reasons for not buying the Buick Lacrosse/Allure? To begin with, how old are you? If you're 75, you likely don't want to announce it. If you're under 40; you typically steer clear of activities and purchases which cause you to appear over 80 years of age. So.... why are you considering the Lacrosse?

Secondly, driver involvement. Well, there is none. The Buick Enclave is a gigantic crossover and few drivers would expect to derive 'fun' from such a vehicle. Lacrosse/Allure is a largish midsize sedan. Quiet Tuning is terrific, Buick. What about suspension tuning that would do more than just smother the bumps?

Finally, other cars. Other cars offer plenty of reason to avoid an Allure. Honda's Accord or a Subaru Legacy would provide the aura of youthfulness with driver enjoyment. The Lacrosse will, however, keep you safe.



Saab makes a car which it entitles the 9-5. I once drove inside an old 9000 Turbo. It felt really fast. The turbo lag was so sick it was awesome. The 9-5 isn't much different, a decade.5 later. Yikes, isn't that enough reason? Do I need to give you three reasons to avoid the Saab 9-5? Here's four.

1. It looks familiar. Like a 1994 Saab 9000 kind of familiar.
2. 2008 Cadillac CTS (A fellow General Motors car - a car GM whose development GM invested in.)
3. Audi A6
4. It's not a jet.
   

Suzuki makes a thing - a car I guess - called the Aerio. They also have the Reno, Forenza, and SX4. The SX4 is basically a better Aerio. And the SX4 is still available as a hatch. With all-wheel drive. And a lower base price. The Aerio looks like the type of vehicle that European automakers stop making, then license the building of it to some south-Asian country to market as their own. The Aerio would make a great Perodua flagship. I need no other justification for naming the Aerio as a Must-Avoid.

No humans were harmed in the making of the following video. Fortunately, a car was.

ADVERTISING IN evo

Don't be confused about what you'll read below. Take a look back at the so-called Strange Timing For Truck Advertising in Motor Trend in order to improve your comprehension. Now it's more than apparent to all of us that pickup truck advertising is nearly extinct in British car enthusiast magazines like evo. In an issue like 120 where evo delved heavily into eco, the timing would've been poor.

Nevertheless, having briefly covered the advertising scenario in Motor Trend's September issue, The Good Car Guy figures it's important to cover all bases. That makes this second base. Read on.

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2 - pages of advertising inside the cover for the Audi A6 Avant Le Mans Edition (A6's are available with V8s)

2 -  consecutive pages of advertising for the Volkswagen Passat CC

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Mercedes-Benz CLS (available with V8)

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Porsche using a picture of a '63 911

2 - consecutive pages of half-page advertising for the Saab 9-3 Turbo X

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Honda Civic Type R

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Lexus IS F (the only IS with a V8)

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Ford Kuga, the first vehicle even approaching an SUV/crossover inside evo's pages

2 - consecutive pages of advertising for the Vauxhall VXR8, a V8-engined Pontiac G8-alike

1 - page of advertising for the Prodrive-tuned Alfa Romeo Brera S alongside a 4-star review of the Alfa Romeo Brera S

1 - page of advertising on the back cover for the Seat diesel range

DOMESTIC AUTOMAKERS MAY/08 RESULTS

It was a common belief at the beginning of May, when automakers released their sales date for April, that the first couple days of June would reveal bad news, as well. The commonality of any belief does not prove that belief to be true; however, the statistics manifest as proof that the common belief held true.

In a month where total vehicle sales fell over 10%, car sales climbed over 2%. Small cars were especially successful. Two cars that have not grabbed critical acclaim, Ford's Focus and the Dodge Caliber, jumped 52% and 7%, respectively compared with May of last year. 

It doesn't seem that long ago that America's love affair with truck-based SUVs and cheap gas led to a majority of vehicle sales being classified as trucks. In the 31 days of May, that former majority dropped to the low 40s%. Here are the Numbers for American automakers and their sub-brands in America in May... in agony.

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37.8 - posted percentage loss for Buick for May 2008 compared with the same period one year earlier

26 - posted percentage loss for Cadillac, May/08 against May/07

27.1 - posted percentage loss for Chevrolet, May/08 against May/07

28 - posted percentage loss for the whole Chrysler group, May/08 vs May/07

16.6 - posted percentage loss for Ford, May/08 against May/07

38.8 - posted percentage loss for GMC, an all truck and SUV brand for May of this year against May/07

61.7 - posted percentage loss for Hummer, an all heavy-duty SUV brand that GM is interested in selling, for the May/08 vs May/07 comparison

42 - percentage loss for luxury brand Lincoln for May of '08 against the same period last year

28 - percentage drop in sales faced by Mercury, Ford's pointless brand, for May/08 against May/07

25.9 - percentage drop in sales for Pontiac, a brand featuring some new models, for this May against last May

28 - percentage drop in sales for GM-owned Saab for May/08 against May/07

32.7 - percentage plummeting in product sales for Saturn, featuring its best model lineup ever, for May/08 vs May/07

24 - percentage drop in sales for Ford-owned Volvo for May/08 against May/07

18,455 - lead, in sales, that the Chevrolet brand had over the whole Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep group in May

15,603 - combined sales in May for FMC's luxury duo (Volvo and Lincoln), out-performing GM's Swedish-American dup (Saab and Cadillac) by 107

97.5 - Pontiac Vibe's percentage points lead it held over the Pontiac brand as a whole in May-vs-May sales

23.4 - average decline in sales for Ford's four main SUVs, the Escape; Edge; Explorer; and Expedition

44.3 - jump in sales this May vs last May, measured in percent, for the Chevrolet Aveo

SAAB 9-5 RECALL

You wouldn't be surprised to see a recall, affecting vehicles from 2002-2008, that dealt with hundreds of thousands of automobiles. This is Saab, however, and Saab doesn't do things in the hundreds of thousands.

The interior side of the A-pillar, the part of the car that, in most modern cars, blocks your vision around turns, is not designed to absorb energy in the way NHTSA believes it must. Therefore, 57,389 Saab 9-5s will be recalled come autumn. Owners of recent 9-5s will see new trim on their A-pillars when it returns from the dealer, a place you can feel free to contact to assure yourself a safer car.

PSEUDO-AMERICAN LUXURY

Ford Motor Company's remaining luxury brands post-Land Rover/Jaguar sale form a duo that is eerily similar to General Motors' upper tier tandem. Yes, it's Swedish/American.

The Ford trio of Brits are long gone. Aston Martin is now in handled by a British/Kuwaiti setup with some American influence, too. Jaguar and Land Rover are Tata's.  That leaves Dearborn with Volvo and Lincoln. General Motors sticks it out with fledgling Saab and Cadillac.  

All Cadillac, Lincoln, Saab or Volvo articles are available with a simple click

How do they do? March was not a good month for Ford. Lincoln faced a 20% drop in sales compared with the same period last year. Volvo met a drop of over 6%. This equates to approximately 5,000 fewer sales from those two brands this March. 

Meanwhile, Saab sales increased. 125 extra units exited dealer doors this March. Cadillac produced a slight percentage drop of 0.8 with sales down 1,490 vehicles during a month which held two fewer selling days. 

Although The Good Car Guy already discussed Japanese and German luxury sales last month, it is interesting to take note of the numbers.  

Cadillac sales personnel sold more cars than Audi, Infiniti, or Acura consultants could manage. Then again, two German brands (BMW & Mercedes-Benz) and Lexus sold at a greater rate than Caddy. Acura and Infiniti outperformed Lincoln. The Swedish battle was over before it started. Volvo only needed a little more than one quarter of the month to sell more than Saab's total.  

One more fact? The People's Car - that'd be Volkswagen - was outsold by Cadillac last March. This time around, Volkswagen produces a jump of over 20% and thus claimed a 2,134 advantage over the preeminent American luxury marque.

DETROIT DEBUTS - Part III

Saab builds a competitive vehicle? We won't know until the 9-4X is produced and production examples are driven, but on modernity; appearance; and appeal, the 9-4X BioPower stacks up well. Especially when contrasted with its Bad 8-deserving brother, the 9-5.

The 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder loses 55 horsepower when fueled with gasoline (instead of E85 ethanol), but the lower figure of 245 ain't shabby either.


Saab 9-4X debut factoid: Salomon worked with Saab to design a unique ski-stowage system.

THE BAD 8 - PART VIII

SAAB 9-5

While neither pretty or ugly; fast or slow; cheap or expensive; poorly constructed or tough-as-nails, the Saab 9-5's overwhelming mediocrity and unchanging attitude solidify its position in this oh-so-undesirable group.

Fifteen years ago I sat in the passenger seat of a Saab 9000. The throttle hit the mat, the turbo eventually spooled, and the kick in the back was unbelievable. Not much has changed in the last decade or two - except for the fact that the kick in the back is now completely believable. Stronger kicks are available elsewhere.

Whether its Beckenbauer or Beckham; Ronaldo or Ronaldinho, eventually everybody steps off the field for the last time. Saab has left the 9-5 on the table long past the time the coffee went stale and the Coca-Cola lost its fizz. The best before date sailed past many years ago.

It's unlikely you will ever see a car facelifted as many times as the Saab 9-5 has been nipped and tucked in the last six years alone. In fact, few cars - if any - will ever see a model continuation cycle like that which GM afflicted upon Saab. What was once a more than decent car has become an oft-ridiculed, frequently-derided, overpriced mockery of the Swedish automotive industry.

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Alternatives: Audi A6, Infiniti G35, BMW 335i

Necessary Incentivizing To Switch To The Good 12: Buy a Saab 9-5 and receive 50% off guaranteed production prices of the Aero X.

Anything Else? The 9-5 is not jet-inspired, or jet-derived, or jet-powered, or jet-fast either.