MH 18 Jan 06

…especially when the other cars in their class are generally faster, safer, handle better, and have nicer interiors.

…than what—jets? Aren’t you comparing oranges and potted plants here? ;)

JF 18 Jan 06

Ha… Just saying their statement invites the comparison and they don’t do so well when compared.

Justin 18 Jan 06

Pretty soon, you’re going to see VW/Audi/Porsche running a similar campaign: Born from a crazy white dude…

Mike D. 18 Jan 06

Interesting. Let me ask you this then: if your window motor goes out on a jet, does it take six months to order a new one?

I love my Saab, but seriously, six months. SIX MONTHS without a working left window. And it’s a 2001 car!

Andrei Railean 18 Jan 06

I guess they try to show 3 qualities at once: safe, fast and proven by time. However, it still doesn’t work for me. I get an even funnier feeling when I see Heineken advertising that says that since 18xx somethings all they’ve changed is the bottle. I’m still not sure if not changing something for 200 or so years is a good thing.

Tumble 18 Jan 06

Saab is differentiating their brand based on their history. Their goal is to reflect their aerospace background in their new vehicles. Their cars have some of the lowest CD numbers, military style gauges, and newer materials in their construction. They are marketing by bringing the aerospace influenced design into the automotive world. It’s all part of GM’s new goals to differentiate their own brands and reduce overlap. I think that they are executing the plan well (with the exception of the saabaru’s). So… yes, I’m buying this, and would by one of them.

MSF 18 Jan 06

“Not enough”:http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=basicIndustries&storyID=nL17522420&imageid=&cap= are buying it.

CW 18 Jan 06

Yes, I agree - the ad campaign is almost insulting.

I’m curious which cars you believe are safer, faster, and handle better.

I’ll give you interiors.

Daniel Morrison 18 Jan 06

I feel like this is GM’s failing miserably.

Saab was already cool (until they discontinued the hatchback…). Telling us that you’re cool makes you uncool.

andrew 18 Jan 06

Is the fact that Saab makes (I think still) jets relevant?

Don Wilson 18 Jan 06

Saab? I guess some people have different tastes…

Lou 18 Jan 06

The aerospace influence on the automobiles actually continues to this day. They still have one of the most cockpit-like interiors around - go sit in an f-16, a saab, and a volvo and tell me which one is most like the f-16. Might not be everyone’s bag, but it’s an interesting thing none the less.

Jason S 18 Jan 06

Actually, I don’t think many luxery sedans are as safe as the Saab 9-3.

Justin 18 Jan 06

I don’t know about safety, but I’d pick an Audi, VW, Mercedes or Subaru over a Saab if we’re just talking speed and handling.

Needless to say, I didn’t realize there was a direct correlation between safety and a jet.

sam 19 Jan 06

it does sound lame, it also sounds lame that they use the word “luxury” so much
but what would be a good slogan for saab selling themselves to americans?
“we made expensive hatchbacks with 4-cylinder engines, now we sell luxury cars”

also, i really like the “cockpit” like interior of the older 9-3’s and 900’s

Dan Boland 19 Jan 06

Damn, that car in the shot is sweet.

Andrew 19 Jan 06

SAAB still are heavily involved in the aeronautical arena. A little like your Boeing or Lockheed Martin.

Mark 19 Jan 06

Here in Sweden, the current tagline is “med jetplan i generna” (with jets in their genes), which always makes me chuckle (SAAB Automobiles is owned by GM, but GM is both General Motors and Genetically Modified).

Current SAABs are pretty boring.

Jaime Macias 19 Jan 06

It’s a great tagline. Maybe you don’t think the quality of the cars warrant it but the copy/concept itself is good. No one else can claim it.

I still wouldnt buy one.

Justin 19 Jan 06

> No one else can claim it.

Except Subaru, they’re even got the airplane engine to prove it (horizontally opposed flat four).

Morten 19 Jan 06

They have at least one thing going for them: “The Saab does score well on eco-friendliness, though. In heavily polluted cities like Denver and LA, the emmissions coming out of the exhaust are less toxic than the air going in - so in a way it actually hoovers up the rubbish in the air.” - Top Gear, BBC.

Travholt 19 Jan 06

> �The Saab does score well on eco-friendliness, though.”

Which is why the connection to jets is even more out of place. I don’t want a car that’s like a jet airplane, consuming fossil fules by gallons/minute.

Dom 19 Jan 06

You’re not griping about Gripen are you?

http://www.gripen.com/

It’s just as strong a link as the one between Toyota / Renault / BMW / Mercedes and their F1 cars, if you ask me.

Richard 19 Jan 06

I really like Saab’s fancy aerospace inspired interiour, it’s quite unique. However, their extriour used to be more distinctive than it is now. :(

Simon Wilcox 19 Jan 06

Saab DO make jets.

J�rgen 19 Jan 06

Another comment from Sweden:

SAAB used to make both cars and jets.

SAAB (the company) still makes jets.

SAAB (the car brand) is a subsidiary of General Motors and no longer has any connection to the company, or indeed the people, making the SAAB jets of today.

So yes, it’s a connection that’s a) getting a bit old, and b) misleading from today’s perspective. I think they need to be a little more creative. (And I like their cars).

My guess is that the main problem is being a part of a corporation run by bean counters instead of product people. GM will ultimately die from reusing old crap one too many times. In the meantime Toyota becomes the world’s biggest car corporation by reaping the rewards of money wisely spent on R & D.

Tomas Jogin 19 Jan 06

I agree with Jason entirely; Saab has a marketing problem. I mean, if you want any kind of jet-like experience from your car, you’re not going to buy a Saab, you’re going to buy an actual sports car. Instead this supposedly “jet-like” thing they’re doing distracts from the car’s real virtues, which is sad because it is a very nice car.

jimmiejo 19 Jan 06

Other than the Sky model, I personally think every Saab model I’ve set my eyes upon is gawd awfully ugly. The Saab front end reminds me of an awkward conversation I had once about the origin of ostritch dung and it’s influence on society. It’s just wrong.

Farhan Lalji 19 Jan 06

But they did get you talking about Saab didn’t they?

Javier Cabrera (ClearYourMind) 19 Jan 06

It looks like a super-sonic car from the jetstones or something! I want one!

Jay Small 19 Jan 06

If I owned a Saab, I’m not sure I would want it to be jet-like:

Car: Top speed, maybe 120, on roads that reasonably support 80.

Jet: Top speed, 600. A little hard to handle on U.S. 41.

Car: 20 mpg.

Jet: More like 2 gpm (gallons per mile). And just try to buy Jet A fuel at the local 7-Eleven. ;-)

John Topley 19 Jan 06

Aren’t the disciplines of making cars and making jets mainly orthogonal? It’s like when car manufacturers use the fact that they participate in Formula One in advertising; just because you can build a good racing car doesn’t mean you can build a good road car. The requirements are very different.

Matt Turner 19 Jan 06

Yup, they make ‘Gripen’ planes for Sweden and very recently South Africa. Imagine an F16 with rectangular air intakes and front fins like the Typhoon (eurofighter).

Saab have been using the we make fighter planes thing for ages. There were adverts that featured their cars racing againt jet planes i believe!

I’m not a car expert but from watching top-gear i gather the main difference is that because of their front wheel drive other engine factors, the car has better accelleration at higher speeds than cars such as even the porche. So they are better for overtaking traffic on the motorway. Not so good for doing 0-60, but probably still as fast as you need.

Eric 19 Jan 06

Jay Small:

I used to work for a regional airline that operated Canadair Regional Jets. I decided to do some math one day. In a 900 mile flight, the aircraft from taxi, climb, cruise, descent and taxi would burn fuel at the rate of 34 miles per gallon per available seat. At the time, you couldn’t get the same number of Honda Civics with one passenger to beat that fuel econnomy.
The assumption, of course, is that the revenue management team sold every seat. Every vacant lowered the fuel average.

Mark 19 Jan 06

I do consider it a step up from the Saab on the roof of the parking garage with The Who song playing. That and the Jaguar commercial, which they’ve moved away from with the “Gorgeous” campaign, that just shot the car with the Kill Bill theme playing were infuriating.

Paul Watson 19 Jan 06

It seems to me that SAAB has always been idiosyncratic and it keeps them in the game with their customers. They are a little bit odd. So this is just them being themselves.

Jay Small 19 Jan 06

Eric:

How dare you make my jokes less funny! ;-) Not that it was high humor to begin with …

The other funky thing I’ve noticed about the Saab TV commercials is the scene where the car is running flat-out across the desert and the fighter jets come screaming in behind it, at roughly the same speed.

I’m assuming the car might be making 120 mph. Can fighter jets go that slow without stalling?

Peter Orosz 19 Jan 06

What’s sad is that the Saabs you can buy today are either rebadged vehicles from other manufacturers (the new Saab 9-7X is a Chevy TrailBlazer) or stale, aging models kept semi-alive with a facelift (9-5).

Benjy 19 Jan 06

“Born from Jets” just sounds better than “Made by GM” or “Featureing Some Models That Might Remind You of Ones Made by Subaru or GMC but They’re Really Not—Just Look at that SAAB Grille”

nicheplayer 19 Jan 06

This ad has been bothering me, too. Which strikes me as pretty amazing, given the crappy car commercials I’ve seen over the past couple years (if I have to watch another Dodge truck climbing up a big pile of rocks I’m going to blow chunks).

Street 19 Jan 06

The real Saab slogan should be:

“Thank God for Metrosexuals”

MT Heart 19 Jan 06

Jet fighters are also inherently unstable - they have to be designed that way to be mega responsive.

Magnus 19 Jan 06

Their aircraft heritage used to be much more noticeable than it is today. Like has happened with so many other brands, SAAB cars are today nothing more than a mish-mash of parts and design-concepts from various other makes and models. Their cars are really only re-badged, re-makes of other GM cars. It’s a shame, they used to be so cool.

Big Poppa 19 Jan 06

i get it

Joshua Tuscan 19 Jan 06

I was thinking the same thing last night when I saw a Saab commercial. Who cares if you used to make jets? I could understand mentioning it once in your ad, but making it the focus is just absurd. Makes me think of a kid saying his dad can beat up your dad cause his dad fought in Nam.

Jared Christensen 19 Jan 06

The tagline is LAME. Everytime I hear it, I think, “Who cares? What, are you breaking the sound barrier or something?” I have no emotional connection to jets, so the phrase does nothing for me. Maybe lots of jet pilots drive Saabs.

I’ve been inspired to make my official tagline for the week “Jared. Born from Uterus.”

Noah 19 Jan 06

Jets have turbine engines and all Saabs have turbochargers… their kind of alike… kind… well… ok so they spin

Splashman 19 Jan 06

Street, your suggested “real Saab slogan” made me laugh out loud. You nailed it!

IvanS 19 Jan 06

Funny, having taken part in one of the focus groups for the campaign, I can tell you that the original storyboards for the ads were pretty close to the final versions. I hated them then; hate them still. So much for market research. I’m on my third SAAB and sad to say that it will probably be my last.

Mike K. 19 Jan 06

The aerospace influences in today’s Saab automobiles are there, but they’re subtle.

Next time you’re in one, listen for the “fasten seatbelt” chime… now where have I heard that sound before? :)

Alan 19 Jan 06

“…Anyone buying this?…”

No.

It’s marketing bilge.

Attempting to create value by comparison with kit designed to highest military standards. WHAT a crock of shiiitake mushrooms.

It’s pure, unadulterated ‘lets - provide - a - distinction - between - us - and - the - others’. Do I want a car manufacturer to do this? Or do I want them to invest in intelligence and diligence to find something truly valueable to distinguish them from the others? Hm. The tricky one’s first eh?

Saab may be great cars but what’s certainly great is the reading on my pompous-Ometer when their adverts play. I’ll stop moaning before I fill the disk array up.

adam 19 Jan 06

Here in Sweden, the current tagline is �med jetplan i generna� (with jets in their genes), which always makes me chuckle (SAAB Automobiles is owned by GM, but GM is both General Motors and Genetically Modified).

Patrick Haney 20 Jan 06

If you’ve been in a Saab recently, you should realize that the “Born From Jets” tagline does not come from their sleek styling or quick accelleration (which I found lacking), but in fact it refers more to the awful dashboard controls that are confusing and hard to distinguish from one another, just like the cockpit of a plane.

Or at least that’s my take on it.

Ruben 20 Jan 06

Damn, I thought I was the only one who ranted silently at the tagline.

Victor 20 Jan 06

Typical marketing hype, but then what major advertising campaign isn’t full of it?

That said, the 9000 and 900 turbos did set speed records in the 80’s and 90’s. I would concede them some history of impressive engineering and a unique styling, though their modern models, as do most auto manufacturers these days, suffers from a lack of panache and interior materials are not what they used to be. The engineering however still appears to be top-shelf. I believe the engines are made in Germany and the cars still assembled in Sweden.

I drive a 2003 9-5 Sportwagon and it has been one of the better cars I’ve owned. I find the cockpit guages and controls very intuitive and easy to read (I’m horribly near-sighted and have poor night vision). The ride is smooth, handling exceptional for a heavy car (though not on par with some other German autos I have driven), and the seats and positioning are extremely comfortable for long trips. There is something about a SAAB ride that is different. I haven’t quite put my finger on it, but it sits somewhere below the performance of a BMW and the comfort of a Jaguar, but more reliable than most models of either.

My wife would probably concur on the claim of comfort. My second daughter was practically born in the front passenger seat. After missing the last ferry to Seattle, my wife gave labor for about an hour and half on the way to the hospital. I will not divulge in a public forum any land speed records I may or may not have set that evening. But I will say our doula followed behind us and later claimed she could time the contractions based on my fluctuation in speed.

Jason Aero Eng 20 Jan 06

SAAB made its popular turbo prop airplanes that are still in use. They also made the high performance ducted fan on the Harrier jump jet. They have always had a turbo on their cars. In other words, the jet lineage lies in its turbocharged motor.

I owned this car for 2 years. Came within an inch of sueing under the lemon law. Great MPG at 36 HWY great Hp and accelaration. Great options. Quality is lacking though; put the motor in a japanese car, look out!

My car would fill with water when it rained. GM’s position on this? We are commited to repairing the problem. I bought an Infinity M35 sport. Greatest car I have ever owned. I bought a GM car every 2 years for 10 years. I hope GM goes under. I will never buy another.

Victor 21 Jan 06

Yeah, I was truly saddened when GM gobbled up SAAB. I don’t think they ever cared about the cars. Their real interest has been in the military/aeronautical side of the business.

Since the full takeover, SAAB has yet to make a profit. I think this is a good case study of what tends to happen when a business is sold to people who don’t have a passion for the product or service. The tend toward globalization and the concentration of ownership into the hands of the few mega-corporations will continue to drive down quality, design, and innovation because the leaders don’t have a true emotional connection with or a vision for the business. I find it telling that this current ad campaign is trying to connect the cars back to their history since GM is so distant from those origins.

If I were in the market for a sports sedan, I’d probably look closely at the new Infinity M. But the MPG is just horrible. I could never inflict that on my wallet or the environment.

Instead I’ll probably do the right thing, sacrifice some performance and handling, and get another car with a TDI engine and run biodiesel. Or better: live somewhere like Portland, OR that has a reliable rapid transit system.

diesel 24 Jan 06

The 9-7x SUV and 9-2x AWD were never released in Sweden and the laughing stock of a nation. Them never being released pretty much says it all. I always and always will blame GM for messing with their image and cars.

Niall 24 Jan 06

There are no more Saabs, only GM cars with Saab stickers. Don’t get me wrong, I love my 9-3, but with each model year it becomes more and more like every other GM vehicle and less like a Saab. sniffle.

James MacLeod 25 Jan 06

I think that things have got a little off topic here. The point, I believe, was about Saab’s advertising strategy, not whether Saabs were actually any good or not. That is by-the-by.

Saab don’t just build jets, the did have a crack at commuter aircraft too, but who wants a car compared to flying bus?

As regards the actual question, no I don’t think its silly at all, in fact it is actually quite clever. Saab have decided to play on their history of Jet Fighter design and making that comparison is what gets you into the showroom. Hell! you ain’t gonna buy a car on the power of the ad, but as long as it gets you thinking then its done its job!

I also think that saab are actually very good at design, at least aircraft wise, the gripen being one of the best multi-roll aircraft in certainly europe if not the world. It beats the euro-fighter hands down!

As regards to the build quality of the cars then maybe you should possible be looking to put the blame at GM’s door for trying to cut manufacturing costs and increase profits.

But rant over with, the ad is clever it plays on their history which is a better message than “come buy this car and you might get this girl!” type add!

JRC 26 Jan 06

I have had a SAAB 95 Sportwagon for a couple of years now. I would never buy another Audi or BMW again. I have owned many differnet Euro sports coupes, sedans, and wagons over the years, and this SAAB is the only one of these vehicles that feels like it could fly. It is startlingly fast, with fantastic handling. Elegantly precise and light steering for a car of this weight and speed potential. I totally see the connection between the Saab fighter jets and the Saab street cars. It may contain a few GM components, but it was designed by Swedish engineers and assembled by Swedish autoworkers in SWEDEN.

Jason Morrison 26 Jan 06

Woo, Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Bolaget! Born from jets, indeed… ;)

It’s true; it’s really too bad Saab’s vehicle line has been swallowed up by GM.

Having said this, my ‘02 9-3 hatchback is the most fun I’ve ever driven. I love the quickness imparted by the turbo, the traces of quirky Saab design that have not yet left by 2002, and the multitude of safety features.

Beamers and Audis just didn’t have the same feel for me.

Gary 28 Jan 06

For some reason it reminds me of the Ranger Joe Cereal tagline - “shot from guns.”

Makes about as much sense, appeals on about the same level of logic. Same number of syllables, too.

James Dean 21 Feb 06

I used to own a saab, it was an 83 900 turbo, and I must say that those saabs were much funner to drive than anything these days. Just because this SUV has a ignition off the dash and next to the seat doesnt make it a bonafide saab. Actually, I think GMC has really wrecked the image with its ugly dash, and aesthetics, cheap looking plastics, and finish. Its basically a sell out in my opinion, and a far cry from a real Euro SUV like the BMW X5. When I saw the commercial I had high hopes, but when I saw what they did to the interior you might as well go buy yourself an envoy because its the same american processed cheese that most of american car buyers are accustomed to. Save some cash and buy the envoy. Its the same tired crap.

Willy Wonka 23 Feb 06

I own 4 Saab 900 convertibles. They are all pre GM. It’s truly a special thing, when an 18 year old car out accelerates and corners new offerings. I particularly enjoy seeing the looks on lexii drivers faces. There’s a sort of amazement. Highly biased, but factual.
Saab had an ad that read “…a muscle car with a conscious”.
Apropos.

Dan S 26 Feb 06

Could be worse….”Like a rock”. Thats marketing genius!

Most of todays car ads target 16 year old gamers who can’t afford a shopping cart. Toyotas are funny once and get old from there. Between the meteorite and flying 80 MPH throught he woods, they should hire a new marketing firm.

Bring back the old VDub Scirocco ads.

Jill 13 Mar 06

I LOVE MY SAAB, 93 CONVERTIBLE!! I had a 2001 model and never had any problems with it. In the shop one time for a minor issue. I traded recently for a 2005.

I love the interior, it’s made just for me…maybe it’s a woman’s car!

To many BMW’s, Volvo’s on the road! I like something a little different!

BORN FROM JETS, I like that, too!

JD 31 Mar 06

Well, whatever you’re comments, the ad is working because it got you to talk about it. For the money, you can’t get a better value than the 9.3. You might want to check out JD Edmunds and look at the 31 reviews comparing it to Acura, BMW and the competitors.

TZ 13 Jun 06

GM bought 50% of Saab in 1989 and 100% before 1999 (there was a 10-year total purchase clause). Right after the 50% purchase, before GM could do any fundamental harm to this unique brand, they started to cut corners. One example is the “head bolt”, the bolts that hold the cylinder head to the engine block. The old one specified by Saab was robust and can be reused (after cylinder head removal) for up to 5 times. The “new & improved” replacement specified by GM can not be reused, so GM stands to sell 10 bolts at $3 each at every “head job”. How much profit is there for the $30 purchase is for GM to know. However, there is a problem. Being of lesser quality, the bolts can not be tightened as much as before (they’ll break), and they would run themselves loose! If not caught in time, there will be coolant-oil exchange and ruin the engine. You can draw your own conclusions on this GM decision.
Now, GM is running ad’s stating “their” Saab’s to be designed by an aircraft company or aeronautic engineers! What a pathetic joke. We do have some “truth in advertisement ” legislature in place, I guess the enforcers are more “company friendly” than “user friendly”.

STEELWOLVES 14 Jun 06

Personally, I never thought much of SAAB one way or another. Never owned one. But the “BORN FROM JETS” commercials really caught my attention, guess it “touched” something in my masculine side. I have since visited a SAAB dealership and have examined some of their cars on the web. Even enquired about a SAAB advertised in a AUTOMART.COM mag. So I guess the advertisement did some good to get me even thinking about SAAB autos.

Adam 21 Jun 06

It’s NAUSEATINGLY corny; it’s like, “Objectivity certainly won’t sell these cars, so let’s try to appeal to someone’s need for power and excitement. “

It should be BORN FROM JETS…THEN HIJACKED BY GM.

Man, what CAN’T an American company ruin?

Jesus A. 24 Jun 06

Look. it is an ad. they want to appeal to guys. i kmow it is BS, most commercial are.

but you have to admit, it sounds really cool. I got my attention. I grive an old VW. Maybe they should run an ad: born some slave labor.

and don’t get me started on Mitsubishi …

Relax, enjoy the ad!

Roostalee 11 Jul 06

Hmm, maybe Grumman should put “born from F-14s” on the side of their jon boats and canoes?

teamsc10190 12 Jul 06

Saab’s history did start with propeller-driven aircraft, not jets. Jet fighters that Saab eventually built with subsidies from Swedish taxpayers, are powered by Volvo turbine engines. The current warmed-over General Motors parts bins offerings with Saab nameplates bear no connection to the extinct Swedish company’s origins other than lip service. PT Barnum was indeed correct. Saab: Born from jets powered by Volvo; died with GM badge-engineering.

Kyle 15 Jul 06

I dont know why subaru is mentioned in here…
subaru was founded by some guy who made scooters, and was forced by, i think, by the car safety people to discontinue making the scooters because they were as big as cars, and so were consirdered cars, and were very unsafe….
least saab’s foundation story sounds cooler.
personally, id rather say “born from jets” than “born from scooters”

and saabs arnt “unsafe”, the new 9-3 is one of the safest cars today (for the price at least)
and the 9-5 is safer than most volvos (though id have a volvo over a saab any day)
and just back in the 90’s, before GM took over, saabs could go from 40-70 MPH faster than some supercars
and the old 9-3 ragtop was the most popular convertible ever sold.

if GM never took over - adding cheap plastics, and whatnot - SAAB would still be as popular as BMW and all the other big names.

its a pitty the all the old euro car companies are being taken over. Ford & Volvo, GM & SAAB, Mercedes & Chrysler…

if only they created a sub-company, like how VW makes Audi, Toyota makes Lexus, Honda makes Acura, etc… i think none of this wouldve happend.

J.J. JHS 17 Jul 06

Okay, so does this mean BMW should change their logo, since it actually represents a white prop over a blue sky?

Dan 20 Aug 06

The saab 9-3 is a double best pick for both front and side impact crash tests by the highway insurance institute. It ranks higher than all the other cars in its class in safety.

Vashisht 29 Aug 06

saab………when it comes to style that depends on your choice, ya saab style is a bit unconventional to say, not everyone will like it…… performance wise its good really good, if you think that power of a car is measured by simply looking at the Bhp rating U R WRG !!!! power of an engine is measured by its specific hp per litre of displacement,,……a maclaren f1 put something like that 102 -103 hp per litre of displacement….do u know whats the rating for a saab….a normal production saab……..over 110 hp per litre……so its not that bad guys and its proven that when u are driving a saab its one of the safest car in the world no joke….else EURO NCAP would have never given saab double pack award for crash test…..

finally not everyone like saab but in a sense its good coz if everyone start buying saabs, my saab wnt be that unique on the road :-) if u wana spend money buyig a car and when u take it 4 a spin u see 5 cars like yrs on the 1st spot light…be my guest

Vashisht 29 Aug 06

saab………when it comes to style that depends on your choice, ya saab style is a bit unconventional to say, not everyone will like it…… performance wise its good really good, if you think that power of a car is measured by simply looking at the Bhp rating U R WRG !!!! power of an engine is measured by its specific hp per litre of displacement,,……a maclaren f1 put something like that 102 -103 hp per litre of displacement….do u know whats the rating for a saab….a normal production saab……..over 110 hp per litre……so its not that bad guys and its proven that when u are driving a saab its one of the safest car in the world no joke….else EURO NCAP would have never given saab double pack award for crash test…..

finally not everyone like saab but in a sense its good coz if everyone start buying saabs, my saab wnt be that unique on the road :-) if u wana spend money buyig a car and when u take it 4 a spin u see 5 cars like yrs on the 1st stop light…be my guest

Kae 01 Sep 06

Just curious about everyone that is comparing Saab to the Audi, BMW or Volvo, and thinking that they are the faster, safer and better vehicle. Have you ever driven a Saab ?
Believe me, there is no comparison. Just go take a test drive and then make your decision. The handling of the Saab is unbelievable. I used to think that way myself, until I drove one. Now I wouldn’t have anything else. Just hope that GM takes a serious look at the great vehicle that was made by Saab and continues in the right direction. As for the ad………I thinks it’s cool as hell.

John Federsen 04 Sep 06

I think you want the car to stay on the road, not fly off it.

Robert Jisa 23 Sep 06

It’s simply unbelievable how many silly things people are able to write when just being given an opportunity to write! Especially when having NO idea about what they talk about. I’m amazed.

Anyway, Saab of course still does make planes, which is easy to find out on the net, as well as it does make cars. The GM influence is rather bad, as typical from many of American companies involved in Europe lately, but Saab still does keep their high standards when possible. For example, the slightly problematic early 9-5 engines (GM codesigned) were in 2003 simply redesigned and, voila, improved greatly. They are one of most relieble engines around since. Now, Saab 9-3 sport wagon seems to be very nice and original car, while 9-7 is simply… hm, American market junk. So, sometimes Swedes influence the products more, sometimes less, but there’s still (fortunately) a lot about Saabs that’s unique and great. Ask the mechanics, ask the real long time owners. Ask people that know, not just talk.

SAHR, fantastic engines, safety generally among the best of the best in the business (if you don’t care it’s simply your problem but responsible people should care, I personaly prefer to be alive and healthy over being trendy and injured), extremely cozy, comfortable and confident feeling interieurs, reliability… The thing is that once you start to drive Saabs you realize how great the car is compared to the rest of the crowd, but if you’re already decided to hate them then you’ll find even the “odd” placed ignition key (that’s there not to bother conservative people, but simply to prevent a knee injury during an accident) terrible. I have also read somewhere at American “specialized” web that in Saab 9-5 is no space to put stuff like mobile phones, pens, lipstick, change etc. Absolute nonsense! Pure lie. I counted places where to put whatever you need to keep in your car and counted 9 nice places where you can put whatever you need - only at front seats! Yes, they’re designed so that should you have an accident your pen or keys don’t fly freely around your (your fried’s, kid’s) face, eyes…they’re fixed somewhere and therefore maybe a bit less accesible then other brand’s dashboards, but do you really want your stuff to be bumping in your head during some accident? So, I believe Saabs are still, in spite of the perhaps not too great GM - Saab cooperation, the most smartly made cars on the planet. Too bad that so many people simply don’t seem to think and therefore appreciate the quality behind the “quirky” design.

Saabs are extremely practical while keeping at least rests of the individual design (unfotunately most of the people are average people wanting average cars… that’s the unfortunate problem about the Saab sales) which is the link to planes. Finally back to the point: planes are made extremely practical, not just shallow marketing needs oriented. And that’s simply Saab. And that’s why I understand their slogan well and why I love the cars.
Who cannot see that simple truth?