Future Classic! The 2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen Is The Last Great True Saab.
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2023
- Future Classic! The 2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen Is The Last Great True Saab.
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www.autotrader.ca/a/saab/9-3/...
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/ @samcarlegion - Авто та транспорт
I’m a lucky owner of a 2000 Viggen 5dr hb in Monte Carlo Yellow. Great cars and extremely unique and underrated. SAABs have a great owner base of enthusiasts also. Thanks for appreciating the brand and allocating time and resources to putting this out there in the ether.
I've owned seven Saabs all 93, convertibles, and saloons my favorite was a convertible Monte Carlo Yellow Viggen, with stage 4 Map Tun, 356" 6pot front brakes. Had many great track days over many years, and still regret selling it, although it has a brilliant new owner in Majorca who has converted it to Left-hand drive. All the best and don't sell her. PS I Am now driving a 2011 93 Griffin Aero TTid white, Auto, sunroof, premium leather 18" turbine wheels Hirsch upgrade, its a keeper.🙂
I currently have a 1999 Saab 9-3 2.3 turbo viggen
It's my fifth Saab I love this one
me2. 1999 Viggen CV MonteCarlo Yellow + Hirsch. Love it!
I love saabs so much. I've been a rover, jag, BMW and mini tech and saabs are just heaven to work on after that. I had a 1999 9-3 and I literally found myself smiling sometimes working on it. It's like looking back through time and seeing the designers giving you a wink and saying "we got you, bro". I stupidly gifted it to my wife's cousin who sold it and got a dodge ram... I'm getting another one and I'll never give it up again.
That is so true I'm on my seventh, and last I'm 71 and own a 93 Griffin Aero auto, love it. All the best.
Omg id be so mad if someone traded mine for any Mopar trash
@@MostGenericUser it was very disappointing. I would've liked to get it back but 🤷
when the 900ng was released and consumer tested in sweden, it was praised for being made DIY-friendly.
It was fun reliving this car and pointing out all the inaccuracies said by the presenter. I had a 1999 9-3, and it was the best engineered car I've owned. Loved getting 38mpg on long road trips and out accelerating almost any car on the freeway around town. Once had a friend riding with me who remarked that it still drove like new with over 230,000 miles on it. I told him, "It's a Saab, 230,000 miles IS still new!"
Oh, my gosh, I can't stop reading the comments! I'm already doing it longer than was the vid itself. :)
Thank you, sir, for such a review!
Is 'ere anything I'd like to add?
It's not a sedan, the 9-3 Gen.2 was, as well as the 9-5 and also the sedan versions of the 9000.
This one is a classical Saab's hatchback, or maybe rather a lift-back. Very long ago Saab's engineers discovered that in a lift-back you can fold the rear seat and at the same time have free access to the luggage (like in a station wagon) combined with the benefits of a more aerodynamic shape.
Front wheels don't spin cause the engine's torque is limited at first two gears-no one did so back in the day.
At the speeds presented in the video this gem should've rolled in 5-th gear!
To feel the Saab's spice this car should be ridden faster. Way faster. Like 100 MPH is the starting point. More than that, it's not only about coasting at those speeds, uh-uh. It is about accelerating _from_ those speeds. After such accelerations the trunk subjectively becomes even bigger! :)
I mean you start looking at the size of the trunk not of a 'normal' daily driver, but you start looking at this car as at a very fast one, almost a sports car. For what it can do on an autobahn it has enormous trunk, it suddenly has very spacious interior, and suddenly many seats.
Also Saabs are very good winter cars. They are very well engineered for rreeaally cold weather, as well as for snow*. It can go through a snowstorm* with coziness of your living-room.
Considering it's a -hatchback- lift-back, you can fold the rear seats and you have a semi-wagon. Now you can carry a freaking fridge in the car. At 120 MPH. Through a snowstorm. Accelerating and overtaking someone.
I think what Saab engineers were doing or at least were trying to do throughout all the decades of the company's existence is... they were engineering The Car.
__
* With dedicated winter tires.
I was a Saab salesman in Montreal in 2000 and although I knew the brand before, I had no personal experience with it. That's when I started appreciating Saab for its non-superfluous quirks, design choices and driving experience. I was lucky enough to have driven the Viggen in both the coupe and convertible versions when it was brand new; what a beast! It wasn't easy to sell to the uninitiated buyer looking for something different to stand out from the lot of BMW, Audi, MB and the likes. A sales tactic of mine was to the get the potential buyer on the highway, have them get up to speed comfortably to about 100 km/h (60 mph) while enjoying the comfort, the seats, and low noise level, then have them downshift into 3rd gear, push the gas pedal to the floor and watch them smile as the turbo spools up and propels the car forward. I've sold quite a few Saabs that way.
A few years ago, I wanted to get that feeling back and bought a used 2004 Saab 9-5 with the same engine and 5-speed gearbox than the Viggen has. Such a great car! It's 20-years old, but it still feels relevant today in terms of design, safety features and drivability.
Great video! I've seen this car for sale on the market. Good luck to the seller; this car will remaing a classic for sure.
I Just bought a ‘06 manual 9-5. A lot of people forget how the viggen driveline (b235r with the 5spd manual) was still available in the 9-5 for many years after the viggen was discontinued. They used it in 9-5 all the way up to 2009. Sure the 9-5 isn’t as rare, fast, or sporty as the viggen but it still has that addictive midrange torque and it sounds great.
Well said, you have to drive a Saab to understand. All the best. UK
I regret parting with my 2001 9-3. Absolute beast in the winters. Best seats of any car. Unsure why no other automaker has copied the 'night panel,' feature. It made it so much easier to drive at night.
Thank you for bringing a saab to review. We saab enthusiasts don't get much attention (and we don't mind that at all), but seeing it being praised so highly from someone who does a ton of drag races with much much more expensive and nicer cars gives me a warm feeling. SAAB FOREVER
Well said!
❤❤❤
Back in 2000 I was looking for a new ride. A Saab commercial came on showing the Viggen fighter jet they said, for air superiority! Now introducing the new Saab 9-5 Aero for ground superiority! Well I liked that. One of the selling points was the top end was 155 mph! I really liked that! Car & Driver got their hands on one and loved it. I took one for a test drive, and was told to take it for the day and bring it back tomorrow. When I took it back , I said order me a white one and we have a deal! Back in 2K a lot of heady cars could not do 155 mph and I was killing em. I got a lot of gifts and perks from the dealer because I sent a lot of people their way. I purchased a 2006 9-7X and purchased and still have my 2011 9-5 Aero Turbo 6 XWD. Love Saabs . GM did Saab wrong. I often wondered if Saab would have some real monsters by now.
fun fact: Torque is limited in 1st and 2nd grear to prevent torque steer and slippage! You felt it right :) 3rd gear is where it gives you all the beans!
Yes!
Thank you from a Saab fan since '69! Owned 9 and still have 3. All 2000 and older. Models...99, 900, 9000s and 93s. I love how this guy falls in love with the special feeling that comes with even s short drive on a rainy day. My son drives and customizes high end performance cars that cost over 100k to finish. I don't get that big smile on my face when I drive them...more like a rush! Fun on a track, but just no fun in a city. Saab was the "baby bear" of automobiles. My friends would borrow my '73 99e to take on dates in order to impress the ladies!! Keep on Saab'n!
Lovely review. I still have 2 Saabs not willing to sell them, instead now I enjoy a 2020 C43, a 03 9-3 2.0t vector tuned to +300bhp and a '92 900 cabrio. These cars has many features and philosophy on safety, driving pleasure, form follows function ideas, environmentally friendly functionalities, and well thought things makes you love and enjoy them and also different from the rest.
The gear in reverse was also for security reasons, to reduce the theft probabilities, plus the safety when introduced in the 70's, to avoid knee injuries of the lock in case of accident. Saab always has been quite innovative on theft resistance functionalities, they worked with insurance companies to improve it and test it.
weak point of the 900/9-3 chassis was their age and "limit" to handle the power, instead the reinforcements at limit and full power on corners was quite understeer but easy to drive. On that time, this car for overtaking it was a bullet, also the 9-5 Aero
Its not a sedan, it’s officially a hatchback. ☺️
its a sports combi its a hatchback thats long like an estate station wagon
Such a awesome car! I remember back in highschool, this was one of the coolest cars around. It’s a pity Saab is now defunct.
One of the best looking cars ever made.
I appreciate how you take notice of all the smaller details on the car. I have an OG 9-3 myself, but unfortunately mine has the naturally aspirated engine! Anyway, my pet theory regarding some of the design language. If you look at things like the buttons inside, the locks, the door handles and even the remote key. They are all easy to operate with gloves on. I live in Finland so appreciate it that much more in winter. I think all the controls are chunky precicely to account for the lack of fine dexterity you have while wearing gloves in the cold!
Nice review. Just to clarify a few things...SAAB closed their doors in 2011. They did manage to produce literally like 35 model year 2012 cars before the factory floor came to a complete halt. You can find videos of the final 2012 gorgeous 9-5 wagons! Absolute stunners. Moving on...All the Viggens were made with Hatchbacks. Most were 4 door but some were a very sporty 2 door design. And Lastly...5th gear is an overdrive gear for cruising on the highway to give you better gas mileage etc. Cheers! Glad you enjoyed the SAAB!
Nope. They also came in convertible
I never saw the viggen convertible in the the States. But then again, you can't see everything :). @@gabrielgomez2483
Great review Sam, much enjoyed and yes the Viggen is a beast when the performance is harnessed. But as to the statement 'The last great true Saab'? Mmmm.... All of the body kit and seats etc on the Viggen you reviewed were also found on the equivalent 9-3 Aero with ever so slightly less power. As to the last great Saab, well perhaps we need to go back to just before the GM days and look at the very last of the 9000 model, particularly the 1997/98 AERO in 5-speed. Still after all this time still bloody quick and as many enthusiasts know the engine can produce bonkers power with deep pockets. I've just picked up a stunning manual 97 Aero in silver and it looks like a new car still, amazing Saab history, fitted with an LSD etc, no rust at all.
I have just taken delivery of my 2000 Viggen. Cant wipe the smile off my face.....rock solid and every time you plant the foot it shifts big time.
Thanks for reviewing a SAAB, I own a Viggen, they’re full of character and are great motorway cruisers:
Holy that thing is mint!
12,8 liter per 100 km? Wow! with my 9-3 se (stage 1 tune), I use half of that haha
Still I’m jealous when I see someone with a Viggen 😀
A beautiful and educational review, what an incredible car manufacturer that we all miss
I agree, I have a 2001 black Viggen :)
Have owned my '01 Viggen convertible for 16 years and over 234k miles. Nothing I have owned gives as much enjoyment as this one. Nothing newer can match it for all of its features and since it is long paid for, other than maintenance, nothing can match its value. An no one, NO ONE knows what it is.
I love viggens. I just got myself a 1998 900 se turbo 5 speed. 70k miles. Great cars man. Its like a time capsule, perfectly preserved. After acquiring the car ive learned their is a huge Saab community, its arguable one of my favorite car cultures currently. Im used to american domestic trucks and japanese cars. Never thought id be appreciate a swedish vehicle so much
I own 2 Saab's(9-2x linear/9-2x Aero) and I would love to add this gorgeous example of the 2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen hatchback to my collection. I'm also a Volvo Enthusiast...presently own a 2008 XC90 v8 model and I've owned numerous p80 chassis/p2 chassis Volvo's. The Swedish car makers were the best in their prime.
Beautiful car. Couldn't find a second hand one at that time so had to settle with Volvo and needless to say how much my wife loves her Volvo. S40 then XC90 then XC 60. Swedish cars are under appreciated.
Ive owned 2 saabs so far, both 2008 9-3 2.0T. The one i have now is a 6speed and tuned on stage 3, making 305hp/305 tq. I love it! People too scared to race it though 😂
In 1999 my new partner (far more knowledgeable re cars) introduced me to Saabs, we bought a 1992 5dr classic turbo… from that moment I was hooked!
and after 24years I still own it but now own two others all in showroom condition.
Have never been a fan of that NG model until seeing this post and I’m impressed but have never seen that model anywhere here in Australia.
Cheers from Melbourne for your terrific posting.
Ooooo my love. I'd like to buy one of this. Viggen. Press pedal and forget about all.
Great review of a truely great car.
Vi saknar Saab❤🇸🇪
Currently own a '90 900s, the 9-3 Viggen is definitely on my wishlist
All Saabs are future classics
Thanks, great production value. SAAB BMW Volvo I love them all. Looking at a Viggen now, my last of 12 SAABs was a 9-3 SE Convertible that borrowed heavily from the Viggen trim book. DD a 535is and my GF car is 850T Estate, which is frankly, delicious also. Try one.
Update: I bought a 2001 LR 5 door, 138K great shape. That strut bar is a joke. Car needs much more than that, and it is on the way.
I used to own a 1999 93 in forest green with beige leather interior apparently I had the only one in New England
I've been in one of these, but not Viggen, very nice suspension, and is pretty powerful for its time, not as comfortable as my 9000, but it is more nimble and sporty. Definitely would get one if I have spare money and parking. lol (I can own one car for now.)
11:02 That was actually pretty funny. Greetings from Sweden! I grew up with these cars. We've owned 5 - 6 SAABs throughout the years. The first looked identical to this one... I wonder if it was; I was just four years old when we replaced it with a Volvo V70.
Don't despair if you can't find a Viggen, they're pretty rare, but the standard 9-3 is very very similar, and they are more plentiful. Very tuneable too.
In MY 2000 they're still much more SAAB than GM, as the years went on there was more GM input.
heard they have started building Saab cars again in Sweden due to demand. Not new models however its got to be good news for Saab lovers
They started making ''new'' parts for old cars, so they can be restored. No new cars in production.
Awesome video. Even as a Saab enthusiast I learned new stuff.
Thank you!
That key bit never gets old?
5th is not useless at all. You can still run through freeway traffic quickly in 5th trust me on this no downshifting required.
I had chance of buying a black convertible viggen, I regret not getting it now. It’s certainly the one to keep
I love these, but I think the greatest Saabs were the last ones. The 9-3NG and 9-5NG with XWD. I believe that GM's inability to give Saab funding to step away from FWD is what eventually killed the brand.
Its not the last great saab,dont forget about the last,rare performance oriented, aka Turbo X!
Lovely review
In my honest opinion the last true Saab for me were the 2004 2005 9-5 Aero Wagon or Sedan, my fave the Wagon with the 5speed manual trans. Owned many many Saabs over the years, over 60 to be correct. I mean don't get me wrong the Viggen is an awesome machine, but it's heart comes from the 9-5 if you think of it😎 ok well keep Saabin on every one. Caio!
Please, its not "Veegan" it is pronounced, "Vig_en". Thanks
ha ha ha - Veegan - that is realy funny
how could i get that wing? for my Saab 9-3 aero 3doors ? thanks
The ng9-3 too, and the og9-5, and the ng9-5, and the 9-4x
this car reminds me of a fox body combod with a bubble loll
im a saab geek. I had a 2001 2.0t t5/t7hybrid on ethanol.
4:55 Not 4-door 5-seater. Its a 5-door hatch back 5-seater is the right name.
5:05 It is NOT a sedan. It is a hatch back or Combi Coupe', as it is called in Sweden.
5:28 These rims were designed for the SAAB 9-3 Viggen and were originally only fitted to them.
9:39 The Combi Coupe idea came back in 1974 when the first came as the SAAB 99 Combi Coupe and went on to the SAAB 900, 900ng, 9-3 until 2003 which was the last Combi Coupe ever produced. I myself have owned many SAABs (over 50), including a 1974 white SAAB 99 L 3-door Combi Coupe, to a 2003 black SAAB 9-3 Sport Edition 5-d Combi Coupe and then last fall, a 2009 black SAAB 9-5 Vector 2.0 eco-power Combi and I actually have rims from a SAAB 93 Viggen in gold on it. Fits quite well on it.
13:13 There are actually two cup holders at the front on the inside of the glove compartment door.
17:47 The engine in Viggen is the same as in the SAAB 9-5 Aero 1998-2001, 230hp and 350 torque.
19:48 All Americans complain that the pedals are too close together when driving a manual car, which after all has three pedals. That's because they're only used to two pedals, because almost everyone drives automatic cars over there.
20:11 This SAAB is still no sedan. It's a Combi Coupe, god damnit! 😂
Drove SAAB from 1975 and still do. 😎👍
It was volvo that created the modern standard 3 point seatbelt
Привет! Подскажите какой расход бензина на 100 км. B 205 EDA. SAAB 9-3. 2,0 t. 2001 г.в.
I miss my 2000 Saab which I traded for my 2008 Saab.
🔥👍🏽
King Spain Presidente of the America's wants a Saab 93 2000 Viggen this Quirky and Zainy car
Идеальная машина.
❤❤❤❤
👍
Sorry but as a former owner of a og900, og9-3 and now a ng9-3, I would rather own a og900 or a new 9-3, then a Viggen.
The Viggen needs the steering brace kit for torque steer and my non Viggen needed a bigger rear anti roll bar and suspension upgrades to keep the front wheels from spinning madly in the air.
The T7 engine is not as good as a T5 or T8 engine.
I miss my 2000 9-3 sometimes, but it is more nostalgia and fun, then being my favorite Saab.
I totally agree with this. The Viggen is nice but seriously flawed. Would much prefer a late T16s.
My ultimate that I never got to buy was a 900 Carlsson in Le Mans blue (very special order from the factory). I’d have sold most of my major organs to get that one
The early years of the T7s suffered from oil sludge issues quite badly. IMO the only good year of the og 9-3 was 1999, which used the tougher b204 motor and t5 engine management. I have one and it’s been rock solid reliable. T8s aren’t great as they’re just an Opel ecotec block, and they suffered from intake valve failures from ‘07 and up, requiring a major overhaul of the engine
@@swizzlstyx after it warms up the valves are no problem 😂
Not entierly correct though, it was actually based on the SAAB 37 viggen fighter jet, not the 34 passenger aircraft.
Viggen not Vegan!!
Nah, the two tone interior was too much, 5 door Aero much cooler.
Wellll... Viggens are only a legend in the Minds of their owners. Any one who wanted one.. owned one.
The power isn't outstanding. their Motors are Fragile (GM messed /reduced the design) and the suspension is fragile
Today this is a collector's car for entusiasts in Europe. The name Viggen is after the fighter planes of SAAB, which incidentally is one of the world's best fighter planes.
Saab 9-3 Carlsson is the last true Saab
The 9 3 gen 1 where god cars but 9 3 gen 2 and 9 5 gen 1 and 2 are both way better and ”truer” SAABs. 93 gen 1 did not handle very well and suffered from heavy torque steer. The opel vectras underpinnings where way to obvious on this model.
The 9-3 gen 2 was less of a true saab than gen 1. Gen 1 used a “real” saab engine whereas gen 2 used an Opel/GM ecotec engine. Interior quality and reliability were also worse on the gen 2 due to increased GM influence
@@swizzlstyxSince i've own and driven both generations i know that you are dead wrong. If you look at Top Gear Saab tribute Clarkson tells you that the gen 2 was even more modified/developed from the vectra than the gen 1. It even had a modified wheelbase.
@@per-hakansvahn8044lol I have owned 6 Saabs; the gen 2 9-3 drives fine, but GM cost cutting made it into every aspect of the car, and reliability suffered dramatically. The Clarkson saab tribute was an oversimplification
@@swizzlstyx I currently own and drive 3 gen 2 9 3 and it’s one of the best cars ever made. One 2003 aero petrol with (340000 km on the clock)a 2008 diesel and a 2008 v6 aero convertible. They are certainly not unreliable. Clarkson was stating the facts. This is also a well known among Swedish SAAB owners.
How is a chevy opal the last real SAAB ???
The Opel architecture engines were on the next generation of the 9-3s, I think 2004 is when they were no longer OG Saab engines
I seriously don’t understand why you can’t pronounce Viggen. Where does it have an ‘e’ in the beginning of the word ‘Viggen’? It is the ‘i’ as in Hitchhike. 🙄😬
already a classic, massively too expensive for what it is
A7 trunk...
Just another Saab story. I owned an '88 Saab SPG (Special Performance Group). The transmission locked up as I was passing someone on a two lane road, shifting 3-4. That was just beyond the one year warranty they gave me in Germany at the time, and they charged me about $4500 to replace it. It had multiple other defects over the next couple years before I dumped it. Never again.
There are many saab models, the pure ones were reliable
Dr Kurt Roosevelt MD PhD aka john R Bennett son President Truman's and Elenore Roosevelt thank you
Too bad GM ruined everything
This US Presidente Dr Kurt Roosevelt MD PhD I would like to twelve SAAB 900 s 93s 1992 design one for my wife from Sweden Sharron Enstien and on the west Coast Allison, Kate ,Karla, Veronica, and from Italy Nar and Singapore Mai and I believe in am in Brazil thank you Son of President Truman's