Had a Trailblazer, bought an 9-7x today

[mikeucr]

Okay so We see on here how people say that the 9-7x is just a Trailblazer in drag. I drove a TB for 70,000 miles and drove my 9-7x I bought today a few hundred miles, so I think I can help compare the differences.

Of the Saab:

Suspension on the Saab is much better. Much more sturdy and compliant.
Steering feels the same to me.
Interior feels a lot better.
The 9-7x is just a pretty car.
Much more quiet than the TB from wind-noise to roadnoise. They used the Buick's sound deadening processes and it is very noticeable.
Trailblazer interior DNA felt instantly, from the radio to the climate control, etc etc. That being said, had I never had a TB I wouldn't have ever known/or cared
The 5.3 Saab vs. the TB 4.2...I don't notice much difference in power, but I do notice that the 5.3 is more quiet. I don't know though if that is a function of the engine OR the sound deadening added to the Saab and absent on the TB.

Does it feel like a Saab? No, not at all. I don't consider it a SAAB at all when I am in it./drive it. To me it is sort of like a car that doesn't have an identity, kind of like an ugly man/woman that gets a lot of plastic surgery, and looks good on the outside, but the DNA is still ugly. I did get a lot of stares on the highway and the used car dealer I bought it from...well the guys in the delivery area said they had never seen one and it was cool. It is nice to have something a lot of people have never seen.

Why did I buy it then? I needed an SUV for work because I haul big medical equipment for demonstrations. I also wanted a reliable car that when it breaks down, the parts will be cheap. The 9-5 wagon was a consideration but the repair bills would be MUCH higher. My TB was a very reliable car quite frankly, so I don't expect any difference here.

So, okay it isn't a SAAB in the strict sense, but is a nice SUV with a sort of schizophrenic character that makes for something different on the road.

So now I have 3 Saabs...I am a tool! I'll post pics of the 9-7x along with my other 2 9-3 in a few days.

[Vehiclefit]

Thanks for the post! They are quite tempting given the $ and a known product! :cool:

[rc89pl]

i am trying to convince my parents to buy 97 but they are worried about mpg's. I read this saab gets 15 in city and 21 on hghwy. Is it true?

[mikeucr]

i am trying to convince my parents to buy 97 but they are worried about mpg's. I read this saab gets 15 in city and 21 on hghwy. Is it true?

Yeah it is more or less true. I have played with the MPG function on the dashboard. On a good flat highway, at 70 mph, I am getting 21.

I drive about 70% highway, 30 % city and the car is returning MPG in the 17s. Not bad for the weight of this car. I have the V8. My I6 Trailblazer maybe got 2 mpg more...maybe, and was a much trashier engine. With the Displacement on demand, the v8 pretty much gets the same MPG as the 6.

[earthworm]

Well, then, if the 97-X is not a Saab, its an Oldsmobile.

Really nothing wrong with this..I think that GM had too many brands in the "medium price field"...and Ford had too few, or so they thought...hence the Edsel.

The Oldsmobile lost its way, lost its identity, and then lost its life.

GM, are you listening ??:cheesy:

[mikeucr]

I am the Original Poster, I have driven my 9-7x another 3000 miles since I last posted this and drove my mother in law's Trailblazer this past week...So more comparisons...


The 9-7x is a totally different car. The TB has awful suspension, noisy 6 cylinder, loud and freeway speed, horrible interior pieces, whereas the 9-7x feels so much more substantial..

Anyone who says this is a TB needs to drive both for a few hundred miles and then say it, it does feel very different.

[earthworm]

In truth, GM is good at using one body shell for several brands.. ;this they have been doing for over 50 years....

I wonder how this 9-7 compares to one of the German or Japanese competitors...

How about a 2010 Trail Blazer/9-7, etc, but vastly improved(less truckish), in order that the 9-7 could go fender to fender with the Porsche version of the VW Toureg... ..with a good V6 Diesel... :cheesy:

[mikeucr]

In truth, GM is good at using one body shell for several brands.. ;this they have been doing for over 50 years....

I wonder how this 9-7 compares to one of the German or Japanese competitors...

How about a 2010 Trail Blazer/9-7, etc, but vastly improved(less truckish), in order that the 9-7 could go fender to fender with the Porsche version of the VW Toureg... ..with a good V6 Diesel... :cheesy:

I do think they need an SUV bigger than the 9-4x to compete with the x5, xc90, MDX etc.

I like My 9-7x though, I had a guy at a gas station a few weeks ago say "Hey that is a beautiful car, who makes it?" I told some guys at work what I bought and I hear all the time "I didn't know SAAB made an SUV." I like driving something different like that.

[Expidia]

Old thread but I was glad to read your comparison to the TB. I have been towing a 15 foot aluminum boat off the back of my 4 cyl 9-5 for two years now and I'm looking to get a 2nd bigger boat which is a 22 foot aluminum.

I'll need an SUV to tow this 3500 lb rig with and I don't want a truck. I never knew the Saab line had a 9-7 until my dealer who gets me cars from the auction told me about it.

And I instantly said to him "I was not about to drive around in a TB"! And yet another GM product yet. Bad enough when GM bought Saab.

He said the 8 cyl was great though and last years pop in gas prices are really driving the 9-7 prices down in the 2-3 year old range.

When I looked up the reviews the consensus was it was just a rebadged TB.

But still I felt as you do, I'd prefer to own something a little different from the average Joe! The lines on the 9-7 are great and I love it's European look. The interior looks just like my 9-5 too.

I see nothing with this SUV that shows it's really a TB and I too figured that some parts might be cheaper because they might be interchangeable with the populat TB.

It was nice to read your comparison because you actually owned a TB and can still compare the two since you drive your relatives. This was the best part of your opinion because so many posters will bad mouth a car without ever having driven one.

The 9-5 has been pulling my 1000 lb boat with ease every weekend during boating season. I've been driving two hours each way to Lake Champlain several times a month on season but several days ago the 9-5's cylinders filled up with oil so I might have to get the 9-7 sooner. I was trying to hold off until I found the bigger boat.

Thx for your 9-7 to Tb comments . . . I'm even more sold on a used 9-7 now.

My car guy did tell me that they have freq issues with some of the rear ends. Probably no worse than the two turbos ($1200 each time) that I've had to replace over the 50k I've put on the 9-5 so far (now has 124K).

[fiveiron9688]

I've been trying to persuade my dad to get rid of the minivan and buy a used 9-7X...seeing how the prices are so good.

[mdriest]

Old thread but I was glad to read your comparison to the TB. I have been towing a 15 foot aluminum boat off the back of my 4 cyl 9-5 for two years now and I'm looking to get a 2nd bigger boat which is a 22 foot aluminum.

I'll need an SUV to tow this 3500 lb rig with and I don't want a truck. I never knew the Saab line had a 9-7 until my dealer who gets me cars from the auction told me about it.

And I instantly said to him "I was not about to drive around in a TB"! And yet another GM product yet. Bad enough when GM bought Saab.

He said the 8 cyl was great though and last years pop in gas prices are really driving the 9-7 prices down in the 2-3 year old range.

When I looked up the reviews the consensus was it was just a rebadged TB.

But still I felt as you do, I'd prefer to own something a little different from the average Joe! The lines on the 9-7 are great and I love it's European look. The interior looks just like my 9-5 too.

I see nothing with this SUV that shows it's really a TB and I too figured that some parts might be cheaper because they might be interchangeable with the populat TB.

It was nice to read your comparison because you actually owned a TB and can still compare the two since you drive your relatives. This was the best part of your opinion because so many posters will bad mouth a car without ever having driven one.

The 9-5 has been pulling my 1000 lb boat with ease every weekend during boating season. I've been driving two hours each way to Lake Champlain several times a month on season but several days ago the 9-5's cylinders filled up with oil so I might have to get the 9-7 sooner. I was trying to hold off until I found the bigger boat.

Thx for your 9-7 to Tb comments . . . I'm even more sold on a used 9-7 now.

My car guy did tell me that they have freq issues with some of the rear ends. Probably no worse than the two turbos ($1200 each time) that I've had to replace over the 50k I've put on the 9-5 so far (now has 124K).

Since 2005 I've read reviews about the 9-7x and many have constantly compared it to a TrailBlazer which is the cheapest in the class. However I previously owned an 02 Bravada AWD (purchased in Feb 2005) which was loaded. I almost had the Bravada for 4 years and was very happy with it.

When the 9-7x was first introduced I noticed that it looked very familar and once I got up close to one I knew that it was derived from the Bravada, not a TrailBlazer or Envoy. I test drove an 08 9-7x last January and the GM/Saab improvements over my Bravada were good, i.e. HID/Xenon/Projector headlamps, refined suspension, lower to the ground, improved Leather sets (bolsters are firmer and comfort all around better), quieter/less road noise. At that time there wasn't enough snow on the ground to test out the AWD/StabiliTrak/Traction Control system.

Then in Dec. 08 I checked pricing for used 9-7xs and was pleasantly suprised. 06 4.2i or 5.3 models were around $16,500 to $18,000. I test drove a Black 06 9-7x 5.3i and was sold. It was great timing as there was fresh snow on the ground. The AWD/StabiliTrak/Traction Control system was a HUGE improvement over the AWD system on my Bravada. Back then GM called it SmartTrak and I called it DumbTrak. It seemed like it was Auto-4WD that the TrailBlazer/Envoys had and would always kick in too late.

My 02 Bravada had an issue with the rear end, I believe that various bearings had to be replaced. There was a loud humming noise coming from the rear end.

So here's a happy 9-7x owner :cheesy:

[nyflapjack2]

Through the years...moving from loaded 1991 S10 Blazer to 1995 S10 Blazer to 2004 GMC Envoy (which BTW like your Bravada it was in 2wd or 4wd lock in snow the AWD was not kewl as you noted) each time I thought the newer one was the nuts over the previous...

Let me tell ya the SAAB 9 7X has em all hands down clearly a winner...I might have enjoyed - looked - wanted a Lexus SUV (which I have a fair amount to seat time in) the M-Benz ML class SUV (again fair amount of seat time) or a Infiniti x35 (drooled over) ...and the stabil track AWD in these is now (with good tires) very impressive!!!

Top that the $20 grand plus savings.....so sorry but these things at sale prices used are a steal...my July 08 purchase (very late 06 model - 14k miles) was SAAB dealer bought & certified...So along with then the 1.9% 3 years financing and bumper to bumper 26 months left (Oct 2010) and another 2 years after that (good through Oct 2012)...

I paid more for my Envoy (left over 04 when 05's were out at $20,000 +) with similar or less long term coverage...

[mikeucr]

I have now had the 9-7x for about 5 months and this is therefore my first winter with it. I drive it at least once a month between St Louis and KC where it can get very icy and snowy and this AWD is very good. MO DOT does a good job clearing the freeways but I visit about 10 clients a day and many people don't clear their parking lots of ice and snow, this car is fantastic. The Stabilitrak hardly ever kicks on, as the AWD will kick in first.

My few gripes; The front windows aren't tinted,
*The brake rotors are already warped after 26,000 miles
*The stereo buttons are having their blackness rubbed off already
*The highbeams are not xenon
*The stereo is sort of ehhh, (I plan on ripping it out but need at least a grand to do it right)
*The headlamp washers work best at high speed otherwise they get your hood all wet and spotted
*The panels behind the rear doors get too may rock chips on them
*The seat color does not match the headliner or interior a,b,c pillar interior covers
*The satellite radio antenna bump is in a dumb place
*The rear wiper is a pain in the butt to replace

Anyone else agree? Or want to add anything?

But I love this car, I drive for hours upon hours on boring highways and country roads and make a game to see how many of them I can see, I see a 9-7x about once a week if that. It is funny too because people think this is a 60,000 dollar car.

What i have come to appreciate though is the FANTASTIC GM small block v8, you can bash gm all you want but I still think they make one of the best V8s for the money.

[TC]

I have now had the 9-7x for about 5 months and this is therefore my first winter with it. I drive it at least once a month between St Louis and KC where it can get very icy and snowy and this AWD is very good. MO DOT does a good job clearing the freeways but I visit about 10 clients a day and many people don't clear their parking lots of ice and snow, this car is fantastic. The Stabilitrak hardly ever kicks on, as the AWD will kick in first.

My few gripes; The front windows aren't tinted,
*The brake rotors are already warped after 26,000 miles
*The stereo buttons are having their blackness rubbed off already
*The highbeams are not xenon
*The stereo is sort of ehhh, (I plan on ripping it out but need at least a grand to do it right)
*The headlamp washers work best at high speed otherwise they get your hood all wet and spotted
*The panels behind the rear doors get too may rock chips on them
*The seat color does not match the headliner or interior a,b,c pillar interior covers
*The satellite radio antenna bump is in a dumb place
*The rear wiper is a pain in the butt to replace

Anyone else agree? Or want to add anything?

But I love this car, I drive for hours upon hours on boring highways and country roads and make a game to see how many of them I can see, I see a 9-7x about once a week if that. It is funny too because people think this is a 60,000 dollar car.

What i have come to appreciate though is the FANTASTIC GM small block v8, you can bash gm all you want but I still think they make one of the best V8s for the money.

I have owned my 2005 9-7X V8 for 3 years, bought new and now has 52K on it. The AWD system is great as long as you replace the stock Dunlops. They were terrible! I keep hearing about brake rotors going out prematurely, I have 52K and have not had to replace any brake components. Only thing I have had to fix was the heated seats under warranty. Other then that it has been flawless.

I don't mind where the sat bump is but I hate the old school 9-3 antenna on the hood though. I heard if you install the running boards it eliminates the rock chip issue.

[mikeucr]

I have owned my 2005 9-7X V8 for 3 years, bought new and now has 52K on it. The AWD system is great as long as you replace the stock Dunlops. They were terrible! I keep hearing about brake rotors going out prematurely, I have 52K and have not had to replace any brake components. Only thing I have had to fix was the heated seats under warranty. Other then that it has been flawless.

I don't mind where the sat bump is but I hate the old school 9-3 antenna on the hood though. I heard if you install the running boards it eliminates the rock chip issue.

The rock chip thing doesnt bother me as much as others as mine is black and it just looks like dust anyways. I am sort of pinig for the aero version of this truck but dont want more car payments. ill just get 300 hp out of the 9-3 vert somehow and call it a day lol.

[nyflapjack2]

Understand you can lessen the paint chips yes with running boards and SAAB-GM will cover paint fix and install new runing boards under warranty if you are successful with your claim...there is a service bulletin on this. I know of 1 successful 97X here in SYR and I am awaiting winter end to review mine with them.

Rotors on the old 2004 Envoy went in 2 years and @ 22K I tore down and antiseized every summer after that so they would be in better shape for each salty Syracuse winter... I did use NAPA's best Ceramic Pads and best 4 rotors offered.... I was much happier and they were not wearing bad at all ...plus wheels were way cleaner...

Dunlops on the 97x were a disaster, they had only 17k and winter mild snow was like a Zamboni on a rink.. I thought I made a mistake buying this AWD at first but ......with the Fortera triple treads now WOW what a difference...very happy.

[mikeucr]

Understand you can lessen the paint chips yes with running boards and SAAB-GM will cover paint fix and install new runing boards under warranty if you are successful with your claim...there is a service bulletin on this. I know of 1 successful 97X here in SYR and I am awaiting winter end to review mine with them.

Rotors on the old 2004 Envoy went in 2 years and @ 22K I tore down and antiseized every summer after that so they would be in better shape for each salty Syracuse winter... I did use NAPA's best Ceramic Pads and best 4 rotors offered.... I was much happier and they were not wearing bad at all ...plus wheels were way cleaner...

Dunlops on the 97x were a disaster, they had only 17k and winter mild snow was like a Zamboni on a rink.. I thought I made a mistake buying this AWD at first but ......with the Fortera triple treads now WOW what a difference...very happy.

I thought about running boards but dont really want them, I never liked the way they look on SUVs and do like the clearance without them.

[PlumLoopy]

A question about the "terrible" 6cyl in the Trailblazer -- isn't that the same 4.2 in the 6cyl 9-7x? I know you have the 8 cyl now.

[mikeucr]

I found the 6 cylunder to be louder and much more wheezy. Not a bad engine, it is DOHC, etc. The passing between the two seems about the same, it is the off the line performance on the v8 that is better. It has proven useful while merging onto highways.

[mdriest]

A question about the "terrible" 6cyl in the Trailblazer -- isn't that the same 4.2 in the 6cyl 9-7x? I know you have the 8 cyl now.

Yes the 4.2 Inline 6 cylinder (I6) is the same across the platform, TrailBlazer, Envoy, Bravada, Rainier and 9-7x.

I had my 02 Bravada for almost 4 years (02/05-12/08), IMO the 4.2 I6 wasn't terrible.

[pipervali]

My mother just bought a 9-7x two weeks ago, after having almost 20 years of Jeep Cherokees. It's interesting about the Trailblazer, because she had first test driven one before we even found the Saab on the lot. She barely lasted 10 minutes, and I knew she had barely tolerated the TB. She found it to be too big and to drive far too much like a truck.

So we ended up with the 9-7x a few weeks later, the 5.3i. She failed to realize, and I wasn't quick to point out since I had fallen in love with the Saab, that it and the TB, bodywise, were almost the exact same size. But she loves driving the 9-7x, so the handling and quieter ride must be significant for her to not realize that they're sibling cars.

We got a great deal on it, though I'm feeling a little nervous why now. The rear brake light has already blown, which could very easily just be coincidence. But the suspension seems a little off as well. Maybe it's just cause I'm used to a Grand Am, but it feels as if it pulls to one side or the other, especially the left, if the wheel isn't completely straight. And there's a strange 'thump' sound right under the passenger seat, towards the middle of the dash. I'm assuming this is just the fan kicking in, I'm hoping. But since it's an 05, no warranty and I'm nervous.

But dear lord it's a pretty car. I've noticed ya'll mentioning that you hardly see other ones on the road, and that's the same here too. I haven't seen one other since we've bought it. Kinda nice to see a few appreciative stares as you get into it in the grocery store parking lot. :D I can't help it, I'm shallow that way lol

[mikeucr]

My mother just bought a 9-7x two weeks ago, after having almost 20 years of Jeep Cherokees. It's interesting about the Trailblazer, because she had first test driven one before we even found the Saab on the lot. She barely lasted 10 minutes, and I knew she had barely tolerated the TB. She found it to be too big and to drive far too much like a truck.

So we ended up with the 9-7x a few weeks later, the 5.3i. She failed to realize, and I wasn't quick to point out since I had fallen in love with the Saab, that it and the TB, bodywise, were almost the exact same size. But she loves driving the 9-7x, so the handling and quieter ride must be significant for her to not realize that they're sibling cars.

We got a great deal on it, though I'm feeling a little nervous why now. The rear brake light has already blown, which could very easily just be coincidence. But the suspension seems a little off as well. Maybe it's just cause I'm used to a Grand Am, but it feels as if it pulls to one side or the other, especially the left, if the wheel isn't completely straight. And there's a strange 'thump' sound right under the passenger seat, towards the middle of the dash. I'm assuming this is just the fan kicking in, I'm hoping. But since it's an 05, no warranty and I'm nervous.

But dear lord it's a pretty car. I've noticed ya'll mentioning that you hardly see other ones on the road, and that's the same here too. I haven't seen one other since we've bought it. Kinda nice to see a few appreciative stares as you get into it in the grocery store parking lot. :D I can't help it, I'm shallow that way lol

I wouldn't worry about the brake light, cars after a few years do have things go wrong. If I were you I would get alignment done, since it was probbaly not done prior to you buying it. i bought mine at 20k miles and the alignment was slightly off, it is now at 40k and the alignment is worse so I will be taking mine in. That being said, it isn't the car. I drive on a lot of badly potholed roads in rural areas of the midwest.

And talk about rare, when i drive this car in rural iowa they look at me like i have a 75 grand range rover! lol

[pipervali]

I wouldn't worry about the brake light, cars after a few years do have things go wrong. If I were you I would get alignment done, since it was probbaly not done prior to you buying it. i bought mine at 20k miles and the alignment was slightly off, it is now at 40k and the alignment is worse so I will be taking mine in. That being said, it isn't the car. I drive on a lot of badly potholed roads in rural areas of the midwest.

And talk about rare, when i drive this car in rural iowa they look at me like i have a 75 grand range rover! lol


Forgive me, it was in the middle of the night and I had been staring at spreadsheets all night for a meeting. I said suspension, but you're right, the alignment I suspect needs a little adjustment. We didn't buy from a Saab dealer, so I'm tempted to take it to the same place I have my Grand Am serviced, they've always been very reliable. But since the car is so rare to find, I'm nervous they've never worked on one before.

And yeah, here in suburban PA, you'll see a few BMX suvs here and there, but that's about it. Personally I think the 9-7x is nicer looking than the Range Rover too! ;)