View Full Version : 9-7X: Dead
It's official, according to Autoweek. The Moraine Ohio factory is closing on December 23rd.
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081006/FREE/810069969/1530/FREE
It seems like this is 2 years earlier than GM indicated... earlier.
chiller
07-10-08, 12:16 PM
It's official, according to Autoweek. The Moraine Ohio factory is closing on December 23rd.
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081006/FREE/810069969/1530/FREE
It seems like this is 2 years earlier than GM indicated... earlier.
somehow this is not surprising with the gas prices the way they are the move to shut the plant down was coming ... i thought perhaps it'd be a year early not 2 years early but still not surprising ...
I agree. Not surprising at all, given the circumstances.
But it is a little sad. These are good vehicles. I wish their development would have continued. Just getting the corporate 6 speed auto in there would have gotten the city mileage up a MPG or two. E85 compatibility would have helped and cost absolutely nothing.
SaabScott
07-10-08, 01:58 PM
I agree. Not surprising at all, given the circumstances.
But it is a little sad. These are good vehicles. I wish their development would have continued. Just getting the corporate 6 speed auto in there would have gotten the city mileage up a MPG or two. E85 compatibility would have helped and cost absolutely nothing.
It's nice to see some positive comments being made, even if it is in a thread about the plant closing.
However, we all knew the 9-7X was just about done anyway.
I think they extended production at least 1 year, maybe 2 beyond their original plans as it was.
I have to say though ... if the prices of this vehicle keep sliding on the used market the way they have been (I saw an 05 or 06 with 68K miles on ebay for $13K :o ), I wouldn't be surprised to see one in my driveway. ;)
That's what I'm thinking, too. The used prices are just stupid cheap. And they're 100% compatible with hptuner, unlike my 9-3 2.0T.
It's a lot of vehicle for $15k.
mikeucr
12-10-08, 01:37 PM
I picked one up from Carmax.com for 18 and change with 20k miles on it.
Loaded 5.3, etc. Pretty nice ride.
Stephen Z
12-10-08, 08:17 PM
To pick one up with a Hemi in it when GM and Chrysler merge.......Not lol , I've got my eye peeled I think its going to be a replacement for my wifes aging 9/3 Vert 6-8 months down the road
I picked one up from Carmax.com for 18 and change with 20k miles on it.
Loaded 5.3, etc. Pretty nice ride.
Holy crap, dude! That's an awesome deal. From Carmax no less.
The 5.3i is pretty sweet. Xenons make the difference.
LOL I was jsut gonna post to see if GM has any plans to but the hybrid drive on the car liek the Escalade, I guess that is moot now...
There is an Escalade Hybrid, as stupid as that might seem ;)
I always thought that the 9-7 should come with the 5 cylinder from the Colarado, but turbocharged.
Hell, a turbocharged, direct injection version of the 2.4 Ecotec could make more horsepower and torque than the 4.2i. That would be more in line with Saab history than the 5.3i or Aero.
I think the escalade hyvrid is not stupid for peopel liek me, my other does lots fo short hops, kids to school, errands in the city and all within 35 MPH, the hybrid would almost double her MPG easy...
i was trying to get her to see if the Saab would have been next in line for the hybird assist drive and Saab drivers would be the type to fall for this that's for sure...
No, I agree. A hybrid option on a Saab would be very nice.
I think that you are most likely to see it on the 9-4X. It's stablemate, the Saturn Vue, has 2 different hybrid options (mild hybrid and two mode hybrid).
The Malibu also has a mild hybrid option, and this could very easily be retrofited to the 9-3 2.0T. They both use Ecotec engines.
Mattlach
14-10-08, 09:00 PM
Well, we knew from the start that the 9-7x was only supposed to be a stop gap measure until a crossover Saab could be made.
The ending of GM's relationship with Subaru is the only reason the 9-7x was produced up until now. Otherwise we would have had a Saab crossover sharing a platform with the Subaru B9 Tribeca (hopefully it would have looked better :p )
Now that the 9-4x co developed with Cadillac is around the corner, and no one is buying large SUV's due to gas prices there is absolutely no need for the 9-7x anymore.
Mattlach
14-10-08, 09:05 PM
I think the escalade hyvrid is not stupid for peopel liek me, my other does lots fo short hops, kids to school, errands in the city and all within 35 MPH, the hybrid would almost double her MPG easy...
It goes from 12 to 20mpg :P
20 is what I get around the city with my non-hybrid 9-5, which isn't much smaller (on the inside) than the 9-7x. It may even have more trunk space, than that pathetic little area behind the rear seats :p
Just admit it. SUV's are all image, 0 practicality (unless you have a need for daily offroading)
coldwake81
22-12-08, 09:31 PM
It goes from 12 to 20mpg :P
20 is what I get around the city with my non-hybrid 9-5, which isn't much smaller (on the inside) than the 9-7x. It may even have more trunk space, than that pathetic little area behind the rear seats :p
Just admit it. SUV's are all image, 0 practicality (unless you have a need for daily offroading)
I'm sorry, but I have to tow 5500 lbs and a Honda car-based SUV will not cut it. Now I'll probably have to go up to a large SUV or pickup for a towing vehicle if I want something new.
Mattlach
22-12-08, 09:59 PM
I'm sorry, but I have to tow 5500 lbs and a Honda car-based SUV will not cut it. Now I'll probably have to go up to a large SUV or pickup for a towing vehicle if I want something new.
When I was a kid in Sweden we used to tow our boat behind my dads Volvo 240 :p
Admittedly that may not necessarily have been the best vehicle for the job, but it worked, and it was safe.
I see a lot of people who buy these monstrosities because they "need to tow". but when it comes down to it, they tow their boat twice a year, when it goes in the water, and when it comes out :p
All I'm saying is that if that were me, I'd rent a towing vehicle those two times a year so that I didn't have to be stuck with one that stunk so badly the rest of the time :p
coldwake81
23-12-08, 01:15 AM
A nice idea... but unless you have a place on a lake you'll tow it every time you use it. With me that means at least one day a week between memorial day and labor day.
This was actually a nice vehicle in that it wasn't huge but could still get the job done. Oh well... :cry:
Mattlach
23-12-08, 04:20 PM
This was actually a nice vehicle in that it wasn't huge but could still get the job done. Oh well... :cry:
What are you comparing it to anyway? At significantly over two tonnes I don't know how it can possibly be called "not that huge" but I guess our points of reference are all different. :p
I didn't realize people did this. I don't have a boat, but all those I know don't have property right on the water. They rent permanent spots in a marina for the season, and then take it out of the water before winter.
We used to have a 25ft travel trailer and 21ft boat. Definitely something I wouldn't pull behind my 9-5. :lol: And we would use those all summer long hauling to many different lakes so there is definitely something to say for an all round tow vehicle that can pull 5000lbs or more. I sometimes miss my GMC Sierra and Trailblazer..
I am curious to see the tow specs for the 9-4. I have a feeling it's going to be limited at only 3500 lbs.
y8tiger
24-12-08, 02:52 AM
If it wasn't for our 9-7X, we would definitely be stuck at home with all the Snow we have received here. My 9-3SS ARC was bottoming out and loosing traction last week. More snow got dumped on us and the 9-3 been parked ever since. With new tires, the 9-7X is a real trooper in these conditions.
If it wasn't for our 9-7X, we would definitely be stuck at home with all the Snow we have received here. My 9-3SS ARC was bottoming out and loosing traction last week. More snow got dumped on us and the 9-3 been parked ever since. With new tires, the 9-7X is a real trooper in these conditions.
I tried getting around in the 9-5 after the snowstorm we got and it was sliding around all over the place. Took it straight home and parked it and have been driving the 9-7. That thing is a beast in the snow. No matter how hard you try you cannot get stuck.
Mattlach
24-12-08, 11:15 PM
I tried getting around in the 9-5 after the snowstorm we got and it was sliding around all over the place. Took it straight home and parked it and have been driving the 9-7. That thing is a beast in the snow. No matter how hard you try you cannot get stuck.
Yeah, an all wheel drive vehicle is going to be much better at preventing getting stuck on ice and one with a tall wheelbase is going to be much better at preventing getting stuck in deep snow.
But remember, with all that extra weight its much more difficult to stay on the road, and the stopping distance is MUCH longer.
Even the same car with AWD vs FWD will have a longer stopping distance due to all the extra weight. (compare say a FWD A4 with a Quattro A4)
When the road is slippery inertia is your biggest enemy.
You are much better off driving the 9-5 with snow tires, than driving that heavy truck in the snow. Slipping a little while starting to move is only an annoyance. Sliding off the road or not being able to stop at speed due to the weight can lead to death, and not just for the people in your car...
All you accomplish by driving an SUV in the snow is give you a false sense of security. It is a much less capable vehicle where it really counts when it is slippery out.
y8tiger
24-12-08, 11:28 PM
Yeah, an all wheel drive vehicle is going to be much better at preventing getting stuck on ice and one with a tall wheelbase is going to be much better at preventing getting stuck in deep snow.
But remember, with all that extra weight its much more difficult to stay on the road, and the stopping distance is MUCH longer.
Even the same car with AWD vs FWD will have a longer stopping distance due to all the extra weight. (compare say a FWD A4 with a Quattro A4)
When the road is slippery inertia is your biggest enemy.
You are much better off driving the 9-5 with snow tires, than driving that heavy truck in the snow. Slipping a little while starting to move is only an annoyance. Sliding off the road or not being able to stop at speed due to the weight can lead to death, and not just for the people in your car...
All you accomplish by driving an SUV in the snow is give you a false sense of security. It is a much less capable vehicle where it really counts when it is slippery out.
:roll: No Such Problems with my 9-7X here... come on Mattlach don't be a hater. Those of us who actualy own the 9-7X Love it!
I only wish there was also a Truck variant. Something along the lines of the Cadillac Escalade EXT p/u truck with the front end of the 9-7X. Now that would be a truck to behold.
Mattlach
24-12-08, 11:44 PM
:roll: No Such Problems with my 9-7X here... come on Mattlach don't be a hater. Those of us who actualy own the 9-7X Love it!
I only wish there was also a Truck variant. Something along the lines of the Cadillac Escalade EXT p/u truck with the front end of the 9-7X. Now that would be a truck to behold.
I'm not being a hater. I'm laying down elementary physics and vehicle dynamics.
Even my colleague's new AWD Subaru Legacy GT has a much longer braking distance than my 9-5 with studless snows. He was also under the impression that AWD trumps all, and was amazed when he discovered it wasn't.
Remember, AWD is all wheel go, ALL cars have all wheel stop.
Remember, AWD is all wheel go, ALL cars have all wheel stop.If you ever find yourself in snow country where a foot of snow can fall in a couple hours and your road isn't plowed right away, I prefer to have more go and less stop. It's not just AWD. More ground clearance is very nice to have when your 9-5 is bottoming out on the fluffy white stuff.
I need a 9-7X with a snowplow so I can clear my drive myself. :cool: I enjoy my 9-5 but sometimes wish I had a 9-7. I was seriously thinking of getting one before I got my current 9-5.
Mattlach
25-12-08, 03:51 AM
If you ever find yourself in snow country where a foot of snow can fall in a couple hours and your road isn't plowed right away, I prefer to have more go and less stop. It's not just AWD. More ground clearance is very nice to have when your 9-5 is bottoming out on the fluffy white stuff.
I need a 9-7X with a snowplow so I can clear my drive myself. :cool: I enjoy my 9-5 but sometimes wish I had a 9-7. I was seriously thinking of getting one before I got my current 9-5.
We get that kind of snow around here, but you are correct, we do have our roads plowed more often. I usually never see a main road with snow deeper than 8" or so. If it's fluffy I can drive through it though.
This is one of the things I really appreciate about the 2004 Aero vs my 2001. The front lip of the 2001 was really easily damaged. I couldn't plow through deep snow without braking it and my foglights. On the 2004 I feel comfortable blasting through deep rifts without doing any damage because it is much more rigid.
I didn't realize there were places that the plows weren't out in full force as soon as the first snow falls.
I didn't realize there were places that the plows weren't out in full force as soon as the first snow falls.It's not just regular roads. I enjoyed finding places and walking trails in winter to go snow shoeing. When you get up in northern Ontario in the middle of nowhere, you'll appreciate AWD. I need a 9-7X or 9-4X. :D
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/3134789570_9e9f7d6bbf_o.jpg
mikeucr
25-12-08, 03:56 PM
This is my first winter with the 9-7x and I have to say the AWD system in it is brilliant. I was in a parknig garage comng home from the airport. My car was covered in ice and I was parked on the roof of the parking garage. The ice was was about 2 inches thick and had not been improved much by the paeking garage company as it was well below freezing anyways. I watched other cars with traction control and FWD struggle to make turns, etc, and the 97x did a great job as if the ice were not even there. I was pretty impressed. It is one of the better AWD systems I have driven. On the flip side, my wife's old Toyota she used to have did not have traction control (she bought it way before we got married) and I was actually scared to drive it when it got below freezing...she now drives a 9-3.
Yeah, an all wheel drive vehicle is going to be much better at preventing getting stuck on ice and one with a tall wheelbase is going to be much better at preventing getting stuck in deep snow.
But remember, with all that extra weight its much more difficult to stay on the road, and the stopping distance is MUCH longer.
Even the same car with AWD vs FWD will have a longer stopping distance due to all the extra weight. (compare say a FWD A4 with a Quattro A4)
When the road is slippery inertia is your biggest enemy.
You are much better off driving the 9-5 with snow tires, than driving that heavy truck in the snow. Slipping a little while starting to move is only an annoyance. Sliding off the road or not being able to stop at speed due to the weight can lead to death, and not just for the people in your car...
All you accomplish by driving an SUV in the snow is give you a false sense of security. It is a much less capable vehicle where it really counts when it is slippery out.
I have snows on the 9-5 and they are useless trying to get up steep hills on poorly plowed roads. Sorry, I own both vehicles and there is no comparison.
coldwake81
31-12-08, 10:15 PM
What are you comparing it to anyway? At significantly over two tonnes I don't know how it can possibly be called "not that huge" but I guess our points of reference are all different. :p
I didn't realize people did this. I don't have a boat, but all those I know don't have property right on the water. They rent permanent spots in a marina for the season, and then take it out of the water before winter.
Well, I was talking size not weight. In which case it's not very huge... in fact it's easily a medium sized suv which helps when you're in the city trying to find a spot to park. And as far as snow goes, my experience with a trailblazer and bravada has proved to me that these vehicles are far superior to the 9-3 and 9-5.
You just seem to have this automatic hatred of SUV's because they don't fit your lifestyle. Unfortunately you don't seem to be able to see other peoples perspective on things. Alas, I doubt we'll be able to change your mind.
We got snow and ice last week. The plows put down salt to break it up, and then they plowed it up onto my driveway, where it froze into a ledge about 6 inches high. And then it iced again.
Needless to say, I got stuck going into my own driveway in my 9-3. Traction control was useless, as was shifting into third.
I backed it out, and came back in with some speed. I got over the ledge, but slammed the air dam into the ice badly, as well as the side skirts.
There is something to be said for AWD and 8 inches of ground clearance. This winter is making me rethink my allegiance to cars. Never should have given up the SUV. And the laughable gas prices just make me want an SUV even more.
mikeucr
01-01-09, 02:45 PM
I am so glad I had my 9-7x this week as I had to load in (2 trips) about 10 boxes the size of a bed nightstand that each weighed about 50 pounds. I really do like this car now. I bought it out of necessity for my job as I haul large medical equipment a lot but am growing quite fond of this automobile.
Mattlach
03-01-09, 12:18 AM
There is something to be said for AWD and 8 inches of ground clearance. This winter is making me rethink my allegiance to cars. Never should have given up the SUV. And the laughable gas prices just make me want an SUV even more.
Jeez. Theres something to be said for a shovel.
Everyone seems to be getting so lazy. They try to blast their cars and trucks into unplowed areas before shoveling them clean.
'
No wonder you guys are having trouble :roll:
Jeez. Theres something to be said for a shovel.
Everyone seems to be getting so lazy. They try to blast their cars and trucks into unplowed areas before shoveling them clean.
'
No wonder you guys are having trouble :roll:Easy for you to say, city boy... :roll: C'mon Mattlach, even if you hate SUVs so much, keep it to yourself and don't come to the 9-7 forum and complain all the time.
Can you come over to my place and shovel my driveway when we have a foot of snow overnight and the snow plow guys haven't been out yet? Bring a big one because it's about 400ft long. :p
Mattlach
03-01-09, 01:21 AM
Easy for you to say, city boy... :roll: C'mon Mattlach, even if you hate SUVs so much, keep it to yourself and don't come to the 9-7 forum and complain all the time.
Can you come over to my place and shovel my driveway when we have a foot of snow overnight and the snow plow guys haven't been out yet? Bring a big one because it's about 400ft long. :p
No offense, but that sounds like a case of poor planning :p I'd take one look at that house when house shopping and think "jeez, this will be problematic come the snowy time of year" and never buy it :p
But I get your point. I personally think SUV's are the worst things since nazis, not to mention completely un-saab like. The 9-7x - to me - is an insult to Saab heritage. That being said, neither of us are going to convince each other, so I'm just going to stay out of here from now on. :p
No offense, but that sounds like a case of poor planning :p I'd take one look at that house when house shopping and think "jeez, this will be problematic come the snowy time of year" and never buy it :pHaha, you're right. I just bought a new house and my new driveway is about the same length. And it goes uphill to the garage.. That should be fun in a month from now. I'll never learn... But I don't like neighbours within 500 feet of me. :D
I think every 9-7 owner acknowledges the fact the 9-7 is not a true Saab and I absolutely agree with you on that.. But the 9-7 exists, was selling reasonably well and has many happy owners. And some people really need an SUV for towing, driving on unpaved roads and driveways/roads that are not plowed.:p
y8tiger
03-01-09, 02:43 AM
"the 9-7 is not a true Saab"
I've heard the same thing about my 9-3SS ARC. Ok, so tell me what is a true Saab? I hear people say it was before GM. In that case it must be 1980's and earlier, because "On 15 March 1990, General Motors bought 50% of Saab for US $600 million."
SUVs haven't always been called such, but there have been vehicles filling this role for decades. IMHO the Saab 95, although not AWD or 4WD, is one such vehicle -
http://www.nwsoc.org/images/Saabs-2.jpg
http://photo.netcarshow.com/Saab-95_1960_photo_01.jpg
I see the 9-7X as a modern SAAB filling the sport utility vehicle (SUV) Role and one which I am very happy to own.
SaabScott
03-01-09, 03:27 AM
"the 9-7 is not a true Saab"
I see the 9-7X as a modern SAAB filling the sport utility vehicle (SUV) Role and one which I am very happy to own.
Very well put indeed.
I keep saying over and over again just how much Saab transformed the standard Trailblazer into a pretty darn good SUV ... one that may just end up in my stable of Saabs sometime in the future.
Hopefully beside my 9-5 Aero SC and (I hope) a 9-3 Turbo-X.
The reason I'm rethinking my allegiance to cars is that the municipalities in my area are doing very little to fight the snow this year. Salt costs are up, tax receipts are down. They are economizing on salt, and they are only plowing during normal working hours, minimizing their overtime.
I'm seriously considering snows for my 9-3. But a 9-7 with snows would be unstoppable.