SUVs: Now is the Time to Stake a Claim on the Used Saab SUV

Saab was a latecomer to the SUV game with its first ever SUV, the 9-7X in 2005. If you're a Saab lover and prefer to buy pre-owned cars for the sake of better value, now is the time when you'll finally begin to see the used Saab SUV on the used car lots. Aside from price, one of the major benefits of buying a used vehicle, especially one in its first year of introduction, is that enough time has passed to accrue real-world road test data, consumer opinions have been cast, and recalls have been issued to alert any big potential problems.

Recalls for the 2005:
So far it seems that instead of rushing into the SUV space, Designers spent the past several years perfecting the first ever Saab SUV. Now midway through 2006, there are no recalls for the 2005 Saab SUV. The fact that the first SUV from Saab is recall-free isn't merely a stroke of luck. As auto trivia buffs may know, the platform of the 2005 Saab SUV is actually the same as the tried and true Chevy Trailblazer.

Future year changes:
Another way to identify any possible imperfections in a year's design or performance is to scrutinize the changes made to the following year model. Many times the changes are simply enhancements, but other times they represent fixes to previous problems.

Surprisingly for a newly released model, there weren't too many changes to the 2006 model; another mark in favor of the 2005 used Saab SUV. Among the changes were a 15 horsepower increase to the 6 cylinder engine and a new fuel saving technology for the 8 cylinder, yielding a more favorable gas mileage than the 2005 used Saab SUV.

Professional Reviews:
The most noted point of caution among professional auto reviewers was the assumption that loyal Saab drivers wouldn't be able to accept the fact that the SUV was manufactured by GM in the United States. Saab realized that when it was time for their almost fanatically loyal car ownership base to trade-up, around 30% of them bought an SUV. Wanting to get into the space quickly, Saab contracted the manufacturing and some of the design of the Saab SUV to GM.

GM has had a long time to perfect the SUV, starting with the Suburban back in the 1930s. No doubt this is one of the reasons for the model's performance success. Though the majority commented on the SUV's classic Sweedish stylistic elements, many professional auto reviewers wondered if that fact that it was assembled in the US using the platform of a GM would be a turn-off for die hard Saab fans.

Customers Reviewers:
As wound up as the reviewers might be over the connection between this Saab SUV and GM, Saab owners don't seem to mind a bit. While professionals gave this used Saab SUV a rating of 8.0 for overall reliability, drivers of this used Saab SUV rated it an exceptional 9.4 out of 10. When it comes to Saab, it seems the mainstream has never understood what makes the tight-knit Saab community tick.

Reliable, confident, and luxurious, the 2005 Saab SUV has the qualities of an ideal used vehicle purchase. Having been on the market for just over a year, this used Saab SUV might be difficult to track down, though not impossible. Choosing a dealership with a vehicle locator service will help to increase your odds of finding a 2005 used Saab SUV just off of lease contract. With a little determination and ingenuity - inherent qualities of Saab owners - you can easily be one of the first to own the 2005 used Saab SUV.

Author is a writer for A&G Select Imports who specialize in used SUV's and luxury imports. For more information you can visit www.AGSelectImports.com

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SUVs: Now is the Time to Stake a Claim on the Used Saab SUV

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