Not since my 1982 Renault LeCar has a car left me stranded at the side of the road so often. In 25,000 miles, the transmission has failed (twice), the brakes have failed, the ignition has failed, the trip computer has failed . . .

Saab's response? They will do absolutely nothing to remedy the situation. The dealer passes me on to the inaptly-named "Customer Assistance Center," which provides no assistance at all. Letters written to the Saab Cars USA CEO go unanswered.

When the car works, its virtues are many. It is roomy, comfortable, handles reasonably well (though it could use longer wheel travel and better shocks), is fairly quick, and gets surprisingly good gas mileage. I got 32 mpg on a long trip!

Unfortunately, if I wanted a "fair weather car," I'd drive an MG. Or an old Alfa. Or a TR6. For daily transport, almost any other car would do a better job.

To all prospective Saab buyers, I say: buy something else. Anything else.
Amount Paid (US$): 36600
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: Linear Wagon