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Is it interesting to hear that General Motors suffered a $1.1-billion heart attack during the first three months of this year? Nope. Not for a fan of cars. Is it interesting that Saab — keeper of Sweden's style sense and GM's European luxury connection — is using its parent company's Buick Rainier as the basis for the 2006 9-7X? Not really all that interesting, no.
No, the only thing worth burning up enthusiast brain cells considering is this: Can an upscale midsize Saab SUV that's built in Ohio, using the GMT360 body-on-frame platform — shared by the Rainier, Chevrolet's TrailBlazer and GMC's Envoy — and powered by Vortec inline-six and V8 engines qualify for the attention of North American Saabophiles, Saabists, Saabisti and Saabatarians?
It Looks Like a Saab
A respectable Northern European sensibility kept the 9-7X's four-door exterior free of busy side cladding and contours. Saab stylists didn't have a clean sheet of paper to work with, so they did the next best thing: They gave the SUV a clean-sheet-of-paper look.
Saab also spent GM's money crafting a legitimate family-resemblance front end, complete with the now familiar "three-port" grille. At the tail end, both companies cared enough to fashion a rear-end treatment that integrates (rather than avoiding or ignoring) the tailpipe.
Two other serious steps in style allow the 9-7X to hold court with other European SUVs. For the pure sake of cool, Saab shaved the GMT360 springs to lower the 9-7X by about an inch. Then, in a particularly wild, Friday-night-in-Stockholm kind of moment, the company polished each corner of the vehicle with standard 18-inch alloy wheels and lowish-profile 55-series tires — something you won't find Land Rover, Porsche or even BMW doing.
Those wheels, by the way, are the only giveaways as to whether the 9-7X you're admiring is the inline-six or the V8 model: The eight gets a six-thick-spoke design, while the six-cylinder model sports an edgier 12-thin-spoke set.
It Walks Like a Saab
It's clear that Saab's suspension elves got the biggest say in 9-7X's blueprint. The double-A-arm front bone structure and multilink, solid-axle rear setup experienced an aggressive boot camp of geometrical adjustments, stiffenings (including the front anti-roll bar) and shock resettings. Add in full-time all-wheel drive, a limited-slip differential and — for those awkward times when traction takes a holiday — StabiliTrak, and you've got a Saab that will hold its own at pay-attention speeds in steady-state corners, and reset its considerable heft capably in transitions.
The slightly heavier V8 version fares best when ride quality is factored in. And while I've been stared down and assured by Saab's chief suspension guru that the two 9-7Xs are set up to feel the same, I came down from the mountain to tell you: The inline-six model carries itself a mite more nervously, while the V8 feels more at one with the road, especially when that road turns choppy.
Extra engineering put into the steering pays off with good linearity and a beautifully weighted feel at all speeds, which translates into decent turn-in and good control of the vehicle. This compliment gains added juice when you consider the wide footprint of the 255/55R-18 Dunlops.
Pity the 9-7X's poor disc brakes, however. It's a thankless job playing anchor to nearly 4,800 pounds of mass in motion. Saab just wasn't able to get past the numb feel and lackluster engagement of the dual-piston calipers.
It Talks Like a Buick
What should be the tie-breaker between the two 9-7X models — deciding whether you want the 290-hp inline six or the 300-hp V8 — feels more like a draw. The $40,000 4.2-liter six makes much less torque (277 pound-feet at 3,600 rpm) than the $42,000 5.3-liter V8 (330 at 4,000), but both feature excellent first-gear tip-in, with passable passing power on the highway. Even fuel economy is similar, thanks to GM's Displacement on Demand which cuts the V8 down from a powerful eight cylinders to a fuel-saving four when cruising. The bigger pushrod engine does excel, but not so much in power production as in its sonic performance: The $2,000 bonus comes from the eight's heavenly roar of authority over the surprisingly ratty snarl of the 24-valve six.
One gear short of the class norm, the Saab's Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission shifts cleanly. The fact that it doesn't hunt between gears on hilly terrain reflects both the good availability of usable torque from either engine and the reality that a four-speed doesn't leave a lot of gear choices for varying driving situations.
It Feels Somewhat Like a Saab
Inside, the five-passenger 9-7X works hard to make you feel like you're in a Saab. There are the expected luxury hints: heated leather-appointed seats, Bose premium audio with six-CD changer, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar and side curtain airbags. And there are Saab-specific reminders: "Saab" doorsill plates, lattice-grille air vents, soft-touch knobs and the classic center-console-mounted ignition. The rear cargo area — 39.8 cubic feet/80.1 with the second-row seat folded down — features chrome-plated tie-downs. Very nice.
Headroom is good throughout the cabin, but front-seat folks get their generous legroom only at the expense of the second-row passengers. Outward vision is excellent. And although the 9-7X gets the same sound-insulation measures as the Buick Rainier, it's still not quiet enough to enjoy a civil conversation between the first and second rows at highway speeds.
Is It a Saab?
Is this the SUV that Trollhattan would have come up with if left to its own calipers and CAD/CAM specs? No. But it is the SUV that Saab needs. Even with the midsize lux market holding its breath to see if the drop in big-SUV sales is a cold that the smaller SUVs are going to catch, it's the SUV that Saab needs. Because without GM, Saab would be a ghost, talked about but dead, like Austin Healey, Packard and now, MG.
But is the 2006 Saab 9-7X a Saab? Well, folks, there are no hidden meanings. The 9-7X feels like a GM SUV that was brought to Sweden to get an infusion of legitimate Saab character, which — no surprise — is exactly what it is. And if you're a Saab person, there's no reason you shouldn't feel proud driving the Saab/GM 9-7X. Because the alternative would be nostalgia.
2006 Saab 9-7X Overview
Edmunds experts have compiled a robust series of ratings and reviews for the 2006 Saab 9-7X and all model years in our database. Our rich content includes expert reviews and recommendations for the 2006 9-7X featuring deep dives into trim levels and features, performance, mpg, safety, interior, and driving. Edmunds also offers expert ratings, road test and performance data, long-term road tests, first-drive reviews, video reviews and more.
Our Review Process
This review was written by a member of Edmunds' editorial team of expert car reviewers. Our team drives every car you can buy. We put the vehicles through rigorous testing, evaluating how they drive and comparing them in detail to their competitors.
We're also regular people like you, so we pay attention to all the different ways people use their cars every day. We want to know if there's enough room for our families and our weekend gear and whether or not our favorite drink fits in the cupholder. Our editors want to help you make the best decision on a car that fits your life.
Consumer ratings and reviews are also available for the 2006 Saab 9-7X and all its trim types. Overall, Edmunds users rate the 2006 9-7X 4.4 on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Edmunds consumer reviews allow users to sift through aggregated consumer reviews to understand what other drivers are saying about any vehicle in our database. Detailed rating breakdowns (including performance, comfort, value, interior, exterior design, build quality, and reliability) are available as well to provide shoppers with a comprehensive understanding of why customers like the 2006 9-7X.
Review
I bought my 2006 9-7X 5.3i a little over a year ago with 56,000 miles. It has been a good vehicle, but I recently have had several complications with it. When it turned about 65,000 miles, I noticed that there was a lot of wind noise on the highway. It sounded like the windows were not shut. I had the doors bent and seals replaced, and that fixed that. Then while gassing it up one day, I started it to find that the gas gauge read that it was empty and I had just filled it full. This was quite a spendy procedure to fix, as the gas tank had to be dropped from underneath. Also, the ride tends to be rough and bouncy. My biggest complaint is the poor MPG (I average 13 in town, 17 on highway).
See all consumer reviews and retings for the 2006 Saab 9-7X
Edmunds Value
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Available Saab 9-7X 2006 Submodel Types: SUV
Available Trims: 4.2i, 5.3i
Exterior Colors: Lingonberry Red Tintcoat, Diamond Silver Metallic, Graphite Gray Metallic, Obsidian Black, Winter White
Interior Colors: Carbon Black leather
Popular Features: AWD/4WD, Alarm, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Auto Climate Control, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Heated seats, Leather Seats, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Post-collision safety system, Power Driver Seat, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Sunroof/Moonroof, Towing Hitch, Trip Computer, Tire Pressure Warning, 5000lb Towing Capacity, 6000lb Towing Capacity, Upgraded Headlights, Bluetooth
Engine/Mechanics: 6, 8 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC
Fuel Types: regular unleaded
Drivetrains: all wheel drive
