The Journalist Who Didn’t Write to Please Manufacturers
Not every period road test deserves to be revisited, but some demand it. The republished archive test of the Saab 9000S by Car and Driver stands out precisely because it avoids sentiment and focuses on mechanical truth. You can read the original test , and it becomes immediately clear that the tone is different from most modern retrospectives.
The author, Larry Griffin, built his reputation writing across multiple major automotive publications, documented through his . His approach was consistent regardless of badge or origin – he evaluated what the car actually did, not what the manufacturer intended to communicate. That distinction matters, because it allows this test to function today as something more than historical curiosity. It reads as a technical snapshot of Saab at a critical point in its evolution, before later compromises reshaped the brand’s output.
Table of Contents
- 1 Saab Engine Strategy Was Never Conventional
- 2 Why the 9000S Feels Slower Than the Numbers Suggest
- 3 The Chassis Was Never the Limiting Factor
- 4 Space, Packaging, and the Quiet Strength of the 9000
- 5 What the Numbers Actually Reveal
- 6 Reading the Test With Four Decades of Distance
- 7 Why This Test Still Matters for Saab Enthusiasts
Saab Engine Strategy Was Never Conventional
One of the central observations in the original test is Saab’s decision to introduce the turbocharged version of the 9000 before the naturally aspirated variant. In conventional product planning, manufacturers establish the base engine first and build upward. Saab did the opposite, and Griffin recognized that immediately, describing the Saab 9000S as effectively a “back-door” addition to a lineup already defined by its most advanced configuration.
This was not a marketing anomaly but a reflection of Saab’s internal engineering priorities. The turbocharged engine was already fully developed, incorporating 16-valve architecture, intercooling, and detonation-sensitive boost control, and it defined how the platform behaved from the outset . The naturally aspirated version did not precede this configuration – it followed it.
That sequencing created a structural imbalance. The 9000S was never evaluated on neutral ground, because it entered a market where the turbocharged variant had already established expectations. From the beginning, it was measured against a version of the car that expressed the platform’s full capability.
Why the 9000S Feels Slower Than the Numbers Suggest
On paper, the naturally aspirated engine does not appear fundamentally flawed. With 125 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque, it sits within the expected range for a European executive car of the late 1980s . The recorded 0-60 mph time of 9.8 seconds and top speed of 113 mph are not outliers for the segment, but the way those numbers translate into real-world driving is where Griffin’s analysis becomes more relevant.
The issue is not absolute performance, but how the engine delivers it. The 16-valve cylinder head, designed to operate efficiently at higher engine speeds, requires sustained throttle input to access its potential. Without forced induction, the lower end of the rev range lacks the immediate response that defines the turbocharged variant. The result is a car that feels restrained in everyday driving conditions, even when the specifications suggest otherwise.
The problem was never the 9000 as a platform. The problem was removing the very component it had been engineered around. That single change alters the entire character of the car, not by reducing its capability, but by shifting it away from the conditions under which it was originally optimized.
The Chassis Was Never the Limiting Factor
Where the test becomes more nuanced is in its assessment of the chassis. Griffin does not attribute the car’s shortcomings to its structural or dynamic foundation, because there are none to identify. The suspension layout, braking system, and overall balance remain identical to the turbocharged version, and the measured 0.79 g skidpad performance confirms that the underlying grip and composure are intact .
The steering is described as slightly over-assisted, with a mild tendency to wander, but these traits are contextual rather than defining. What matters is how the car behaves under sustained load. At highway speeds, particularly in the 65 to 70 mph range, the 9000S settles into a stable, predictable rhythm that aligns directly with Saab’s development priorities .
This is consistent with Saab’s broader engineering philosophy, which emphasized long-distance stability, aerodynamic efficiency, and driver endurance over short-term responsiveness. The chassis does not lack capability; it lacks the engine configuration that fully activates that capability in a wider range of conditions.
Space, Packaging, and the Quiet Strength of the 9000
One of the most revealing aspects of the test is the attention given to interior space and packaging efficiency. Despite being shorter than key competitors, the 9000 delivers a 102 cubic-foot interior volume, placing it within a classification typically reserved for significantly larger vehicles . This was achieved through a combination of transverse engine layout and tightly controlled proportions, allowing Saab to maximize usable space without increasing external dimensions.
The practical advantages extend beyond raw volume. The rear seat configuration, which allows for a flat load floor, reflects Saab’s consistent prioritization of functionality over convention. These are not secondary features but core elements of how the car was engineered to be used.
Griffin acknowledges these strengths without overstating them, recognizing that the 9000S remains a spacious, well-executed, and structurally coherent vehicle, even when its powertrain fails to match the expectations set by its turbocharged counterpart.
What the Numbers Actually Reveal
The performance figures documented in the original test provide a clear reference point for evaluating the car’s capabilities. The quarter mile time of 17.3 seconds at 79 mph, combined with a 70-0 mph braking distance of 193 feet, positions the 9000S as competent but not exceptional within its segment . Fuel economy figures of 23 mpg observed, with EPA estimates of 21 city and 26 highway, reinforce its suitability as a long-distance vehicle rather than a performance-oriented one.
These numbers are not misleading, but they require context. In isolation, they describe a balanced executive car. When compared directly to the turbocharged version, they highlight a clear divergence in character and intent, even within the same platform.
Reading the Test With Four Decades of Distance
What becomes evident when revisiting this test today is not that Griffin was harsh, but that he was precise. His conclusion that the turbocharged version justifies its higher cost reflects the reality of how the 9000 platform was engineered. The naturally aspirated version does not redefine that platform; it operates within it under different constraints.
With the benefit of hindsight, the 9000S occupies a different position. It is no longer evaluated against a showroom alternative but against its role within Saab’s engineering framework. In that context, it represents a technically consistent, if strategically compromised, interpretation of the same underlying architecture.
Griffin did not misread the car. He identified the exact point at which it diverged from its intended configuration and explained the consequences without exaggeration. That clarity is what gives the test its lasting relevance.
Why This Test Still Matters for Saab Enthusiasts
For Saab enthusiasts, the value of this archive lies in its accuracy rather than its conclusion. The test documents a moment when Saab’s engineering philosophy was still intact and externally visible, before later corporate constraints altered its trajectory. It also serves as a reminder that period automotive journalism, when done at a high level, can preserve insights that remain valid decades later.
The Saab 9000S was never intended to replace the turbocharged variant, and Griffin’s test makes that clear. It was designed to extend the platform’s reach while maintaining its structural integrity, even if that meant sacrificing the defining characteristic that made the 9000 distinctive in the first place.
Griffin didn’t misread the 9000S. He exposed it. Not as a flawed car, but as a car missing the one element it had been built to rely on. That distinction matters today more than it did in 1987. Because with distance, the 9000S is no longer judged against its showroom rival – it is judged against its engineering intent. And by that measure, the original verdict still holds up.
Source: 1987 Saab 9000S Archive Test — Car and Driver, May 1987, by Larry Griffin. Griffin’s full body of automotive journalism is documented at Muck Rack. For full production history of the Saab 9000, see the Saab 9000 Wikipedia entry.
