1979-93 - WHAT TO BUY: SAAB 900

Echoing the design of the long-running 99 that preceded it, the updated and modernized Saab 900 was the car that brought the fringe Swedish brand into its closest proximity to the mainstream, which honestly wasn't that close.

- Brett Berk

When we drove a Saab in 1977, we said, "When you get all done cracking Saab jokes, you'll find the one thing that is even more fun is driving Saabs." 

From launch the 900 was available with a turbo, and the boosted models are far more desirable, particularly when mated with the five-speed manual transmission (a three-speed Borg-Warner automatic was optional). Rare notchback fourdoor sedans lack the cargo capacity and standout shape of the two-and four-door hatches. A somewhat flexy convertible arrived for 1986. Cars from 1990 and later received modern safety updates such as antilock brakes and airbags.

Fuel economy, front-wheel-drive traction, a good ride-and-handling balance, panoramic visibility, and innovative features (seat heaters, a center-console-mounted ignition switch, a cabin air filter) are hallmarks of the 900. So too is Saab weirdness, present in its pinnacle and independent form here, before General Motors bought and diluted the brand.