New Saab 9-2x Owners: Give Us Your Report

PF_Flyer

Congratulations on your new ride! This is the place to know what you love about it!

tll92x

I purchased my Saab 92x Linear (manual) in late April 2005 in Southern California with Moon-roof and heated seats. I was a little disconcerted to find that the car was actually manufactured in June 2004, but I don't expect (hope) that latency to be an issue. I purchased the car because I wanted a small wagon/hatchback with good mileage (about 25 mpg around town average so far), good looks, and the (theoretical) promise of repair service at multiple service centers (Saab, Subaru, or GM dealerships) while on the road (Saab ownership by GM was a major consideration in my purchase). The 92x is clearly superior to my previous 1996 Saturn SW2 wagon in terms of performance, safety, luxury, and (hopefully) engine reliability. But lets discuss Saab 92x ownership practicalities.

At 1900 miles, I wanted to change the oil and filter (based upon the old axiom that new cars generate metal wear-in filings that should be removed through an early-on oil change). The oil filter and oil drain plug are easily accessible from under the car, but 'boy' were they torqued on! I sprained my wrist getting the oil filter off! The key information here, however, is that the 92x Linear doesn't use the Subaru 2.5l engine oil filter. The Saab 92x Linear uses the FRAM 6607 Oil Filter (or equivalent), which is smaller in size than that used in the 2004 Subaru Impreza.

I've also noticed some difficulty in putting my Saab 92x Linear (manual) into reverse. Sometimes I have to jiggle the clutch to get reverse to engage. Is this normal? I wasn't expecting that kind of experience with a 21th Century automobile. (But hey, I remember the old days).

Finally, the Saab 92x manual says that the oil and filter should be changed at 7500 miles. This seems rather long considering my previous car experiences. Is 3000 or 6000 miles more realistic for long term engine preservation? Does any one have knowledge/experience with the Subaru 2.5l 4-cylinder boxer engine?

thanks, tll02x

cntwll

I picked up a 9-2x linear w/ auto, premium & cold for ~$21,800 (otd) last week... (I luv Delaware state tax)

I did some around the town driving last week and had it out for about an hour on Sunday. It sat yesterday and I turned it over this morning to a very, very large cloud of white smoke... Any ideas? Should I be concerned?

I called the dealer and they told me to keep an eye on it...

Help!!

thanks
Matt

wolftim

Thanks for the information on the oil filter size. I won't need it until the free maintenance runs out but it's good to know. The dealership likes to wrench down on the oil filters that are initially installed. I have had that problem with some of my older cars, Ford Escort, Kia Sephia, Jeep Wrangler. I don't have any problems with my clutch so I can't help you with that. In regards to oil changes, I've heard of longer. My friend bought a new Nissan Titan and his first oil change wasn't until 10000. After that I don't know. I'm pretty sure that you could change your oil whenever you want and it won't hurt.

tll92x

Thanks for your info!
tll92x

firedaugs

Picked up my 9-2x Areo with auto, cold, and sport yesterday. Dealer say to run 89 (mid-grade), while manual says to run at least 91. Dealer says running premium over time could be harmful to the engine due to the extra aditives in preimum. Haven't had a chance yet to get the service managers opinion. Thoughts?

scootertrash2

Use regular. The computer can adjust for the slight difference in octane.

kyfdx

Your dealer has no clue.... If the manual says premium.. use premium. Turbos are especially sensitive to octane ratings...

scootertrash... sounds like a biker porn-flick..

wolftim

Your dealer might not have a clue but 89 works just fine. Talk to a couple of actual mechanics and most will tell you that 87 sucks, go no less than 89, and turbos DO NOT NEED 91 or better on an every fill-up basis. You should have no problem running 89 regularly and then every 4 or 5 fill-ups add in the good stuff.

scootertrash2

Sorry wolftim, you don't know what you are talking about.
No one who understands fuel chemistry or modern engine control electronics says "87 sucks"
It will work just fine. The only difference is octane, all other factors and additives are the same. Do you know what octane does?

wolftim

Sorry scooter, I was the one who talked to the mechanics where I live so I know what they said. I'm not saying they were right or wrong, just what they said. Maybe you have better mechanics than I have available. I'm not saying that 87 sucks either, just that where I live, which has consistently lower quality gas, the 89 octane works better for me. Oh, and octane is the amount of fuel that can be compressed before it ignites. The lower the octane, the lower the amount of compression it can handle before igniting. In conclusion, try out the gas for yourself. You can determine what your car runs best on, not me.

newowner1

We just brought home a 2005 blue 9-2x linear. A sweet car. We thought about going with the Aero, which made my blood run hot when kicking the turbo in. We decided to save a bit of money, so we could buy another car soon. Here is what we paid:

16821 base
556 moonroof (they made a mistake on my order. We didn't want this option, so the dealer took $500 off its price)
17377 before tax, title, and registration
18541 total :P

I'm wondering how resale/insurance values will hold up. On my loan, the car is valued around MSRP. If we got in an accident and the car was totaled, what would we get? Any thoughts?

chills23

I have the same issue with Reverse on my Aero. It isn't always tough to put in "R", but when it is, I simply pump the clutch and it's fine. I heard this is normal even on WRX's. It should also get easier with time. Some also say installing the short shifter (Factory or Kartboy) seems to fix the linkage issues.

As far as oil goes, I've seen many modern cars with longer than 3k/3 month intervals. My former Audi A4 was also at this kind of interval. If you're worried, use synthetic or synthetic blend.

twinrotts

I'm a Newie Saabaru owner. Wife grew tired of her 01 Passat GLX 4M.
and the GM carrot was too good to pass
Anyway she is loving this new scooter.
Have Std 5 spd w/ the Cold Weather Package and Moonroof .
I read above that the Impreza dimming mirror will fit this car, but where do you tap the electrics? Would a Subie dealer install it??
Also would like to add the Subie console armrest extender if it fits...Anyone try that one yet?
Would also like to buy a set of steel rims with caps to mount Alpines or Blizzaks but have not yet found a source.
Any help is appreciated

tonedebone

I installed the mirror over the weekend ... about an hour job all told. If you pry off the map light bulb cover, there's two screws holding the console up. Undo these to reveal the wiring and the mirror connector. I asked a Subie dealer about adding the tow bar hitch (which I ended up doing myself) and they wanted $100/hour. Seeing as the mirror only cost about $100 and the hardest part is getting the old one off, I'd say do it yourself.

twinrotts

Thanks for the tip. I did not assume the wiring harness had a mirror connector already installed as I do not think the mirror is even an option on the 9-2
When you reroute the wire to connect to the mirror did you need to modify or cut the console to create a route for the wire?
How do you remove the original mirror? Is there a solvent I need to buy?

tonedebone

I find it kinda strange that there's "premium" options avilable for the Impreza (eg. mirror and subwoofer) that Saab chose not to offer. Maybe having the sunroof uses the power connector ?

The wire feeds through the 1/4' gap between the headliner and the windshield and there's a supplied trim piece that covers the wire from the headliner to the mirror. The mirrors are clipped onto a mount that's glued to the glass. You have to push down with quite a bit of force to unclip them. For more details try www.subaruparts.com/guides

chills23

Congrats on the purchase!
The Subie armrest fits fine and matches the color of the 9-2x perfectly. it takes 60 sec to install by removing/reinstalling 2 screws. Buy it from one of the Subie websites for a lot less than Saab is selling them.

I imagine you could get steel wheels from Tire rack or the like.

92xowner

I own a 2005 92-x and out of the box I found it to be a very nice upgrade from the subaru. With more sound damping, leather, better stereo, and subtle chassis adjustments a fantastic daily driver. Having a disease called 'neverabletoleaveanythingasitis' - which my fiancee has me in therapy for - I have already installed the K&N cold air induction system for it with a turbo back exhaust due to go in in the spring. I drove the 1.8T Golf and found its acceleration to be far superior on dry smooth pavement but being in NH - that is a rarity! The snow tires on my car allow me to move out better than most SUV's - except Hummer's!! I have heard of other mods available and welcome any conversations! I bought mine during GM's generous EE sale - MSRP 32800, my price was 22000. Not even a question of what is out there for the same money... Thanks again GM for making a better Subaru WRX wagon!

ateixeira

Few people realize this, but Subarus benefitted from the partnership, too. The same steering revisions were put in the 2005 Impreza, and leather is now offered on 2006 models (moonroof too). The interior went into '05 Imprezas also, and had been in Foresters since 2003.

These cars are made in Gunma, Japan, at a Subaru plant, it's not like they're going to give Saab all the good stuff.

-juice

tonedebone

> Few people realize this, but Subarus benefitted from the
> partnership, too. The same steering revisions were put in
> the 2005 Impreza, and leather is now offered on 2006 models
> (moonroof too). The interior went into '05 Imprezas also,
> and had been in Foresters since 2003.

The steering and suspension mods were passed down from the
Sti, as were the HID mechanisms. Leather, moonroof & ACC
were always available on Euro-spec Imprezas. Cold weather
package was previously available on Canadian market cars.

I doubt a single SAAB engineer spent any time on the 9-2X;
probably just sent Subaru a picture of a 9-5 and said
"can you make it look more like that".

jchan2

Now I'm not so sure there will be a 2006 9-2X because the Saab website has all the 2006 info for every other model EXCEPT for the 9-2X, where it still has 2005 information listed.

wolftim

I noticed this too. Yahoo and other websites have a 2006 9-2x available to build/research but nothing on saabusa.com nor is there anything on my local Saab dealership's website. I live near Seattle. Just a heads up to anyone interested in a used 9-2x, there is one for sale at Carter Saab/VW. It's a manual Linear with @ 9516 miles, heated seats, sunroof, CD player, and what I believe are 16" rims and tires. They are asking 19,995 if anyone is close and interested.

jchan2

I'm wondering... Do they even HAVE 2006 9-2Xs? I saw them listed in the GM Fleet directory, but has anyone seen them at dealerships yet? Maybe some 2006s were on the way when GM and Fuji Heavy Industries parted ways.

wolftim

I went to get service on my 9-2x on the 8th of January and there were no 9-2x or 9-3 sport-combi. A salesman approached me and asked if I wanted to see anything, and I told him I wanted to see the new 9-2x, but it didn't look like he had any. He said he didn't and didn't know why or when they were going to be there, so it looks like noone knows.

jchan2

Strange... The fate of the 9-2X is unknown!

ateixeira

I bet it won't exist. We would have seen/heard by now.

-juice

jchan2

True.

kurtamaxxxguy

Perhaps it is still being sold?