Christian Wardlaw’s 2006 Saab 9-7X Driving Impressions:
After spending some time behind the Saab 9-7X’s wheel, you’ve gotta wonder why GM couldn’t dial this level of sophistication into the Chevy TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy when they debuted way back in the fall of 2001. Those were sloppy handling SUVs suffering excessive body roll, squat, and dive. By contrast, the Saab 9-7X, which is exactly the same vehicle wearing a different costume, is a reasonably refined piece of work given its basis on one of the least appealing vehicles sold by the Detroit Three today.

The 4.2-liter inline six under the hood of our test truck guzzled fuel at an alarming rate, making me wonder why people would bother to skip the available 5.3-liter V8 with Active Fuel Management. The transmission shifted well and responded to requests for added power decisively, but the selector moved through the detents with sticky recalcitrance. The brake pedal is well calibrated, easy to modulate, amenable to making smooth limo stops. The suspension offers a nice ride while simultaneously quelling most of the body motions that can inspire sea-sickness in other iterations of this SUV, and the Saab handled a cloverleaf off-ramp with surprising dexterity and grip. Even the steering was decent for a truck, lacking feel but exhibiting proper degrees of effort and heft off of center.

Overall, this isn’t a bad driver, but it’s hardly competitive with many mainstream mid-sizers much less other entry-level luxury SUVs.

Thom Blackett’s 2006 Saab 9-7X Driving Impressions:
Despite having 290 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, the 2006 Saab 9-7X 4.2i feels sluggish. The inline six is strong enough to move nearly 4,800 pounds around town with little problem, but get on the gas hard for a quick pass or a spirited sprint when the light turns green, and you’ll find there’s not much in reserve. Worse yet, even when taking it easy I only saw fuel economy climb to 14 mpg. The transmission, on the other hand, feels fairly refined, though it’s an outdated four-speed automatic. Shifts were seamless, but there was a reluctance to downshift quickly on several occasions, causing power delivery to be delayed as I dug deeper into the throttle.

Handling is decent for a heavy SUV, and body roll is well controlled. However, get aggressive in the corners and the 9-7X’s front end will plow as the Dunlop tires squeal and relinquish grip. The steering is too light and vague, and the brakes, while effective, required too much pedal travel for full stopping power. On a more positive note, visibility is very good thanks to large windows all around and despite good-sized rear outboard headrests. Wind noise is prevalent around the windshield and front pillars.

Ron Perry’s 2006 Saab 9-7X Driving Impressions:
I found the 2006 Saab 9-7X to be an enjoyable ride. It is comfortable and quiet with little wind or tire noise and the ride is smooth. In terms of power, the six-cylinder engine we had in our test vehicle did okay for daily commuting but only registered 13.2 mpg during the time we had it. With this kind of fuel economy, why not get the V8? Step hard on the gas and the six could get the job done but was obviously working hard pushing the 4,770 pounds of steel and plastic. The ride is smooth and car-like, as is the steering. The brakes, on the other hand, offer little feedback and many times I found myself pushing harder and harder on the pedal in hopes of getting stopped in time. The transmission shifts are smooth and responsive and the handling wasn’t bad for an SUV. One thing I did find annoying was the load-leveling pump – when it activated, it was very noisy.