We wouldn’t normally feature a car this new that isn’t a special edition low mileage survivor, but I’ve always been fascinated by these Saab 9-2xs so I thought it would be fun to take a closer look. By the 2000s, Saab was struggling to just stay alive, so they decided to give badge engineering a go. So they did the only logical thing, they rebadged a Subaru. I guess at least they both share the same first letter in their names, but other than that these two companies couldn’t be more different. The result of their union was well, interesting. If you’d like to own this Saabaru, owned by reader James C, please use the form below to contact him!
There really isn’t much Saab here, it’s pretty much a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon in everything but name. The body did receive a new front end that more resembled a Saab and the rear bumper and tail lights were also swapped out for Saabish parts. The changes are just drastic enough to throw the average consumer off, but anyone with a basic interest in cars can tell that this isn’t really a Saab.
The most drastic changes happened on the inside. Alright, so maybe the changes weren’t all that drastic, but the Saab version is a bit more grown up on the inside. The seats are a bit more subdued, you won’t find any faux carbon fiber trim anywhere, there’s more sound deadening installed and the gauges are easier on the eyes. While I love the sporty nature of the WRX, I’ve always found the interiors to be over the top, which makes the Saabaru a more appealing option.
And big surprise, power comes from a Subaru boxer engine! Given what ended up happening to Saab, it’s probably for the best. You can go into any Subaru dealer and get parts to fix the drivetrain without any issue. Given that this one is powered by the 2.0-liter turbo engine with 227 horsepower, you will want to make sure to keep up on services. While the majority of the mechanicals are standard WRX pieces, the 9-2x did receive the faster steering rack from the STi and a few other suspension bits to keep things interesting. It sounds like this one is going to need a little suspension work to make it a perfect daily driver, but I’ll let James tell you a little more about the car below.
What Makes It Special? “Saabaru”. One year that Subaru made a WRX for Saab.
Body Condition: Very good. Bumpers need touch up. Interior excellent. Engine bay very clean.
Mechanical Condition: Runs great. Automatic transmission shifts 6500rpm every gear. New brakes and tires all around, 17″ bronze spider wheels, 2nd set black spider wheels on near new tires and 3rd set 16″ stock alloy spiders mounted to near new Winterforce tires. Has front end shimmy that comes and goes. Needs rack and pinion or struts.
- Asking Price: $7000.00
- Location: Thornwood, New York 10594
- Mileage: 162k
- Title Status: Clean
- VIN: JF4GG22645H051509
Our thanks to James for listing this rare Saabaru with us! Given how few were built, do you see this being a future collector’s car? If you have a rare and unique find that needs a new home, please consider listing it here on Barn Finds!
I recall around ’05,’06,a lady co-worker of Swedish descent bought one of these new.When she proudly showed off her new car to me one day after work, I informed her that she actually bought a Subaru and proved it by showing her the sticker under the hood that said Fuji Heavy Industries.Needless to say, she wasn’t very happy.Shortly thereafter, she transferred to another office so I don’t know if she kept the car or not.
I had a similar experience in high school. A classmate’s parents bought them one brand new for their senior year (2005). This particular individual told everyone how they hated Japanese cars and their family only bought European cars. I had fun showing them that same sticker!
Fantastic! These are a future collectible, there is no question about that. I’m trying to think if I’ve seen one with a 5-6-speed? They all seem to be automatics in the Saab version.
Five speed, yes. But the 9-2x (and regular Subie WRX from that time period) wouldn’t have had a six speed available.
The six speed was only used in the WRX STi.
These were the first of what was supposed to be a fairly significant number of badge-engineered Saabs made by Subaru. Of course, at the time, both Saab and Subaru were owned (in full or part) by GM, which makes the collaboration make more sense.
The Subaru B9 Tribeca was supposed to serve as the base for the 9-6x, but that never happened because GM sold their interest in Subaru to Toyota, opting to create the oft-mocked Trollblazer/9-7x. Subaru used the front clip from the 9-6x to update the B9 and get rid of the silly horse collar grill they’d be using.
That’s cool, I never knew that. And I’m a Saab guy! I’m glad that never came to be. It looks awful and I don’t like those smaller SUVs anyway.
I’ve always kind of wanted a 9-7X Aero though, just because it would be cool to have a Saab with a big V8 that I can tow my projects with.
Geez,
Another Saab story..
I have one that I bought obscenely cheap, a solid driver with some cosmetic issues and 150,000 kms. I’ve fallen in love with it. I always liked the idea of an upscale WRX and I was fortunate to nab mine, free of abuse and ricey mods that befall most Subarus of the same generation. You get all the sport of a WRX but better steering with the STi rack, better suspension, and a quiet exhaust. You do notice the extra sound deadening they stuffed into the Saab. Mine also has the auto (likely why it survived) and I’ll warn you, you haven’t experienced turbo lag till you’ve driven an EJ20 with a lazy 4 speed slushbox.
No need to get excited about a Saaburu.
We never got these this side of the Atlantic – and probably just as well. We got the ‘real’ SAAB’s, the 9-3 and 9-5.
Always found these Saab’s interesting. Even with the Subaru in it. But after the loss of my beloved Nissan 200sx sei in a hit and run. Quirky cars still interest me.
With this car being in upstate New York. I wish I had the time and the money to go and check this one out. I’d rather drive this than the bland Nissan Sentra Fe my mom gifted me after the loss of my 200sx.
My family was a Saab family—we owned five of them since my stepfather’s first ’83 900 Turbo, and for many years I would borrow his modified ’88 900 SPG whenever I was visiting. While it was seemingly held together with duct tape and hope, it was hilariously fun and the rush of the turbo was intoxicating. My own Civic Si, with a stratospheric redline but no torque, was just not what I wanted anymore.
So I went out and bought a ’03 WRX wagon (which I still own), which supplied both the turbo power and a bunch of other things that reminded me of Saabs—slightly offbeat styling, unique engineering, tons of practicality and…crucially important…a personality. Though I have to say the Subie has been much more reliable than Stepdad’s Saab.
So for me, the 9-2x always kind of made sense, as much of a badge-engineer job as it is. While I wouldn’t personally go for an automatic in a car like this, it’s a neat package overall.