At $9,988, Is This 2011 Saab 9-4x An Uber-Rare Bargain?

With an impossibly short 10-month production run that saw just over 800 vehicles roll off the assembly line, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Saab 9-4x is a crazy-rare car. Let’s see if it comes with an equally crazy price.

Vega, the star about 25 light-years from us in the constellation of Lyra, has a dad bod. A little over twice the size of our own sun, Vega’s rotational velocity causes it to bulge in its midsection due to the centrifugal force of that spinning. You’d think with so much exertion from said-spinning, Vega would be in better shape, but no.

By contrast, the 1975 Chevy Cosworth Vega we looked at on Thursday was in great shape, having, according to the ad, been carefully curated over its life. It is also a relatively rare car, with fewer than 2,100 built in 1975, so it should stand out at car shows. At $8,900, the Cosworth’s price prompted an equally rare occurrence: a ‘Nice Price’ win, with 56% of you voting in its favor once the results were tallied.

Now, I noted that the Cosworth Vega is a fairly rare car. To that distinction, the 2011 Saab 9-4x Premium we’re considering today says, “hold my cerveza.” Saab, as we all know, was the Swedish carmaker that fell on hard times, was initially rescued by General Motors, and then killed off by that very same company. The 9-4x was the last new model introduced by Saab, but, like Anastasia Nikolaevna, it was cut down before it could live a long and fruitful life.

Initially presented as a concept car in 2008, the 9-4x didn’t hit showrooms until June of 2011. This came after GM had offloaded Saab to Spyker earlier that year, a move that doomed the model to an incredibly short run of around 10 months, with a claimed 814 cars leaving the factory in that time. General Motors based the 9-4x on the same Theta platform as its factory sibling, the Cadillac SRX, which continued in production after the 9-4x had been axed.

Both cars were built at GM’s Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, plant, making the 9-4x additionally notable for being the only Saab model ever produced in Mexico. Two V6 engines were offered in the model over its production run: a 2.8-liter turbocharged motor offering 296 horsepower, or, as fitted to this car, a 3.0-liter with 260 horsepower. That engine also powered various Cadillac models, so parts and service shouldn’t be a problem. Next to that is a six-speed automatic, which was the only transmission the model offered. Full-time AWD was an option, but this one is FWD-only.

According to the sparse description in the ad, this Saab is a “gem” and sports a modest 111,000 miles on the clock. It also has a clean title and the seller’s assurance that “The limited production adds to the allure and desirability of the vehicle, making it a sought-after collector’s item among automotive enthusiasts.” Ohh-kay.

Admittedly, this 9-4x does look to be in pretty great shape. The black paint appears to be without noticeable flaws, and the factory alloy wheels look to be free of curb encounters. There’s no mention of the age of the tires wrapped around those wheels, but they are Nexen brand, which means this Saab has likely visited a Walmart in its day. 

All of the glass and badging is intact, and the headlamp lenses are free of any clouding, all additional pluses. Also, the headlights have a blue tint in the pictures, which is weird. Why are they blue? Are they all blue?

Having been originally positioned as a premium car—it did share factory space with a Cadillac, after all—it has a cabin filled with comfort and convenience features. The model does show its age in the lack of a substantially sized screen in the center stack. It somewhat makes up for that by having a whiz-bang small screen in the rearview mirror to display the backup camera. There’s also the expected dual-zone climate control, power windows and locks, and cruise. It’s all in very nice condition, save for the saggy nets on the seat backs. More importantly, however, it all looks very Saab-like, right down to the push-to-start button being located next to the shifter.

With its common Cadillac underpinnings topped with rare Saab style, this 9-4x should prove a solid choice for fans of the defunct Swedish brand. There also appears to be nothing inherently wrong with the car, although the dealer selling it doesn’t seem interested in providing much detail on its history. A quick VIN search on the model doesn’t turn up any turds in its punchbowl either.

With all that in mind, what’s your take on this super-rare Saab? More importantly, what do you think about the seller’s asking price of $9,988? Should someone pay that much for the privilege of driving one of the last Saabs ever? Or is this just too much of a cul-de-sac car to warrant such a price?

You decide!

Facebook Marketplace out of San Antonio, Texas, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to Bill Victor for the hookup!

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