For those who know SAABs: is this a good deal?

Question

My car was recently totaled (jerk ran a red light) and so I'm shopping around for something cheap but decent. The front runner as of now is:
2003 Saab 9-3 Linear
68,000 miles
Automatic
Clean CarFax record

From this information, do you think this is a good deal at $9,995 list price? And does this model have a good record on maintenance? I can't find much info on Saab's, and that concerns me.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Answer 1

That depends on whether you want a Saturn or not. Sorry but the car you are looking at is a Saturn engine, (discontinued in the Saturn line due to engine problems), in an Opel chassis. Add in the whole new batch of electrical glitches this model and year has I shy our customers well away from the car. You will be much better served by dropping a year and buying the Viggen model only. The 2000 to 2003 2.0 L engines have terrible piston breakage problems so avoid them. Also avoid the V-6 model Saabs no matter the year. The Viggen has the 2.3 L Aero engine which is all Saab and a fine motor. Just as a side note here, DO NOT hold much stock in a Car-Fax report. They are for the most part garbage. You can run my daughters VIN number thru Car-Fax and it will come back clean as a whistle, the car has been totaled, twice. The title never left my possession so it never got "branded" which is what Car-Fax searches.
Anyway, no matter which car make or model car you choose, please have a Tech that you trust or that specializes in the make look it over. The few bucks spent, I charge $35.00 for a used car check, will be money well spent, If you have any additonal questions or need some advice feel free to drop me a note. Good Luck

Answer 2

I love my 97 Saab SE and got it (used) because of where I live for safety issues in wintery weather. They are a little heavier car and "stick" to the road - and cornering has been great. Saab is now a GM product and I can't say that has been a benefit for the line. Our "classic" Saabs were much more reliable and less likely to need service. That said, Saabs tend to be expensive to service: parts & svc, and plan on anywhere from 18-28mpg on a 4cyl 2.3 Turbo
The price you found sounds good, but have the car inspected by an independent mechanic "that knows Saabs" before buying. Go to saabnet.com and ask other saab owners there for potential issues and check for recalls as well.
If I didn't need a car that carves snow, I'd go back to a Honda in a minute- odometer issues or not, I've owned three civics LXs that didn't burn a drop of oil, and always started, cheap to operate etc..... (150K plus on all 3) There is a reason their resale remains high...

Answer 3

I can try to help a bit, but this won't be your best answer...

I drive a 1999 9-3 and I am more familiar with them and the NG900s. In 2003 they made some changes to the 9-3 model.

But basic things for any SAAB are to go over the service records. If it doesn't have any I'd be at least a little leary. Make sure oil was changed regularly, if full synthetic at the most every 5000 miles I would say to be safe, more often if a mix. See if it had any regular services done, 60000 mile, etc.

Lastly have a mechanic familiar with SAABs check it out for you before you decide to buy.

Good luck, they are fun and FAST cars that can be expensive to fix, but have a great community on the web to help owners out. Check some of the sites below and post your question in one of the relevant forums, you are sure to get some help...