Saabs

97golf

Is there any reason not to buy a Saab these days. I know they went bust but assume parts etc are not an issue?
considering something like this:
Saab 9-3 griffin estate 2011 (can't post links)

Never driven a Saab so any advice welcome thanks!

acronym Chilli

97golf wrote: »

Is there any reason not to buy a Saab these days. I know they went bust but assume parts etc are not an issue?
considering something like this:
Saab 9-3 griffin estate 2011 (can't post links)

Never driven a Saab so any advice welcome thanks!

Driving the one myself, albeit much older than you're thinking (a 2002 93). I really enjoy it as a car. Parts generally not problematic. Lot of GM commonality, the moreso the later the model.

biko

I have one too, old model and loving it.
Can't speak for 2011 MY though.

Here's a few things that may help

YT reviews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awFU5FVBZwU

Carsurvey isn't updated in ages but for other people's info
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/saab/9-3/

Carbuyer review
http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/reviews/saab/9_3/saloon-2002-2011/review

More
http://www.motorauthority.com/overview/saab_9-3_2011

Recalls
http://repairpal.com/saab/9-3/recalls

VincePP

I used to have one. Changed at 225,000 miles. If they were still available, I'd buy again. Road holding is superb. Never had any issues.

visual

It's a Opel with a Saab body so most of the oily bits are interchangeable. There is stock of parts but how long they last is anyone's guess. But then there will always be breaker yards

The fact everyone knows they have gone bust helps buyer get better deal

biko

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_9-3#2011.E2.80.932012

The 9-3 received some revisions in 2011 for the 2012 model year. Changes were in the engine range with an overall reduction in diesel and petrol engine fuel consumption of 12% and 7% respectively.[31] An entry-level 163 hp, 2.0-litre gasoline / BioPower engine was added for 9-3 saloon, estate, and 9-3X models with Saab XWD

In most markets, car was badged 'Griffin'

97golf

Thanks for the replies. Food for thought. Changing from a bmw 320 so a new brand for me. Might give it a test and see!

cletus

As far as I remember, when saab went under, one of the guys higher up in management set up a pattern parts business for saab parts, supposedly using saab schematics etc.

However I could have dreamed this too

CiDeRmAn

It's a car is love to own, perhaps an 06 9.3, 1.9 TDI
But I'm cautious about spending on it when I can buy a similarly priced but infinitely less interesting Avensis or Superb.

97golf

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

It's a car is love to own, perhaps an 06 9.3, 1.9 TDI
But I'm cautious about spending on it when I can buy a similarly priced but infinitely less interesting Avensis or Superb.

I've tried an avensis and while the head says it's a sensible option it's just soooo dull to drive! There's a 320 m sport on the shopping list as well...
Looking at diesel estates with 1.9l or above.

Preset No.3

I had a 05 93 Vector for about 8 months. Such a nice drive. 48mpg on the motorway. Keep it serviced regularly and you will have no issues. I bought it for 2k and hated selling it.

Had a 04 9-3 for 10 years, from 06 up to 2 weeks ago, loved it, drove and handled great, but when things went they all went together, airbags, seatbelts, heating system, windows, door wouldn't open and so on. When I was looking around...I realised there is nothing else like them.

MuffinsDa

I'm currently on my second SAAB, this time a 2006 95 automatic estate which I bought up north a few months ago and imported. Had a 2000 93 which we drove for 9 years until a truck driver scraped the side of it and wrote it off

It's an extremely comfortable, refined, and fast car. I really can't think of any car in its class that would be as comfortable. Maybe a top of the range e-class.

There were serious issues with 900NG and 1st generation 93s (bulkhead separation) and also with 1st generation 95s (sludge). But the newer 95s (06-on) and 93s are largely trouble free. They are great value these days too.

KERSPLAT!

I'mmad to buy a 9-3!! Looking '04 or '05, they look really nice and seem packed with extras, lovely inside!

jimmycrackcorm

Deleted User wrote: »

Had a 04 9-3 for 10 years, from 06 up to 2 weeks ago, loved it, drove and handled great, but when things went they all went together, airbags, seatbelts, heating system, windows, door wouldn't open and so on. When I was looking around...I realised there is nothing else like them.

Have mine 9 years, also an 06. Love every minute I spend driving it. I won't part with it until it stops working completely. Fortunately I've only 60k miles on the clock so expecting many years yet.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

I have a 06 9-3 1.9TiD (150bhp) vector sport automatic. Great spec like heated seats, sat nav , auto wipers and lifts , aux input and so on.

Great on fuel, cost me able 50-55 to fill it up all the way and that will take me about 500miles approx (city + motorway mixed)

Very comfortable and i found very reliable so far. Mine just went over 100k miles so should be plenty left in her.

Parts are still being made, be it GM or the Chinese company that make them too. I don't think we'll ever have to search scrap yards for spares for these.

Would recommend but the 95 would have more space in the back and boot if that's what you need.

EDIT: mine is automatic and great, triponic too. What i noticed about mine is that its a 6 speed auto where most are 5 speed. Apparently anyway. But it's very good and quiet of your looking for an auto too. A good range of gears etc.

I do get worried when I'm driving 110 - 120kmh at 2000 revs and the thing shifts into 6th down to about 1500revs ! I keep thinking the engine has died !

But on the other side of that it'll do 100MPH comfortably at 2000revs

corks finest

97golf wrote: »

Is there any reason not to buy a Saab these days. I know they went bust but assume parts etc are not an issue?
considering something like this:
Saab 9-3 griffin estate 2011 (can't post links)

Never driven a Saab so any advice welcome thanks!

Sound.As a bell,Saab

corks finest

97golf wrote: »

Is there any reason not to buy a Saab these days. I know they went bust but assume parts etc are not an issue?
considering something like this:
Saab 9-3 griffin estate 2011 (can't post links)

Never driven a Saab so any advice welcome thanks!

Had 2,,no problems,basically an Opel vectra underneath, don't know about the 2011 ones

jimmycrackcorm

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Have mine 9 years, also an 06. Love every minute I spend driving it. I won't part with it until it stops working completely. Fortunately I've only 60k miles on the clock so expecting many years yet.

Lucky you. Miles ahead in it for you.

When I parted company with mine, there was only about 170k done. It's just that parts alone for all the jobs needed were gonna cost over a grand, labour would bring it up to over €1,500...and a new problem could appear after all that. It still performed very well and I still think it's one of the most attractive cars ever...it's only when I was looking around it dawned on me how ugly other cars are. It left such a void in the market for that sleek look.

97golf

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Had a 04 9-3 for 10 years, from 06 up to 2 weeks ago, loved it, drove and handled great, but when things went they all went together, airbags, seatbelts, heating system, windows, door wouldn't open and so on. When I was looking around...I realised there is nothing else like them.

Not good considering the huge amount of electrics in the 2011 model!
Thanks

biko

In US Saab is a hipster or sophisticats brand, in Ireland I suppose a middleclass brand. At least you'll never see a skanger in one.

97golf

97golf wrote: »

Not good considering the huge amount of electrics in the 2011 model!
Thanks

Still though, mine lasted 12 years so you'd only have to worry about these things after 2020!

Plus I treated mine pretty badly, was up every dirt track in Kerry, servicing was patchy in recent years and so on.

grogi

97golf wrote: »

Not good considering the huge amount of electrics in the 2011 model!
Thanks

IIRC the Saabs had fibre optic connectivity instead of regular wires. They got rid of those in later versions...

Gasco

Have a 05 93 TiD (120 bhp) Vector Sport with 105k on the clock. Have it two years now and apart from standard repairs; tyres / brake pads - it has run well.

Ok - there are the standard Saab idiosyncrasies. Rattles from the glove box, creaking from the dash - but I have learned to live with these. A common fault is the cd player, mine has just gone, but has an aux in so the ipod deals with that issue.

I think the car looks great, and is really nice to drive - road holding is great and it is fast enough. Certainly faster, more stable and nimble than my wife's Avensis D4D.

Given the history of the brand they can be picked up relatively cheaply, which was a major factor in choosing one. Would I buy another, yes - the tax on the 05 is hard to swallow, so a post 08 93 is next on the list.

CiDeRmAn

My dreams of owning one were shook today, as I passed a broken down 04 Saab 9.3 on the side of the road to Donabate with it's bonnet up and a fella staring into the abyss as only people who, due to gender, are expected to know everything at first sight but, in fact, haven't a clue....

andy1300r

Opel vectra's in drag !! Get one that has'nt been hacked & they are great bang for your buck...Aero models look smart & go like stink !! Even basic 1.8t ( actually a 2.0) is a reasonably good car to drive imo.

recylingbin

Gasco wrote: »

Have a 05 93 TiD (120 bhp) Vector Sport with 105k on the clock. .

Pretty sure the vector sport is 150bhp, mine was anyway.
The nicest driving car I ever had. Comfortable, but with plenty of poke when needed.
And the gymnastic cup holder rocked.

CrossFlow

Not any reason not to buy a real saab, later gm models do have problems if not maintained.

Barr

MuffinsDa wrote: »

I'm currently on my second SAAB, this time a 2006 95 automatic estate which I bought up north a few months ago and imported. Had a 2000 93 which we drove for 9 years until a truck driver scraped the side of it and wrote it off

It's an extremely comfortable, refined, and fast car. I really can't think of any car in its class that would be as comfortable. Maybe a top of the range e-class.

There were serious issues with 900NG and 1st generation 93s (bulkhead separation) and also with 1st generation 95s (sludge). But the newer 95s (06-on) and 93s are largely trouble free. They are great value these days too.

Bulkhead separation :eek: when did that get sorted in the 93's ?

Gasco

recylingbin wrote: »

Pretty sure the vector sport is 150bhp, mine was anyway.
The nicest driving car I ever had. Comfortable, but with plenty of poke when needed.
And the gymnastic cup holder rocked.

I thought so too when researching them - but mine is 120 alright.

+1 on the cup holder..a design classic.

acronym Chilli

Barr wrote: »

Bulkhead separation :eek: when did that get sorted in the 93's ?

Problem can occur in MYears 98-02
http://www.saabscene.com/forum/threads/165961-Bulkhead-cracks-separation-SAAB-93

Also, I believe it's mostly a problem with RHD models.
Far from a universal occurrence though, and there's an after-market reinforcement strut you can fit that will prevent it if it's not happened already (and improve handling apparently)

fade out

Any opinions on this? Or anything I should look out for? Looking to upgrade and like the look of saabs as they are a bit different. Any major disadvantages?

http://www.mccaffreyautosales.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=1485292&r=

Fluffy Cat 88

fade out wrote: »

Any opinions on this? Or anything I should look out for? Looking to upgrade and like the look of saabs as they are a bit different. Any major disadvantages?

http://www.mccaffreyautosales.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=1485292&r=

I don't know much about cars - but the interior in that Saab on that website is just beautiful!

VincePP

fade out wrote: »

Any opinions on this? Or anything I should look out for? Looking to upgrade and like the look of saabs as they are a bit different. Any major disadvantages?

http://www.mccaffreyautosales.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=1485292&r=

Uk reg, so with vrt price is just under 11k - as detailed in the description.

But utterly gorgeous car and the later models were very well regarded - put it this way, if i did not need my large estate, (service guy crys at what i put into the car) I'd be looking at buying that!

fade out

Anyone with a keen eye that can make out the reg. Is it S860 OWO ? i put it into motor check for the vrt but it's not recognising it.

Fluffy Cat 88

fade out wrote: »

Anyone with a keen eye that can make out the reg. Is it S860 OWO ? i put it into motor check for the vrt but it's not recognising it.

Is it 5860 OWO? It's hard to see.

dubrov

Try SB60ONO

unkel

97golf wrote: »

Changing from a bmw 320 so a new brand for me. Might give it a test and see!

Owned an old Saab 9-5 for two years, never had any problems and sold it for about the same as I paid for it. Great car (mainly because they are so cheap to own compared to other similar cars) and a very pleasant place to be in

That said, they are not drivers cars and handling is poor. That's pretty much the weakest point of recent Saabs. Perfectly fine for most people, who probably won't even notice but If you are used to BMWs and if you like driving, I'd advise you to take one or more Saabs you fancy on a long test drive before you commit to buy

Keep us updated!

keane2097

Hope it's ok to bump this - anyone have any insight on the Biopower engines?

From googling it's some sort of petrol engine you can put some sort of biofuel into?

Lazybones

keane2097 wrote: »

Hope it's ok to bump this - anyone have any insight on the Biopower engines?

From googling it's some sort of petrol engine you can put some sort of biofuel into?

interested to hear feedback on this too please. hopefully some owners can advise what they are like to drive, own and live with.

Sleepy

Can't comment on the Biopower but my 1999 9-3 is still going strong. It had the bulkhead separation issue but that lead to me getting the car for free (a friend couldn't justify the repair and said she was mine if I wanted to get her fixed). It's starting to show it's age with a few minor issues: the radio antenna doesn't extend, the cabin fan blowers have been giving problems etc. but she still drives well and has never failed to start.

For anyone with one I'd echo the recommendations for Dara McCormack in Meath. A Saab nut with a yard full of old cars for breaking, you couldn't find a better specialist to help keep an old car on the road.

keane2097

Yeah strongly tempted to pick up a 08/09 93 at the moment, depending what trade in value I can get for my TT.

bazz26

If the Biopower engines are similar to the Volvo/Ford Flexifuel system then they can run on both biethanol and unleaded fuel. However bieithanol is no longer sold here so you will only be able to use unleaded which is fine. However the Volvo/Ford flexifuel engines are rather thirsty which didn't matter when biethanol was cheaply available here. The flexifuel engines needed servicing every 10k km also afaik.

keane2097

Looking at an 09 1.9TID with 110k miles on it.

Googling suggests these are pretty reliable - any concerns over one with that sort of mileage?

bazz26

It's a Fiat Multijet diesel engine found in various Opels, Alfa Romeos and of course Fiats, so has the same pros and cons.

KERSPLAT!

Picked up a Saab 9-3 2006 last week and I have two issues...

First is a small leak of power steering fluid. Having it looked at on Saturday hoping it's just a loose hose or whatever.

The other is much less of a problem and is just really annoying... what is the 2nd knob for!? The one on the left is the radio and the top right is for the display and system settings. What's the middle right knob for, of anything!?

akelly02

Any potential issues in saab 93 1.9 models circa 2008?