Swede: Advice About Buying? (SAAB)

[pogweasel]

^See what I did there?^ Aaaanyway, been contemplating some barge action of late, been having a nose about and have espied a rather tasty-looking Saab 9-5 Aero HOT - anyone got any idea what these things are like? Seems to me alot of very fast comfy car for not alot of money, 260bhp/155mph shouldn't be this cheap, surely? What's the catch??!!I know it's stretching the boundaries of 'shite' but I know there's plenty of scandanavian love hereabouts....

[r.welfare]

9-5s are very cheap now, aren't they?Erm...as I understand it, the engines are susceptible to running big ends and/or snapping timing chains if the oil is not changed religiously, with decent synthetic stuff. Gearboxes can be weak like earlier models, and underneath it's a 1st-gen Vectra. Watch out for no history and Stomil tyres.Car Mechanics had one as a project car recently, there was a "what to look for" guide about 6 months back.

[Mr Lobster]

Can't tell you an awful lot to be honest. I've had Saab lust for a while now. Drove a new 9-3 a few weeks back and was very impressed, could rather fancy a decentish but not that expensive one myself. Seems to be a lot of car / power / kit for the money though.Good luck with it anyhow.

[ChinaTom]

A close relative has had a succession of 9-5's and 9-3's and had a terrible time with all of them with regard to electrics. Mostly niggly stuff such as windows, seats and locking. Mechanically never heard a moan though. He's an Audi man now though

[pogweasel]

The one in question has a full saab history, which bodes well. Also it's got the Heather Mills gearbox option (what is happening to me? A couple of years ago I would not have considered a Bader-matic)Any chance you have the article available for a crafty scan, Welfz?Then it's a case of getting it past the management!(I think I can firstly play the NCAP card)

[Volksy]

They certainly seem a lot of car for the money. I had my reservations about the quality of Saabs post GM takeover, but my 93 quoshed those. I think that head gaskets can be troublesome, and timing chains can be rattly, but this generally shows that the car hasn't been serviced correctly.They can be heavy on front tyres with all that power going through the front wheels. The trip-computer's display (SID) craps out, and it WILL drive you mad binging and bonging if you so much as fart at the wrong moment.Parts from Saab can be expensive, although German and Swedish cover most service and wear items. Plus being pretty worthless, with high parts prices, there will be a fair amount in breakers I would have thought from minor shunts.

[Mr Lobster]

On a Saab related theme, theres a house I pass every couple of weeks or so on the A47 between M1 J22 and Groby / Leicester, has a garden full of Saabs of varying vintages but most late '80's onwards. I keep meaning to get a picture but invariably forget...

[dollywobbler]

Pog - you could always buy a back issue? If I can track one down, I might be able to bring one to the RR meat, if that's any use? It's tonight by the way...I've been doing a lot of driving in that 9-5 project car and it's a mixed bag. Gearbox is Vauxhall and I don't like it. Very smooth most of the time but try getting a shift on and it gets its knickers in a twist and can never decide what gear to be in, leading to huge bouts of throttle lag.Engine is smooth and sweet though (light-pressure turbo) and it's comfortable and effortless on the cruise, only let down by hideous cheapness in places (the indicator stalk feels like a Wilkos special) and non-working air-con.Computer reckons it's doing 32mpg on average but it costs an eye-watering £70+ to fill the tank...

[alfetta]

i may give them a go one day (if I'm desperate) but I refuse to accept any post 93 saab as a saab! saving grace was they still had the trusty 2.0 lump until 01 or so....

[wuvvum]

I wasn't hugely impressed by my 9-5 I have to say. I never had any of the usual bottom end issues or blown turbos, but the electrics had a mind of their own and it just didn't feel as well screwed together as a 9000. They are cheap for what they are though, they go bloody well and they're comfortable (although I found that the driver's seat didn't go back far enough, but I'm a lanky bastard). Has the one you're looking at done a lot of miles? They just don't clock up 400k the way a well-maintained 9000 or pre-GM 900 would, but a well-looked-after low(ish) miler should be a sound buy as long as you can get over the electrical niggles.

[AXrescuer]

I've got a 900s (GM) and wouldn't part with it for anything. I was doubtful about them at first but now I'm a convert and am on the lookout for a convertible version for the wife.

[trigger]

Don't know much about them apart from they are a cool looking car and pretty cheap now to buy.

 

A quick search on google has brought up these to threads that may be of some help to ya Pog.

 

http://www.saabscene.com/forum/index.ph ... pic=373883

 

http://www.saabtec.co.uk/guide.php

[r.welfare]

Any chance you have the article available for a crafty scan, Welfz?

Think it went west in my big pile o'mags...Does the GM autobox get teamed with anything else with as much powa/torques in their range? I wonder how it would be up to snuff long-term.Saab FSH is fine, I'd still be checking how often it has been serviced mind, and with what oils. If you do buy it, get the sump dropped and the oil pump strainer cleaned/replaced for piece of mind.My 2007MY 9-3 went 18k between visits to the dealer, which is far too long/far in my book, but seems par for the course for "modern" stuff, similar to that VW "longlife" bollocks. That car was too new to have any electrical niggles but both the 9-5 and 9-3 are known for them. My impression of the 9-3 was of something a little different to the usual Vectra/Mondeo but not something that was as polished as a BMW in driving experience - dynamically it was exceptionally average, even with the sport suspension package, but then again mine only had 120bhp from the 1.9TD lump. It did feel relatively well screwed together over the 25k I covered in 11 months, but some of the interior trim did feel cheap. Comfy seats though, and felt plenty safe.Is it black with cream leather? That's the best colour combo.

[pogweasel]

Black with black leather. Yums!

[dollywobbler]

Pog - PM me your address. I've got CM photocopies for you...Sounds like they're cheap for a reason - stuff like ideally you should service them every 5k or the engines get grumpy and stuff like that. Cheap thrills and cheap thrills though, they certainly don't hang about, even in LPT form.