Saabs - Love them or Hate them? What are they like to own?

harveybobbles

mrcow wrote: »

My only concern is that I've read some opinions on here and there are a couple of MSE members who don't seem that keen on Saabs and are saying that they are very unreliable.

That'll be me then! And I stand by my comments too as they really are a dire car! Nice to drive, fun, nippy and brilliant spec compared to similar BMW/Audi's but put asside about 3000 for when (not if, but when) it goes wrong...

mrcow

harveybobbles wrote: »

That'll be me then! And I stand by my comments too as they really are a dire car! Nice to drive, fun, nippy and brilliant spec compared to similar BMW/Audi's but put asside about 3000 for when (not if, but when) it goes wrong...

Yes it was you You've really made me think twice about it all. We're effectively looking to write the car off over 3 years, but obviously that's no good if it won't last that long!

We've built £350 pa into the budget for maintenance and and extra £300 for wear and tear but I'm worried from your reviews that it won't be enough lol.

leekat21

I drive a Saab 9-3 estate vector. It's a 57 plate and I've had it for 8 months and done about 8k miles in it. It's been absolutely fine, no problems at all. Mine is a 1.8 petrol turbo. It cost me £8k

It was chosen by my petrol head partner who drives an S line A3, a lotus elise and lotus exige.

Spec is good, ride is comfortable and I do motorway and a road miles. It's even been all the way to the top of Scotland to Durness on winding single track roads.

Tia_Maria06

Well.... I have a Saab 900, and its an N Reg, so I think thats about 1996 year.. I've owned it for about 18 months and it cost me £325... and it has cost me a fiver for a new bulb!

I havent noticed it using any more fuel than any other car I've owned. So although its a bit of a big mans car, (no offence to big men lol), I have no grumbles with it.

Alan_M_2

Tia_Maria06 wrote: »

(no offence to big men lol)

Non taken, I'm a bit of a chunky monkey and I find the seats very comfortable indeed.
Our third company car is a "58" Audi A3 S line, it looks lovely, but it's shockingly hard ride makes it simply unpleasant to be in.

harveybobbles

If you want a Saab, buy a petrol one of any age! If you want a diesel, then dont bother!

£350pa wont be enough for maintenence. Not for one that run out if manf'r warranty.

If you don't want another audi, have you thought about the Volvo S60 D5? Fantastic car. Fast, frugal, fun. Two downsides: They eat the front tyres and they have a shocking turning circle.

mrcow

lol Will have a look at the S60 - thanks Harvey.

lemonslap

lol not this again!

I have a Saab TID and love it, both petrol and diesel engines have their issues mostly caused by service intervals that are to far apart as standard (oil pickup gauzes blocking etc on the petrols). The diesels are all from GM stock (apart from the TTID:D) so also fitted into alfas, fiat, vauxhall etc.

stumpjumper

marmitedog wrote: »

Octavia is based on a Golf platform, not A4.

I love old SAABs but the new ones since GM took over have been pretty hopeless. The fact that they are losing money and GM can't find a buyer means they probably won't be around much longer.

They had found a buyer - the deal was signed earlier in the year.... but GM has dragged their feet and the Buyers have pulled out (announced yesterday) of the deal, because they felt there was no sign of GM signing the final agreement to hand over the company.

just like GM has down with the sale of Vauxhall/Opel - drags its feet till the buyer pulls out.

I like my SAAB 9-5 - its a really comfy, relaxing place to sit in. for a 2litre (with the lowest power engine) petrol engine it does about 35mpg on our weekly travels, and that climbs when doing long motorway journeys (manchester to Dover last summer was done on half a tank of petrol)

it has far less in common with the vauxhall vectra than an audi does with a skoda.
the 9-5 petrols share the floor pan with the vectra (as it does with several other GM models - just like the VW golf shares its floor pan with 17 other models)
I'd say the 9-5 is a better car than the 9-3. But while i like em, if you have no interest in cars, then i'm not sure a SAAB is the right car for you

lemonslap

Indout96 wrote: »

We have a 9-3 (for 3 years now) totally reliable and brilliant to drive, BUT servicing is very expensive, nothing actually gone wrong with it yet so cant really coment on the price of parts. I spend a lot of time at work in BMW 3 or 5's, Audi A4's and 1 Skoda Octavia (which is a cheap OLD A4) and would take the Saab over any of them.
But take a test drive for yourself, then go test a Skoda and see which you prefer,

I used to have a bmw 320d and when getting it car serviced I could enjoy a latte and do some work on my laptop in the customer area they even take you to your car with a umbrella if its raining! With Saab it feals like walking into a ford dealership (no offence) even though its supposed to be a "premium" brand there is no customer waiting/viewing area just a couple of desks! maybe I expect to much?