[hardus77]

Hello,

I need your expert advice.

There are a couple of Saabs that I am looking at buying:

2005 9-3 2L with only 96,000km (60,000 miles). The car looks great, no rust and only 2 owners. Seems like they have maintenance records as well. Asking $4,500 Canadian

2009 9-3 with only 1470,000km (91,000 miles). This car also looks amazing. Only one owner and all repairs done by Saab, then GM, then a European car garage. Asking $4,500 Canadian

2004 9-3 ARC with 140,000km (87,000 miles). This car looks great as well but the owner is a smoker . There have been 2 owners and probably maintained by a local garage in a small town. Asking $3,800 Canadian

I have never owned a Saab so I have no idea what I would be getting into. I currently own an old Mercedes that I fix myself. So I am capable of working on cars but I do not want to spend too much time under the hood. I am not interested in a Toyota, Honda or Hyundai. The other cars I am looking at buying are the Audi a3, mercedes E or C-class. So I am not getting into a run down civic that's for sure.

Please let me know what you think, I have a baby girl so I can't end up on the side of the highway or not be able to start in the middle of winter up here in Canada.

Thank you for your advice.

 

[Hoff]

I've bought my share of used cars, and had to put money in all of them. The only thing different with the Saab has been the required Tech2 purchase, but I knew this ahead of time.

I'm a short timer though.

 

[Tboy]

Fun Topic. I think ALL cars are a money pit! The trick is finding the right balance of enjoyment and how much money you throw at the pit!

If you have an old Mercedes, and are looking at Audi and Merc you are well suited to the punishment a Saab will deliver. Hopefully others will chime in on the new 9-3, but I own old gen 9-3 and 9-5, and a new gen 900 (1994).

I am coming to the sad conclusion that some parts are just not made anymore expect for used, and some parts are crappy aftermarket ones. Eventually all these will get more and more expensive, and the car will get harder and harder to maintain. This may be different for the new 9-3 like you have picked out since they shared so much with GM.

For me, I will be picking out my favorite (of the three I own) and focusing on that for long term weekend fun. One I will sell, and one I will daily drive until it just doesn't make sense. Then I'll buy a civic!

 

[lurkydismal]

parts seem to be readily available for the NG-93. And seem to be getting harder to find for OG-93 according to my mechanic.

 

[rich1068]

First or second. Probably first one for me.

I currently own an old Mercedes that I fix myself. So I am capable of working on cars but I do not want to spend too much time under the hood. I am not interested in a Toyota, Honda or Hyundai. The other cars I am looking at buying are the Audi a3, mercedes E or C-class. So I am not getting into a run down civic that's for sure.

Not sure how old your old Mercedes is but you might be shocked by the difference between it and the newer Mercs and the Audi. A3 is a Golf. Simple as that. And don't knock the Toyotas and Hondas until you've had a really good root round in one

 

[EdT]

Depends where you are in Canada (Ontario I presume, I think I've seen some of those cars on kijiji). Sure, some cars are really truly money pits, but a lot of them become money pits after some owner or shop butchers them.

If you are in the GTA, there are several shops that deal with Saabs, have a Tech II, can get you parts, etc.

However there seems to be a shortage of Saab shops left west of the GTA (K-W, London, Windsor), and I don't know that there's anything between Scarborough and Ottawa to the east.

The good news is that 9-3s of the vintage you're looking at are still fairly common in you-pull junkyards.

 

[Nordic-Machine]

I agree with Tboy that all cars are money pit. I have a 2008 9-3 and had no major issues thus far apart from maintenance. Though i can't comment on how it'll fare in Canada's winter because i reside in a hot climate. But then again i think it should be okay because it was also made to withstand the nordic winter.