[sabi]

my 06 325xi is fine, low mileage 65k no issues (hate the rfts).
I have always wanted to get back into a Saab. like the 2010-2011 9-5 turbo 6 XWD, and the 2008 9-3 trubo x. Both awd and 6 cylinder turbos, the 9-5 only comes in automatic which is what I have now. I miss the stick, the 9-3 Turbo X is a manual. Any thoughts?

thx

[08njSTEP]

Just.....NO! I worked at a dealership that sold SAAB in '09-'10. We had a 9-7 that had 5k miles, never hit, and the fenders didn't line up with the doors. Brand new. Very low quality brand. The worst attributes of a niche brand combined with the worst manufacturing GM could manage. I know people like them, but they really are poorly built.

[twastheglow]

Originally Posted by sabi

my 06 325xi is fine, low mileage 65k no issues (hate the rfts).
I have always wanted to get back into a Saab. like the 2010-2011 9-5 turbo 6 XWD, and the 2008 9-3 trubo x. Both awd and 6 cylinder turbos, the 9-5 only comes in automatic which is what I have now. I miss the stick, the 9-3 Turbo X is a manual. Any thoughts?

thx

You're going to get incredibly biased opinions...just like you would asking this question on a Saab forum.

[sabi]

Originally Posted by twastheglow

You're going to get incredibly biased opinions...just like you would asking this question on a Saab forum.

I know, just look at the first response, which btw I appreciate.

[twastheglow]

Originally Posted by sabi

I know, just look at the first response, which btw I appreciate.

Understood-however, he at least had real-world experience with Saab versus others who will give their opinion and have not.

[djh2]

When you say "get back into" it would be good to know what you came from.

I had a '97 SAAB 9000, 2.3L with stock turbo (15 psi wastegate controller), ecuproject tune, and 5 speed of course. I could drive quickly around in city/traffic and still get 25 mpg on a bad day, and 30+ on the highway easily.

That being said, it was rusting out at over 215K miles and had a lot of small issues. Proceeds from the sale didn't cover the sales tax on my '07 328i that I purchased just over a year and a half ago.

I test drove some of the later 9-3's but keep in mind, GM had their hands in deep at this point. I felt the quality was lacking, even comparing the '08 9-3 to my '97 9000. It had about the same features but nothing that really made me excited.

Now, you mention 9-3 TurboX and the "new" 9-5, I do not have any experience with those. As long as you DIY or have a good euro indy shop around, I think you should be fine. They stopped making the 9000s in '98 and I didn't have any problems getting parts up until the end, but any dealer-specific or computer issues might be trickier to solve (unless you had a good indy).

[sabi]

had a 1994 900 classic convertible. very different car than the ones I mentioned. However I always liked Saab quirky styling/functionality. As far as DIY, I have done almost everything myself on all my cars.

[tgyberg]

Maybe just get a different BMW with a stick? I had three SAABs (1985,1992 and a 1997) and while I did love them, the Bimmer's are another level.

[08njSTEP]

I just worked on a SAAB 9-3 convert last week and found out there are NO FACTORY replacement parts available now. That would be another reason to pass. I had a Daewoo once and ran into the same issue. Can't fix a car without parts being available. I don't know if GM's versions of SAABs use the same mechanical parts as all GM but I wouldn't be surprised they don't.

[stamonkey]

I'm a Saab guy, and I wouldn't recommend an XWD model, they had lots of issues with the diffs and parts are hard to come by. The turbo 6 had its issues as well, but it lives on in some Cadillac models.

If you want a Saab, look for an SPG or Viggen. Lots of parts available, and you can DIY everything. My SPG is my garage queen, it isn't the fastest or the best handling, but it gives me a smile every time I drive it.

[Captain comic]

As Jeremy Clarkson once said, Saab used to be good car......not anymore. This GM "thing" isn't Saab and I myself was once 20 years ago looking at Saab. Today I would gladly go for manual 3-er instead

[e36power]

I like SAAB in the abstract, as I am of Swedish decent. I actually met relatives in Sweden that worked for SAAB. However, the 9-3 is not even in the same ball park as the 3er. And I owned a 2005 9-3 manual for a couple years before I bought the 335i. While I enjoyed the 9-3 it simply does not compare to the 335i.

Now, I am sure the Turbo X (which I think is a cool car) is a better drive then the rendition I had. But, if it is the manual you want, I can all but guarantee a 3er with a manual and sport package would be a more compelling car. My two cents (coming from a huge BMW fan). . .

One more thought. I have been looking for a track car. I actually looked at the prices of the Turbo X last week out of curiosity, wondering if I could get a good deal with SAAB being defunct. Doesn't seem like there is much of a discount on them. I think there are enough SAAB enthusiast chasing a relatively rare car that keeps the prices a bit higher than I would expect.

[sabi]

good points, and good conversation. thanks guys. I think going into a more serious bmw makes more sense, than again my real dream is a 911.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by sabi

my 06 325xi is fine, low mileage 65k no issues (hate the rfts).
I have always wanted to get back into a Saab. like the 2010-2011 9-5 turbo 6 XWD, and the 2008 9-3 trubo x. Both awd and 6 cylinder turbos, the 9-5 only comes in automatic which is what I have now. I miss the stick, the 9-3 Turbo X is a manual. Any thoughts?

thx

Dreadful. They got out of the car business because they sucked so bad nobody wanted them. I saw a comparison test. 3 series, c class, a4, and 93. The author's opening comment on the saab was this was the first car he'd ever tested that he was glad to return the key.
This ine was nicer but still one of the worst car reviews. My sister had one. I saw no redeeming value.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/200...saab-9-5-aero/

[Grip Grip]

I've owned 3 Saab's and all of them were super reliable. Rock solid cars from my personal experience.

[stamonkey]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Dreadful. They got out of the car business because they sucked so bad nobody wanted them. I saw a comparison test. 3 series, c class, a4, and 93. The author's opening comment on the saab was this was the first car he'd ever tested that he was glad to return the key.
This ine was nicer but still one of the worst car reviews. My sister had one. I saw no redeeming value.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/200...saab-9-5-aero/

That's not entirely fair to Saab. The last real Saab with no parts sharing was the '94 900 CE 'vert. Every model afterwards was based on a modified GM platform (except for the 9-2x).

IMHO, Saab should have been allowed to die a noble death in the early '90s instead of 20 years of GM bastardization.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by twastheglow

Understood-however, he at least had real-world experience with Saab versus others who will give their opinion and have not.

No he didn't have real world experience. He worked at dealership and had one ce with poorly fitted body panels. One example doesn't determine the Saab brand.

[Fundguy1]

Seriously, why not get yourself a stick bmw? And why do you have the smallest slowest e9x you can get? Test drive one with more guts and a stick. If N/A is what you want, 330. If you like a turbo, 2007/2008 335i. Reasonable and will toast any slab made. My sister has one. Refuses to get a real car. I've driven it. Horrendous. She has it because she's stubborn, broke, and quirky. Only relationship she's had at age 47 is with her her dead dog. Total antisocial introvert. Typical slab owner from my observations. It wasnt a bad car in the late 80s early 90s. Weird, but ok. Wacky hood, speaker grills had 6" screws, etc. After that fell off a cliff.

[08njSTEP]

I repaired and painted an average of 2 SAABs/week while working at dealership. Fit and finish is a very definitive measure of quality. The fact that the top model looked like it had been poorly repaired after an accident, but was released for sale from factory gives evidence. Poor quality. When the manufacturer doesn't care about the body tolerances you should question what OTHER tolerances are neglected.

[djh2]

The guy I sold my 9000 to asked what I bought to replace it. I told him the e90 and he said "Well you know what SAAB stands for, right? Still Ain't A Bimmer!"

[John 070]

Yes. I got a tour of a distribution center that had all SAAB factory parts. The manager said this junk just sits here, but we have to keep it by law.

If the OP gets a Saab, at least there's a remote possibility that some of those parts will leave the distribution center. There's nothing wrong with driving something that nobody else wants or likes, as long as you like it yourself.

[e36power]

Originally Posted by stamonkey

IMHO, Saab should have been allowed to die a noble death in the early '90s instead of 20 years of GM bastardization.

Yeah, GM pretty much killed the brand. Thought some of the later cars looked nice, but they were just GMs. The last 9-3 was a good looking car, but was just a Chevy Malibu. I was always pulling for them to make it under Spyker, but that was a tall task for a company that size. SAAB really needed one of the Chinese or Indian car manufacturers looking for a western brand to step in. Would have been interesting to see what could have been, especially with the BMW supplying the engines (BMW signed an agreement to supply engines for the new 9-3).