Any Saab owners?

[Over The Hill]

My OH and I are looking for a new (second-hand and old) car. We have pretty specific requirements which make life a little difficult and reduce the number of vehicles available considerably, because of my back issues, wheelchair, recumbent trike etc.

I have found 2 Saabs that look nice. He has ruled them out on the grounds that Saab went bankrupt and that they could now be "difficult to get serviced". Personally I don't agree with this statement because as far as I am concerned someone will have filled the parts market with their own make or other parts will fit, plus there is the scrap yard option nationwide which we have used to fix our current vehicle on one occasion.

So, Saab owners (and Saab owners or mechanics only please), is this true?
Rover owners can answer as well. I have found 2 really nice ones of those which he has also ruled out because the Parkers guide rates them really badly apparently ()

thanks

Have they ever made a nice looking Saab?

Older cars will be what some may call true Saabs. Fairly basic and reliable mechanics and a good following. The newer ones (my guess is certainly in the last 15 years but may be longer) they stopped being Saabs and became re-worked other cars, mostly GM so ended up being a pile of bits from old model Vauxhalls. The 9000 was a joint venture with Fiat group and had quite a lot of jointly made components, but I think Saab put their own engine in them.
I do not think you will have problems with parts but also I think their following is rather based on past appeal rather than the reality of today.

Rover - Just utterly crap cars that fall apart. Given how many were around on the roads 15 years ago they mostly seem to have gone to the scrappie.

Have you considered a Mercedes? I do not know the exact needs you have but I am sure a Merc can fit all slots that Saab are going for. They do great C or E class estates and do just seem to go on for ever. I have an E class diesel that has done 125k and is 9 years old and it still drives like it was new. You can see them 20 years old and a good one will still have years of good motoring in it. They generally have been well looked after. Give one a go and you will be sold! Service is very basic and they mostly have timing chains that last for ever and so tend to just want filters and oil.

 

[MarkF]

I am about to scrap a Volvo S40, 2000 X Plate. Its only done 128,000 miles. Its black, has some MOT left, Service History, No rust, creamy interior. Would rather sell than scrap but my effort levels are low.

Why don't you just drive it? I had an S40 (leather interior) and it was a very comfy car to own.

This Saab is for sale nearby, I keep walking past and looking at it, I don't need another car but it's playing on my mind.

 

[tyred]

Personally, if you want something dirt cheap that won't give much bother and will be cheap to run into the bargain, look out for a well maintained 1990s Audi 80.

Bulletproof mechanicals, impressive fuel consumption for a large car of it era - especially the TDI models but even the petrols will do do over 40mpg on a run if driven properly, galvanised body, simple and easy to work on.

The only real downsides are that legroom in the back isn't as good as you think it should be, boot is a strange shape and I don't like the nose-heavy understeery feel to the handling.

 

[Profpointy]

I bought a y reg 95 2.3t (small t) petrol some 5 years ago as a stop gap for a princely £2500. (my budget for car was £6k to maybe £10k so bargain!). I still have it having put another 45000 miles on it. Currenlty 115k - i'll keep it as long as poss, but fully expect 150000, maybe a good bit more from it.

Best car I've ever had by far - and there are a succession of brand new company cars in the Golf GTI, vrs (hooligan)Skoda on that list.

I've not skimped on maintenance and had proper servicing done by excellent local specialist - but this has paid off as it's been reliable. Even got me home when the clutch failed - which is in any case a consumable - and even that was an ok-ish £700 so acceptable.

It is a delight to drive - by far the "nicest" to drive car I've ever had a go in never mind owned.

Bear in mind the 2.3 turbo petrol and 1.75 tons I get 33-35 mpg on a run

Recommended !

The earlier 93 is nice too and broadly similar, but the later 93 - which I test drove as a potential company car is not a nice car at all. Not to say it's a bad car per se, but it's not nice to drive nor particularly luxurious - certainly far.worse than the skoda vrs i got insted

 

[AndyRM]

Have they ever made a nice looking Saab?

 

[siadwell]

I had a Rover 216 which I was very happy with, but got rid of it for 2 reasons:
1) EuroNCAP result was very poor.
2) Had a problem with the alarm/immobiliser. Auto electrician said he couldn't do anything without codes from Rover. Rover had gone out of business at this point, so no dealers. Got in touch with a former Rover mechanic who said that the codes were no longer available. So complete lack of support for anything complex meant it had to go.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Are some Saab cars not just rebadged Vauxhall Vectras ?

I always found touching Rovers very inadvisable ................ they usually drop to pieces. I remember about 18 years ago I bought a 2nd hand Rover as a cheap run around and I had to jack the back end up for some reason and as I was jacking it up the rear seat was getting higher & higher

Aren't all Vauxhall Vectras rebadged Opels?

 

[DCLane]

I've got a Saab 9-3 convertible. Before that I had a couple of 9000's and a 99. Great mile-eaters and generally very reliable.

The idea that there's no parts is simply wrong; there is a whole parts supply out there.

Find a good Saab independent and they'll have sourced any bits you need.

 

[Saluki]

I have a SAAB and bits are easy peasy as they are Vauxhall Vecras under a SAAB badge. Parts are no problem, there are lots of independent dealers out there still and you can get parts by post if necessary from Hagstrom Saab in Wymondham, Norfolk.

As for a Rover, the head gaskets go on a regular basis. I have had 2 and they both died the same way (even though the gaskets had been replaced, there is obviously some sort of issue with the areas around them). Avoid the Rovers like the plague.

I would have another SAAB in a heartbeat. However, have you looked at Skoda at all? Reliable as the day is long. Neighbour has one and it's bombproof. Goes everywhere in it, long and short trips, across europe, tows a horsebox/caravan - depending on event and the doors open at a good angle as his wife is a wheelchair user so she can get in and out easily.

 

[Profpointy]

To add to my post extolling the 95, worth adding that I wasn't after any particular model, nor even a Saab particularly, just something nice to drive for sensible money. I do think the best value is to be had with these solidly built "executive" or luxury cars. My 95 cost maybe £30k new - and the first 70000 miles thus cost £27k depreciation, whilst I've lost maybe
£1k for next 40000 miles. Regarding Skoda - had a petrol vrs (hooligan model) and a diesel vrs (semi hooligan) - both new company cars. 1st ok - as good as the golf gti I had before. 2nd went home on a lorry a fair few times with "engine managment faults" (warning lights go on one by one, then conks out)- admittedly after 100000 miles. But then, so's the Saab, which is 15 year old not 3. Before anyone does Skoda jokes - the same diesel engine is in VW and audi cars

 

[mr messy]

Saab has always been the thinking mans car. Depends on your budge obviously. You can pick up a nice early 9-5 estate for under £1500. Plenty around with leather. Seats are very comfortable. Saab used things like brakes and diesel engines from vauxhall but modded lots to meet their own standards. The 9-3 is more vauxhall and poorer biuld and less comfortable.
Something like this
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=161769885463&globalID=EBAY-GB&alt=web

 

[Trembler49]

For my own part I'm hoping to get myself into a Subaru Forester when my retirement comes in, then probably keep it until I quit driving.

Foresters are great, well engineered, but maintenance is expensive and frequent, every 10k and lots of oil for various gear and transfer boxes. We had a 2.5XT, very fast.

 

[subaqua]

GM parts bin specials . that's what SAAB turned into , sadly.

Early SAAB yes , have lots of time for these. later SAAB - shudders as I remember the issues a friend had

 

[Over The Hill]

[QUOTE 3811192, member: 9609"]They used to make amazing overly engineered cars that went on for ever - we have had some great ones in the past. two very memorable ones were a 190E and a E300TD estate which could have been the best long distance tourer I have ever driven, fantastic car - but more recent ones have been utter rubbish, one had rust problems (seriously the front wings needed replaced, under warranty as it was only a few years old) we now have a 6 year old C class, which we have had from new, well looked after, only 50K on the clock and there is always something wrong with it - piece of junk.[/QUOTE]

Probably agree with you. I had a C Class that went rusty but to their credit they put on 4 new wings and re-sprayed it all under warranty.
My guess from the info in the OP was that we are not looking at current model range. So going back a bit we are on the round light era of C or E and they are a good car (assuming the rust sorted).
When I was looking for a car a couple of years ago I was very tempted with the post 2007 C Class but every one I looked at seemed to be tatty and rather falling apart. Went for the older style E class which is completely different and every bit of it seems to be in a time warp and not age. Had it 2 years now and it has not had any problems at all, passed its MOT and nothing at all wrong with it. The newer E is all full of horrid sharp angles and looks a bit tacky and without much style, bit like they are trying to copy Lexus rather than the other way round!

 

[Over The Hill]

I assume the pic is to support my point

A nice car of the 70s. Only problem was they were making them in the 90s.

At least it is not a Dame Edna.