could use some car advice

[Wildcat1]

hey all, I'm in the market to buy my first "quality" car, and was thinking about getting a Saab 9-3. I saw a 2008 model with 50k miles on it for $14k, and was wondering if it was worth it? I'm looking to buy a mid-sized sedan preferably from Europe or the US, and so far this Saab looks really good.

does anyone own one? anything I should be made aware of? What else is out there for under $15k that would fit for me? Mostly what I'm looking for is something that is really fun to drive, that won't give the insurance companies a stroke because I'm under 25.

thanks

[homersipes]

lol buy an old chevy pickup jack it up and put a loud exhaust on it cheap on insurance expensive on gas.  the only thing I have heard about saabs is the parts are quite expensive and so is the labor, Cap would be able to tell you that more than I, but that is what I have heard, and that they are very nice cars

[FLOTSOM]

hey all, I'm in the market to buy my first "quality" car, and was thinking about getting a Saab 9-3. I saw a 2008 model with 50k miles on it for $14k, and was wondering if it was worth it? I'm looking to buy a mid-sized sedan preferably from Europe or the US, and so far this Saab looks really good.

does anyone own one? anything I should be made aware of? What else is out there for under $15k that would fit for me? Mostly what I'm looking for is something that is really fun to drive, that won't give the insurance companies a stroke because I'm under 25.

thanks

no, its not worth the price. $14,000 is about the maximun retail value of that vehicle in excellent condition. within a year or 15,000 miles it will pass over a couple of milestones (5 years old 60,000 miles) and it will likely be worth around $5,000 to $7,000 due to depreciation.

if you can get the cost down closer to what wholesale would be, say around $8,500 to $9,500, then you wont lose so much when the value drops. or you could go the other way with it, get a Saab (or similar vehicle) that is over 5 years of age and/or 60,000 miles, then you will be in a better pricing range because you wont lose that massive chunk of depreciation value. the value will remain closer to the same for the next 4 years/35-40,000 miles.

depreciation tends to hit around specific time frames/milestones,
when first bought/100 miles,
then 3 years/26,000 miles,
then 5 years 60,000 miles,
then 10 years 100,000 miles.

keep these rough numbers in mind when looking for a vehicle and it will help you gauge whether or not your getting a good deal.

oh and as far as insurance, your under 25 so anything that is "fun" to drive is likely gunna be pricey.

good luck!

[pervert]

Dunno how it works in the states or the prices but something like an Audi keeps it value very well and is a good looking solid car to boot. I remember a while back SAAB were in quite a bit of trouble and since the mid 90s the car is basically a GM.

[guncrasher]

anything european will cost more than the value of the car to fix anything in the usa.


semp

[AAJagerX]

Geez man...  Just get ya a certified late model Malibu or something similar.  Good cars, easy on gas, insurance won't kill ya, and if it needs fixed it'll be reasonable.

[zack1234]

Buy a ford mondeo and keep away from German cars because your paying for the badge on the front

Horsedung Duck Tecmik

Dont buy a Range Rover they are for daft middleclass people who dont live in farms

[cpxxx]

Saab closed down recently, which to me is something of a downside. No doubt there are promises of support into the future but.....

[rpm]

"Das Beste oder Nichts"

[Masherbrum]

hey all, I'm in the market to buy my first "quality" car, and was thinking about getting a Saab 9-3. I saw a 2008 model with 50k miles on it for $14k, and was wondering if it was worth it? I'm looking to buy a mid-sized sedan preferably from Europe or the US, and so far this Saab looks really good.

does anyone own one? anything I should be made aware of? What else is out there for under $15k that would fit for me? Mostly what I'm looking for is something that is really fun to drive, that won't give the insurance companies a stroke because I'm under 25.

thanks

Saab's emblems fall apart and owners are left with a silver circle.   Christ, if an automaker doesn't show pride in their emblem, what does it tell about the rest of the vehicle?   The Turbo Oil Feed lines are going to need replacing around 75k and if you cannot do it yourself, you will find it expensive elsewhere for starters.

In terms of reliability and longevity I would go with a Fusion or a Malibu.  With either one of those, you cannot go wrong.    They are reliable and Sedans, so it should be a bit lighter on the Insurance end as well.

[oboe]

My wife has a 2006 5-speed 9-3 combi with 80K, and we got a 2003 sedan for my college-age son last year.   Son's has 139K miles and going strong; real nice car - turbo with a 6 speed manual, very fun to drive.   I like Saabs alot - very nice, safe, solid feel, comfortable driving ergonomics, good build quality.  Will get low 30s mpg on highway, high 20s around town.   Also have a 2006 Corolla and it is a cheap tin can by comparison to the Saabs, but mechanically reliable and gets better mileage.   Disadvantage is the cramped driving position  - feel like I can't stretch out my legs in the Corolla, even with the seat all the way back.   

But, Saabs have quirks - both cars' shift knobs have popped off, and both cars have experienced the engine light going on with the computer's code indicating a leak in the emissions control system - lots of troubleshooting and in both cases it turned out only a Saab replacement fuel cap would fix the problem.   (Generic Autozone caps don't work - no matter what the salesman says about compatibility).  Decal on the 2006's emblem did fall off, but the 2003's is fine.

As mentioned above, Saab went bankrupt, and nobody successfully stepped in to save it (a Chinese company tried, but GM nixed the deal).  So spare parts will eventually become harder to find/more expensive I suppose.   

I don't think Saabs are particularly cheap to insure (you should do a comparison yourself with your specifics), but they are definitely fun to drive.   And we are hooked up with a small family-owned independent garage in the area that specializes in used Saabs, so for us the support network is good for us.  You might want to think about where you would get it serviced/repaired when things do break though.



     

[zack1234]

Japanese make the best cars in the world 

They are the most reliable 

Why don't you buy one of those Chrysler 300 they are fantastic

[morfiend]

 I'd look at an accord,camery,fusion and if price is right maybe a malibu. If your going to go with a honda or toyota thats used look at 4 years old anything newer and you might aswell buy new because there wont be a huge difference in price.

 On average 2 year old hondas and toyotas loose about 15%,maybe 20% if high mileage. Oh and both are made in the USA,compare that to most domestics and after 2 years they've lost 30 to 40%.

  Neither car is perfect,hondas tend to go through brake pads and endlinks and the toyotas seem to have some brake router issues and tierod ends. However there is a reason they hold their resale value,overall they are very dependable cars.


   YMMV.


   

[Slate]

Japanese make the best cars in the world 

They are the most reliable 

  Propaganda!   
Toyota for one was caught doing silent recalls that even the owner of the car did not know about when it came in for service. They done a good job of promoting that image, however plenty of mechanics are fixing them every day.
         
All cars have their quirks. A used car depends on how it was treated, serviced ect. The more expensive car was when built the more expensive to fix later, especially when manufacturer went belly up.

[ACE]

Japanese make the best cars in the world 

They are the most reliable 

Why don't you buy one of those Chrysler 300 they are fantastic

i drive a chrysler 300