Saab 9-2X

bigdaddycoats · January 2005

That site is for employees, but I believe that offer is for anyone.

kyfdx · January 2005

The $3000 is there for the supplier discount program also.. I see a lot of dealers offering supplier prices to anyone.. That makes me think that the $3000 is for anyone, as well....

regards,

kyfdx

qbrozen · January 2005

coincidentally enough, I just heard a commercial on the radio on my way to work this morning from one of the mega-dealers in Jersey. They stated that they are giving employee pricing to all customers "for a limited time."

ateixeira · January 2005

Maybe the Saab name doesn't carry the added value they once thought.

You get 3 years' free maintenance, so if the price is the same as a WRX with the same equipment, the Saab is enticing.

-juice

qbrozen · January 2005

i'm not sure how accurate this is, but the Edmunds write-up says 2 years free maintenance. However, it also points out that the Saab comes with a 4yr/50k warranty compared to Sube's 3yr/36k.

kyfdx · January 2005

Saab maintenance is 3/36.. warranty is 4/50..

ateixeira · January 2005

Consumer Guide says 3/36, that was my source.

-juice

qbrozen · January 2005

just got this off the Saab website:

The Saab 9-2X is covered under the Saab No-Charge Scheduled Maintenance Program for 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. All other 2004 and 2005 Saab Models* are covered for 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.

kyfdx · January 2005

Seems like a strange marketing decision.. don't you think?

KCRam · January 2005

Could be because they have no experience maintaining a Subaru, and will probably up the ante in a ciouple of years.

kcram

Host - Wagons

tonedebone · January 2005

> Could be because they have no experience

> maintaining a Subaru, and will probably up the

> ante in a ciouple of years.

More likely it is to avoid the big 30k service which

will cost more than the previous three combined

(7.5/15/21.5 are the only ones covered).

On the cheaper car it's harder to absorb the cost;

either their profit goes down or the MSRP goes up,

nothing's ever free.

KCRam · January 2005

If that's the case, that's a bit of a cop-out on GM's part. People assume the "free" scheduled maintenance will be there to cover the oil changes AND the major scheduled services. An intentional cutoff to avoid an expensive service makes the whole program a waste.

kcram

Host - Wagons

tonedebone · January 2005

3000 mile oil changes are a myth spread by service

shops and lube companies. The Saab manual (as did

the manual for my old Acura) says it's only

necessary in extreme hot or cold climates, otherwise

the scheduled maintainance is every 7500 miles.

Nixing the 30,000 mile service seems a bit like

petty penny pinching, but are there many sub $25k

cars out there that include any free maintainance ?

ateixeira · January 2005

That's significant, because then you exclude the 30k service, which is the first big one, really.

Let's see what Audi and BMW offer with the A3 and 1 series. Both offer 4/50 of free service on their other cars.

Jaguar offers it for the X-Type. Land Rover does for the LR3 and Rover but not the Freelander, so I guess there is a precedent.

The exception might be Mini, they include it. Volvo too.

-juice

kyfdx · January 2005

Of course..the big advantage is the 9-2X is a Subaru underneath.. and that 30K service shouldn't be all that expensive.. And, if the Saab dealer wants an arm and a leg, I'm sure the Subaru dealer could do it... 30K services are usually overpriced, but not very complicated.. even less so on the 9-2X, than the 9-3 or 9-5.

I guess that is what surprises me about Saab only doing 2 years for that model.. the 30K service can't be all that expensive, anyway.. and, it further separates the car from "real" Saabs, which would seem to be counter-productive for Saab.

regards,

kyfdx

ateixeira · January 2005

They have to train Sven on how to service it anyway. ;-)

-juice

Kirstie_H · January 2005

A reporter is hoping to hear from owners of the Saab 9-2X. Please respond to ALuu@Crain.com no later than Friday, February 11, 2004 if you are interested in sharing your experience.

jchan2 · February 2005

hopefully you mean 2005.

erika1 · February 2005

Thank-you for a wonderful board. It helped my buy my new SAAB 9-2X AERO.
My husband tried to talk me out of it but your posts help me win him over. It also helped me get the best price. Yes $4,000 off list means I could afford the car and you helped me ask for the right price.
My 91 900 was in the shop when I saw the new SAAB.
My husband always says "Another Saab story" when my car has a problem. Being made in Japan by Subaru was the only way he would let me buy it.
He looked at the Subaru and wanted to get the legacy GT but I wanted the smaller car and I am loyal to Saab. Saab. I like the way it looks better and It is nice to own two Saabs now.
My mom had a 96 Saab 9 and it was not too reliable this year we got a VW Passat GL with the V6 to replace it and like the subaru Legacy the VW with more costs less than the Saab.
Do you think that being built in Japan makes the car cost more than over here?
My Husband wanted to wait for next years model he was hoping they would put the 2.5L motor in with the turbo and maybe add more options. If they built it here in the US the cost could come down.
What other cars can you buy that are 100% made in Japan? I think it is cool. The VW was made in Mexico so of course it should be cheaper to build.
I do not see many Saab 9-2X or even the subaru wrx on the road. Lots of BMW, VW, Toyota, Honda, Acura,Lexus, infinity and all the other north america cars but my little 9-2X stands out on the block. Do you think I need the extended warranty of 3 extra years for $3000? I only drive 6000 miles a year and now with two cars it could be less
Erika

bigdaddycoats · February 2005

Extended warranty NOT worth the extra $3000. If you only drive 6k per year I would think you have nothing to worry about.

tonedebone · February 2005

Congratulations, I'm yet to see another 92x on the
road.

I doubt there will be much change in next year's
model. 06 MY will probably be that last for the
current Impreza and hence the current 92X will
die with it, so I don't think they'll put any
effort into major changes like new engines. Visit
your local Subaru dealer for a few more options
than the Saab dealer will offer.

Labor costs are likely less in Japan, the car
costs more because Saab would like to think they
are BMW and people will pay for the name. With
$4000 off you must have paid about WRX prices
which is less than a Legacy GT.

jchan2 · February 2005

I think the Infiniti I35 (now discontinued) and Lexus ES330 are both assembled in Japan, as are all Lexus models excluding the RX330, which is manufactured in Canada.

ateixeira · February 2005

Congrats Erika. What matters is that you are happy, it's your car after all!

-juice

rsholland · February 2005

It has been rumored that the '06 WRX will get the 2.5 turbo motor, replacing the current 2.0. If that happens, you can bet the '06 9-2x will also get that engine.

Bob

christopher35 · February 2005

I purchased my 9-2X Aero because it satisfied most of my decision criteria. Such as:
AWD; Wagon/Hatchback; Styling; Handling; Manual trans; MPG. However, the road noise dB is taking some getting used to. I still occasionally drive my VW Bettle Turbo S with a performance exhaust that seems to be far quieter on all types of road surfaces.
I'm of the belief that much of this dB difference is due to the tires. The Beet has 17" low profile Michelins. Whereas the 9-2X has 17" low profile Bridgestones. I've heard that Michelin compounds softer(quieter) rubber. Whereas most American tire manufacturers like Goodyear, Bridgestone/Firestone etc. compound harder(louder) rubber. Any truth in this?
I am aware that some of the dB increase is coming from the AWD system underneath my ride. Many of the reviews I read about the Saab 9-2X Vs. the Subaru WRX stated that the road noise was reduced in the Saab. I'm not totally convinced, however. Concrete road surfaces are almost unbearable.
Your feedback is appreciated.
Christopher

waveho · February 2005

Congrats Erika on the 9-2x purchase. My wife loves her loaded Linear and I enjoy the times I get to drive it. It makes for a pleasant and vastly different change from the Suburban Z71 that I drive daily. As much as I love my 'Burb, lumbering around town and to and from work everyday is a bit tiring and tough on gas!

As to road noise, you can bet that the Bridgestones are a huge contributor. We haven't of course switched out the tires on the Saab yet, which has Bridgestones, but I just recently switched out the B-Stones on my 'Burb and replaced them with top 'o the line all-weather Michelins (at about $170 a pop!). It was well worth the investment. Road noise has been reduced at least 70%. No kidding. Handling is also noticeably smoother. And the tires I replaced weren't exactly worn down to the nubs when I replaced them. I don't know if it is due to the quality of the rubber or not, but there is a difference somehow. Don't replace your tires now unless the cost doesn't mean anything to you, or unless you can get a decent credit from a wholesaler somewhere, but keep Michelins in mind when you do need to replace them. To me, it was well worth the extra $50 or so per tire compared to B-Stones or Goodyear. I had Goodyears on my old Jeep Cherokee and will never again buy that brand.

davidc1 · February 2005

Doesn't WRX STi already have a 2.5l turbo motor?

ateixeira · February 2005

Yes, but that's a high boost engine.

The Legacy GT's 2.5l makes 250hp (rather than the 300hp in the STi), and the 2.5l turbo in the Forester makes a claimed 210hp.

So the plain WRX would get one of these lower boost setups.

-juice

rsholland · February 2005

Yes, but the regular WRX has the same 2.0 found in the 9-2x Aero.

Bob

davidc1 · March 2005

I guess Subaru didn't want to give that up to Saab, just yet.

tonedebone · March 2005

'06 must be the last year for the current WRX and
92X so I doubt they'll make big changes like a new
engine. I think there are some rally rules that
limit capacity to 2.0, and Subaru won't want to
alienate people who race their cars (but then the
WRC are about to ban turbos, active diffs and boxer
engines, so Subaru must be feeling a little
alienated themselves).

erika1 · March 2005

I put Michellins on my 91 900 and they are much more quiet. I went to the Saab on line store and got the rear cup holder and a few nick nacks like the Swedish Euro badge and valve caps. What would Subaru have that I could use on my Saab? The only thing I saw on their site was maybe a louder muffler or bigger breaks. One thing on the Saab site is the new 93-X. My husband wants that one. Have you seen it? What do you think? My guess is it is like the Mercedes CL320 in size.
About the 92-X it is a pig off the line but does nice after the first 20 feet. On the highway at 75 mph it just gets above 3,000 rpm and hits 90 real easy. Over all it is fun to drive and has a nice feel. But 2.5L with 300hp would be the bomb!
Erika

ateixeira · March 2005

You mean the SportKombi?

http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=51893

Pretty cool looking wagon, I like the D-pillar shape. They showed a model with clear tails but the US will get one with red tail lights.

-juice

allenheights · March 2005

Just wondering. I wish the saab 9-2x had an optional rearview autodimming mirrow with compass like on the WRX. Anyone had any luck switching the mirror? Does the subaru one fit? I think the compass would be sweet in the Saab.

-allenheights

ateixeira · March 2005

I'm sure it would. See if you can get instructions for the install, then trace to see if the wiring is already in place.

If it's an option on the Saab, surely it would fit.

-juice

allenheights · March 2005

the compass mirror is optional on the wrx, not the Saab. I can't find anyplace offering the saab 9-2x electrical schematics. I bet I can make the rearview mirror fit. Anybody know where to find a 9-2x repair manual? I'm going to hit the dealership and try to 'purchase' one from the mechanics. Anybody who knows about these mirrors, please throw some advice my way.

tonedebone · March 2005

Try asking a local Subaru dealer to fit one, I think it's a dealer installed option on the WRX and OBS. All it probably requires is live and ground wires from the map lights, it looks like there's already a hole in the trim that the wires can feed through.

The latest Subaru mirrors also include a garage door transmitter button.

ncdriver1 · March 2005

Edmunds lists a manufacturer to customer rebate of $5000 for 2005 9-2X, both linear and aero. I could not find this rebate listed at a couple of other web sites I checked (including Saab's). Did any of the recent buyers get this rebate? Thanks.

notyou · March 2005

I've been exchanging emails with a couple of local Saab dealers about purchasing a 92-X Aero -- Saab is offering buyers (but not leasors) 0% financing or $5k cash through 3/31 (and perhaps beyond, but who knows).

mamike · March 2005

Check the installation guides link of subaru-parts.com for the Impreza mirror/compass. It looks simple enough to install, but will require a wire with 3-pin header that is supposedly "taped" to the headliner inside the map light console.

Subaru dealers quote a 1-hr install for the Impreza, but no Saab dealer in the Boston area (4 dealers) can give me a solid answer of whether the 9-2x is pre-wired for the mirror/compass. Most default to the "if the Saab was pre-wired for this accessory, then Saab would offer it" answer. Very unsatisfying.

Let me know if you have any success. I'm picking up my 9-2x next week, and might have a better answer then.

mamike · March 2005

The $5000 rebate *or* 0% financing is real. A Saab dealer also told me GM is giving dealers another $800 holdback, so most dealers in Boston are offering $6000 off sticker price for the 9-2x. If you are a GM Supplier, then keep subtracting $$!

jchan2 · March 2005

This car could end up being so cheap that it actually costs less than the Impreza.

ncdriver1 · March 2005

The local Saab dealer in NC wants to add $250 advertising fee and $130 prep & handling fee to the invoice price of Saab 9-2X Linear. Are these fees legitimate or dealer profit?

mamike · March 2005

Sounds like dealer profit, esp. the prep and handling fee as Saab sets a standard destination charge of $695. The following Edmunds article suggests that these fees are negotiable if they are duplicate to those shown on the dealer invoice.

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/strategies/articles/59651/article.html

modster · March 2005

Hello,

I saw an ad in the paper for a linear for $17,500, and went to the dealership. MY impression is that they are REALLY trying to sell these cars ASAP. I casualy made an offer of about $22.5K for an 05 Aero with the cold package, manual. The salesguy was ready to sell. I will be going back monday evening to really haggle. At this price this is a no-brainer bargain. I'll let you know what happens.

ateixeira · March 2005

You can get an RS wagon or Outback Sport for even less, $16-17k or so. So I wouldn't say it's cheaper, though the extra perks may be worth it to you.

-juice

bons · March 2005

A Note to GM

Turn Saab into something like Volvo or Audi, a full, complete exciting product line-up with unique, stylish design. The 9-2 is a Saab brand/image destroyer. The S60 was the turning point for Volvo, A4 for Audi, the 9-3 (though a very good car) is hardly for Saab. Volvo follow up with the S40/V40 to boost sales, and poor GM-Saab added the almost identical Subaru wagon without a sedan version. If Saab is your only premium Euro car, the 9-2X (Subaru wagon) is your starting point? Result? A $5000 dealer incentives to dump it and hardly any buyers. If GM can't turn Saab around, GM will loose big in the hottest market - entry-level luxury. Don't loose your golden opportunity to turn Saab into legitimate Mercedes/BMW/Lexus/Volvo competitor.

christopher35 · March 2005

Well modster, are you driving a Saab 9-2x Aero yet? Was the salesman blowing smoke just to get you back in the showroom to make you drool? How about some details.
Just curious.

modster · April 2005

I got the guy down to about $21G; My target was $20.5. It was a good deal even at $21G, but the dealership had a total of about 8-10 9-2X's (including linear, aero and automatics) and NOBODY was buying them. They are just sitting there depreciating. Considering these factors, and the poor resale values, I thought my offer was quite reasonable ;-)

I dont know if GM has extended (or increased) the incentive past 3/31. I'll call the dealership back tomorrow and see if there willing to meet my price. I'll keep you posted.

modster · April 2005

christopher35,

I got the salesguy down to about $21G; My target was $20.5. It was a good deal even at $21G, but the dealership had a total of about 8-10 9-2X's (including linear, aero and automatics) and NOBODY was buying them. They are just sitting there depreciating. Considering these factors, and the poor resale values, I thought my offer was quite reasonable

I dont know if GM has extended (or increased) the incentive past 3/31. I'll call the dealership back tomorrow and see if there willing to meet my price. I'll keep you posted.

Saab 9-2X

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