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Saab 9-5 Sedan

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Comments

  • ffb13ffb13 Member Posts: 181
    after my last post i went out and got a 215-55-16 all weather tire to use as a full time spare instead of the donught tire.
    advantages -------the donut is a pain due to its limitations --150 miles range at about 55 mph....
    this is enough to get you to a local tire or saab dealer.
    but,my experience with 3 tire damages is that the tires that come with the 9.5 either snow or regular are not easily found everywhere and you may have to wait 1 or 2 or 3 days to get the replacement.and pay a premium due to the last minute purchase.
    if you are on a trip you are out of luck......

    so,i decided to purchase a size that matches the snow tire size since i had the spare 16 inch wheel
    and because the overall diameter of the tire matches the regular tire also i will have no problem in mixing this size with the regular tires.

    the tire fits about right in the trunk where the donut used to be.---you do have to remove the spacer where the jack is and place the jack back in the space----take a look and you will figure it out.
    the cover falls fine over the spare tire but there is about 1/4 of an inch or less of an overhang but i can live with it ...hardly noticiable.------worth the peace of mind on a trip.
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    From your name "brentwood Volvo" and fact that you post here, I was thinking maybe you might also have a Saab Dealership there... Obviously not the case...

    The color your asking about is a fairly popular one for Saab called Sun Green. No color for the 9-5 beats the Steel Grey though ;)

    As far as Volvo's are concerned.. sorry bout your luck there with 2000 New Volvo SUV's ending up at the Bottom of the English Channel instead of arriving in the US. The fact that the demand for those are high, it'll be a win win situation for Volvo. After the shipping companies insurance company pays off, that's 2000 new cars sold twice for them. The demand will still be there and Volvo dealers will continue to charge preimums for them. Saab should be so lucky.

    Drew
  • bewildered2bewildered2 Member Posts: 13
    I was in the market for an Infiniti G35, but after test driving the 9-5 Aero, I changed my mind. I still prefer the exterior look of the G35 over the 9-5, but I like the 9-5 much better in the interior. I was only going to get about 2k off the sticker of the G35. Got a new 02' Aero for $10,000 off sticker. My car listed at $41,370; I paid $31,370 and had the dealership tint the windows for additional $200. (They had two 02' wagons and one 9-5 Linear model left as of last week).
    So far, I love the car. Hopefully the honeymoon won't end anytime soon.
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    Congratulations on the new ride! I hope you enjoy your new car LONG past the honeymoon!
  • eitan1eitan1 Member Posts: 4
    If any of you Saabers from No. NJ could comment on their dealer experience (professionalism, reasonable deals, service...) I would apprereciate the advice.
  • jmingjming Member Posts: 9
    Eitan1 - I've dealt with Reinertsen Motots in Denville and have found them to be outstanding. Like any dealer, they're not perfect - but I would recommend them to anybody.
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    I havent been there in YEARS (BWV)

    And it wasnt Sun Green. Isnt SUn Green more of a Jade Green? Kinda a light metallic?
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    No.. Sun Green is NOT like a Jade. The use of the name Sun Green is not very good IMO. The color sometimes looks like it has a Green tint and sometimes looks more like a pale or faded Grey. It's an odd color, very different.

    I'd be willing to bet that's the color you saw. There is no other color quite like it on the road.

    Drew
  • buckaroo067buckaroo067 Member Posts: 22
    I'm looking for some advice on the deal i just struck with my local SAAB dealer. I only put a deposit down to hold it while I "sleep" on my decision.

    I got a '03 9-5 Linear with every available option except the Touring Package. It was a demo car with 4,700 miles on it. They agreed to sell it to me for $30,400 (original sticker was around $37,450). Although I got them to throw in some small things like all weather floor mats, I still feel weird about getting a demo. They claim that buying a demo is an "automatic" $2,500 off sticker .. is this a good deal??? after reading some of these posts (e.g. '03 Aero for $31k) I'm beginning to feel like a sucker. Any words of wisdom?

    Thanks!

    (FYI: Merlot Red with Beige Interior)
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. If your not comfortable though, no use going ahead. Your post was two days ago, what'd you end up doing?

    Drew
  • buckaroo067buckaroo067 Member Posts: 22
    Well, the dealer wouldn't budge on the price but I did get him to throw in a 6 disk CD changer for only $257(originally $515 installed).

    Oddly enough, I'm having a difficult time choosing between this car and an '03 Accord (EX, V6, w/ Navigation). Both cars have virtually the same dimensions. The Honda has the voice activated nav, radio, & temp controls. It also has 240 hp which gives it considerably more power than the Saab. And finally, its record for reliability is way up there.

    On the other hand the Saab is more luxurious, and with the exception of the missing side curtain airbags is a very safe car. It also has that intangible attractiveness to it.

    I need to decide today and I'm still going back and forth.
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    The 9-5 does have Front Side Air Bags. Not the Curtain Style and none in the rear seats.

    You can argue which method of side bags is best I suppose. As far as rear side air bags, I don't want them. They say those are not a good idea if you have small kids, which we do.

    The features in the Newest Honda are cool I have to admit. Not to mention 240hp and all for less money. The Saab will be more fun to drive but if that's not important, you have a tough choice.

    Good Luck
    Drew
  • ffb13ffb13 Member Posts: 181
    well just remember that when they take you out on a demo you usually beat the hell out of it to see how it will perform.
    with only 2 miles or so ,i have done full throttle accelerations,etc.... and demos usually are not broken in by the book.......so,i would not do it.............but maybe yours was well taken care of and only old ladies took them out for demo rides..........
  • crestonavecrestonave Member Posts: 209
    Wonder re the demo deal if the car qualified for 0% for 3 years? Or did you plan to pay differently? I am looking at a 2003 9-5 ARC which stickers at approx 41000 with the touring package and 6000 miles on it. Carsdirect says a new one is 33897. I bid the dealer 31 for the demo and he said no way, but we're still talking.
  • kenboykenboy Member Posts: 3
    does anyone know if the '04 saab 9-5 will include side-curtain airbags?
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    I'm confused. Are you asking if the '04 will have Rear Side Bags? The 9-5 currently has side air bags in front. They use a Seat mounted method that assures the bag is always in the proper position regardless of how you have your Seat Positioned.

    As far as Rear Bags, I don't know if the plans is to add them or not. I didn't want them on ours since we have Small Children. They are not highly recommended with small kids.

    good luck
    Drew
  • kenboykenboy Member Posts: 3
    thanks drew. i'm asking about front side "curtain" airbags that are supposed to protect your head from smashing into the side windows. does the current 9-5 have these?
  • uncledaviduncledavid Member Posts: 548
    From what I understand (and I could be wrong) the Saab only has side airbags, and no curtains. However, I thought the side airbags had a design that allowed for them to provide equivalent protection for th ehead.
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    The Saab 9-5 uses side seat mounted air bags ONLY. There Are various opinions as to which method is best. Some feel that the Seat Mounted method is better since the air bag position is always constant in relation to the driver and passenger regardless of where they position the seat.

    I suspect that a seat mounted approach is technically less complicated and less expensive as well. I'd be careful to read into that meaning they are less effective though. I recently read an article about the position of a seat mounted approach being preferred due to more protection to the neck/ Thorax areas. I couldn't tell you where I read that though.

    I've never heard any debates or strong opinions suggesting which type of air bag is superior. I suspect they are both good. The only opinions on side air bags I've read refers to the belief that Rear Side Bags are not a good idea with small children in the out board seats since kids tend to rest against the doors. That combination could have horrible consequenses.

    Drew
  • wilkichwilkich Member Posts: 52
    When you mention side air bags and small kids, how small do you mean? This take into account kids in child or booster seats?

    I drove an '03 9-5 Linear and came away very impressed. (especially in comparison to 9-3) Anyway, I am considering buying used but wonder what significant changes there have been since the 2000 and '01 models. The sportronic transmission with the paddle shifter seems to be new to the '03s but I'm sure there are other changes.
  • jlaszlojlaszlo Member Posts: 60
    I own a '99 Saab 9-5 with 65K and the trip computer/radio display is going bad (lines forming on screen). It's getting to a point where I can't tell what half the data is. I had a similar experience with a 9-3 I once owned. Is there an easy, inexpensive fix for this or am I going to have to replace the unit? If I have to replace it, any suggestions where I can find it cheap?
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    If the SID (Saab Info Display) is loosing pixels, some folks have found that it's a matter of improving the contacts of some of the internal connectors. Here's a "how-to" example:

    http://www.users.waitrose.com/~randmwilliams/

    If you want to replace the unit, check ebay for a used one. If you want a new unit, the following sites offer Saab parts at discounts of 20% or more:

    eeuroparts.com
    saabcenter.com

    I have ordered from both of these dealers and would recommend them to anyone.
  • jlaszlojlaszlo Member Posts: 60
    Thanks! I'll give it a shot.
  • john_ryan160john_ryan160 Member Posts: 2
    Hello there,

    Just wondering if 20000 for a 2000 Saab 95 V6 SE approx. 25500 miles in Boston area is a good deal ? I loved the test drive. Thanks.
  • rhirsh1rhirsh1 Member Posts: 1
    Finally got my 2002 aero - found one pre-owned for $26,400 - a heck of a deal - and it is in mint condition. Always wanted one of these but i've noticed a few odd things - sometimes i see the turbo guage cut out after a while - it will go from the red zone to the white pretty quickly - is that normal. Any one know if premium 91 octane fuel is mandatory?
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    The issue isn't so much the size of the kids I think. The problem would be true for anyone who would tend to rest their Heads/ Body against the side doors.

    If your are in Child Seats now, that sounds fine but keep in mind that it won't be long before they are using either no booster or one where they will still be wanting to rest and sleep agains the door panels.

    I'm only describing thoughts I've heard and sometimes read about but you should research the issue yourself if you have a concern. I honestly do not know of any report or study that you should look for but it seems to me you should be able to find something to help you decide.

    Good Luck
    Drew
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    This is one problem Saab did have with earlier models but hopefully not current ones. I remember our first 9-5 needing one SID replacement, maybe even a second but not sure.

    If I were you, I would check with the dealer to make sure they will not go ahead and warranty it. They are well aware that these were a problem early on. If not a full replacement, perhapse they will at least discount. I'm not sure I'd want a repalcement from a donor car since it's possible it'd come from an older car that didn't get an improved replacement SID.

    Good Luck
    Drew
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    That's not a bad price but not great. That car prolly sold at auction for $16-17K so with fees, a detail, some recon work, they've prolly got $18K in it. If you can get it close to $19K you'll have a fair deal.
  • dochopdochop Member Posts: 2
    Time to get back to my roots..turn in the Jimmy and get a new SAAB. I am interested in the 2003 9-5 5-speed Linear sedan Was quoted $7000.00 off the MSRP of 35,045 GG metallic .This price incentive also includes $ 500.00 previous owner rebate. Seems to be a pretty good discount..any thoughts as to whether I can push for more?
    Thanks
    Peter
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    Wow! You can get this car for under $30K? I'd go for it without hesitation. At that price, you'd be hard pressed to find a better car IMO.

    Good Luck
    Drew
  • companymancompanyman Member Posts: 3
    I was browsing at the local Saab dealer on Sunday (they were closed) and I noticed several new 2002 9-5 Arc sedans on the lot.

    I am looking for a cash deal. Does anyone have an opinion as to what would be a reasonable offer to make for a new 2002, net of all incentives and promotions and considering the fact that the car is a year old? How much of a price reduction is it realistic to expect over the price of a new 2003?

    The cars I saw did not have window stickers, so I don't know for sure what the MSRP was - I assume it was similar to the MSRP on a 2003. Were there any significant changes made from 2002 to 2003?

    Thanks.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    One critical thing to remember is that incentives are not perpetual. They end eventually. So your best deal may be on an '03 instead of an '02, incentive-wise.

    No window sticker on the '02s could possibly mean they were demos or service loaners. I'd treat them as used cars even if they're still on MSO (never been titled).
  • john_ryan160john_ryan160 Member Posts: 2
    I paid 19500 in the end. They were very sticky on the price.
  • bewildered2bewildered2 Member Posts: 13
    I purchased a new 02 9-5 Aero last month - no sticker on window but was given invoice paper - MSRP 41,370. Got 10,000 off sticker. Paid 31,370.
    It had 550 miles - was told those were test driven miles and that occasionally the managers would drive the cars.
    I've been pleased.
  • saabbersaabber Member Posts: 84
    I have finally moved out of my 2000 Saab 9-5SE and into my MB C320. What an improvement in quality.

    Apparently, Saab does not realize that they took my 9-5 back two months ago and sent me a recall notice on the 9-5.

    If I have this right, Saab is claiming that the nuts and bolts that hold the tires on the 9-5 can "rust through" and break if certain types of wheels (made of certain types of materials) are used on the car. Rust through? Are they serious? I guess so if they sent a recall notice out. I am not sure whether to applaud them for their safety concerns or to wonder about the quality controls on the materials that went into the production process. I just skimmed the recall notice. Maybe a better explanation is in order.
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    First of all, recall notices commonly go to a previous owner until the manufacturer receives information on the new owner. It's not a Saab thing and not unreasonable to expect this kind of thing to happen.

    Second, If you take a minute to read the Recall you'd learn that the Wheel Rust issue is ONLY for owners who use the Practice of Mounting Steel Wheels during the winter months with snow tires. (not necessarily a Saab Wheel) There is NO issue with the Saab Factory Wheels at all.

    It's likely something to do with the different metal types contacting each other. Your implication of Poor Quality Control was unfair.

    Read the facts before making an implication. Most of these situations involve owners purchasing a Wheel/ Tire combo for the winter from a source like TireRack.. You should applaud Saab for taking the Time and Expense to educate their owners. Saab may not have even had an obligation to send this information out. I wonder if Mercedes has done this. It's a common practice for Mercedes owners in the Snow Belt too. ;)

    Drew
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    That's hard to understand. The wheels studs have to be steel, so I can't see where there would be an issue with galvanic corrosion due to dissimilar metals. If anything, there would be an issue with aluminum wheels.
  • saabbersaabber Member Posts: 84
    DSKI, I am glad to see after a long absence as an active participant on this board that you still personally attack anyone who states anything negative about a saab. It is "interesting" how your comments were first aimed at attacking the messenger and trying to defend the recall notice rather than first addressing the true problem (which I suggested that someone with better knowledge should do). After reading your post, it appears that you may believe that the recall notice was a positive publicity instrument for Saab because it shows that Saab cares about its customers. Recall notices are documents approved by legal departments that are intended to prevent a company from being sued when someone later gets injured and it can be shown that the company knew about the defect ahead of time. It is possible, just possible dski, that maybe there was a manufacturer's defect here. It did not make any owners of firestone tires any more comfortable when they were told that the blowouts only occurred if the tires were underinflated. If nuts and bolts that hold the tires on are susceptible to rust, that may concern me, regardless of whether I use wheels of certain compositions that may accelerate the rust. What about those that will own their Saabs for 20 years and may get exposure to many types of road materials that could cause a rust problem? I agree with the last post that it is difficult to understand this problem based on a simple understanding of principles of chemistry.
    I wish I could stay with you, dski, in the Saab discussion to continue to watch you monitor the comments of all saab owners, but as I stated, I moved on to my MB, and with that I must leave you to your self-appointed position as guardian of all comments on this board.
    Peace to all.
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    >>That's hard to understand. The wheels studs have to be steel, so I can't see where there would be an issue with galvanic corrosion due to dissimilar metals. If anything, there would be an issue with aluminum wheels<<

    It's not hard at all IMO. Read the notice. The issue is with the Steel Wheels. The steel wheels for winter use are typically Cheap ones used to save the wear on your Good ones. The issue is likely more about the wheels than the Saab Hubs or wheel studs. The cheap wheels probably start rusting transferring the corrosion.

    There may still be a dissimilar metal issue if the corrossion is starting on the aftermarket Wheel but it doesn't matter. I'm just saying I don't think it fair to blame Saab on this one.

    Drew
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Saaber will have his hands more than full when his C-class starts crapping out on him. It ain't one of the more reliable cars in its class.

    If you run into Zeuslewis in one of the forums, ask him about all the lemon law cases involving Mercedes and the C-class. Lemon law claims are thru the roof with that car. And MB isn't too cooperative with consumers when it comes time to settle; ya almost always gotta take them to court.

    Saab's are rarely involved in lemon law claims and Saab USA has a rep of bending over backwards to settle claims and satisfy customers.

    The C-class may very well be the worst car in its class when considering the above issues.
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    Congratulations, I don't have any idea about the reliability of the C-Class but I think all the Variants of that car are Beautiful. I hope it meets all of your expectations and your finally happy with your car choices.

    Good Luck
    Drew
  • aelbrechtaelbrecht Member Posts: 1
    We have a 2000 Saab 95 with 55,000 miles on it (it's actually my wife's car). I was just told by the dealer that both front wheel bearings need to be replaced at a cost of approximately $350.00 each. When I asked why they had to be replaced so early in the car's life, the service representative mumbled something about possibly hitting a few potholes. This seems a bit suspicious to me. Has anyone had similar problems?
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    Our first 9-5 was a lease and turned in before 55K. I didn't have a bearing problem but that's not to say I wouldn't have.

    One issue I did have that ticked me off a little was an unusual wear on the rear Rotors. They had to be replaced. It was pricey and in retrospect, I should have complained loudly about it. If it happens on our new one, you can bet I will.

    Good Luck
    Drew
  • dochopdochop Member Posts: 2
    dski...thanks for the vote of confidence on the dealer offering of 28k for a 2003 9-5 Linear..got the car on Saturday and am I impressed ! Your thoughts on Remus sport exhaust..dealer says it cannot be fit on a 2003 due to bumper design ?...as well as I live in Vermont..the state of perpetual winter any thoughts as to whether Michelin Alpin or Gislaved snows would be the way to go
    Thanks,
    Peter
  • bewildered2bewildered2 Member Posts: 13
    My 9-5 has 2500 miles on it and there is a squeal when pulling slowly to a stop. I reported this to the service tech when I had my 30day check and asked that they check pads and rotors - they said those were fine and applied some brake clean (I suppose anti-squeal spray)and it resolved it temporarily, but they were squealing after a week or so.
    Anyone else have any brake issues with so few miles?
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    Congrats on the new Car. From my experience, I'm confident you'll be happy. Looks like you got a Great Deal.

    I'm not sure about the Sport Exhaust your referring to. I considered one on our first Saab but never did it. I would suggest that you drive the car for awhile before spending the money. You may find that you like everything just the way it is. The option would always be there later.

    One thing to keep an eye out for is a Performance Upgrade that Saab is offering to owners in Europe. It's more significant than just an exhaust upgrade. It includes a Performance Chip endorsed by the factory. To my knowledge, it's not available in the U.S. yet but they are considering it. It would be available throught the dealer which is a huge benefit for warranty purposes.

    Best of luck.
    Drew
  • dskidski Member Posts: 414
    Not sure I can offer any help on this one. We had some squealing on our first 9-5 I remember but it went away fairly quickly. I never addressed it at the dealer. Lets hope yours goes away soon as well.

    Drew
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    I had my first Saab experience this weekend. I have been shopping for a sports sedan and was pretty sure I had narrowed it down to a G35 or an IS300. But I have always been intrigued by Saabs. Reliability has always been a big concern for me but I have seen that Saab reliability is actually quite good for the past few years. Further inspired by the reports of heavy discounts for 9-5s being reported here, I headed down to the Saab dealer. The only Aero with an auto on the lot was a red one and despite my distate for red sedans, in general, this one looked pretty good. The driver's seat was phenomenal. I thought I had sat in comfortable seats before but I was wrong. I have a new standard by which to judge other seats. The driving was also very nice. The weight and feel of the steering was excellent. Once the engine was at operating temp, I punched the gas. Holy $&$%! This thing flies. I know all the magazine times say this is not as fast as a G35 or even a 3.5 Maxima but, damn, this is the first sedan I've driven that actually feels fast. Even my 12 year old son, who accompanies me on most of my test drives, came away saying this was by far the fastest thing I have driven. I have to try and get some more info and see if around $6-8000 off sticker is even realistic, because otherwise, this is probably out of my price range. I'm also still worried about reliability despite Saabs recent performance in this area, but I now know why the Saab aficinados say that a huge percentage of people who drive a Saab end up buying one. It is a damn nice car.
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    dgraves1: Current incentives on the Aero are $4,000, so if you subtract that from the invoice amount that should come close to the $6-8K off of MSRP, depending on options.

    Check out the recent CR 'car issue' where the Saab 9-5 is rated as the most reliable of popular euro sedans.
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    Thanks, rob999. I have the CR auto issue and can see that Saab has been doing great on reliability for 2 or 3 years now. That is certainly encouraging but it not as comforting as the decades of reliable cars from Toyota and Nissan. I like to keep my cars for a long time (witness my 1990 Maxima and 1992 MR2) so 2-3 years of reliability is relatively short term for me.
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