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Saab 9-3 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • kmurkmur Member Posts: 36
    There is $2500 factory to dealer cash incentive right now on '08's. The dealer told me it doesn't apply to leases, which I find very difficult to believe. I certainly wouldn't buy a Saab new given the way it depreciates, although an '07 can be a good buy since they really want to unload them in a big way. The problem is there are no manual trannies out there. What's the point of a turbo car without a manual?
  • dt1027dt1027 Member Posts: 2
    Ok, I’ve decided to buy a Saab and was originally looking at the 2005s, and honestly between the test drives, I almost liked the Linear more than I did the Arc, is there something I’m missing? I know it has less HP and unless you get the premium package (which I would want) a somewhat crappy stereo and no power seats, but it was still a sweet little ride and cheaper. The only downside is that my dealer doesn’t have any Linear’s on the lot, so after some discussion, he just called to tell me if I can do it by the end of the month, he will get me in a Arc for the price of a Linear, so my question to all of you is, how much is reasonable. After doing some looking around, it looked like I could get a 2005 CPO Linear (38K miles) for around 17K, so is that what I should shoot for in a loaded up Arc or is that just unheard of? Any help is appreciated-Thanks!
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    It's harder to assess the "value" of a CPO car- the histories of a Linear and an Arc can be two different stories.

    However, given that both the Linear and the Arc have the same history, shooting for the same price on the Arc is not uncalled for- you wanted a Linear after all, and had to settle for an Arc.
  • wildgingerwildginger Member Posts: 1
    Received an initial price for an '08 93 Aero with automatic, cold weather package and upgraded leather seats for $37,865. This seems high to me. Dealer has said this is the best price. Thoughts?
  • squiredogssquiredogs Member Posts: 87
    I was originally going to lease a '08 9-3 combi, but have decided to buy. I have the GM "Pull Ahead" offer of $1000, as I have a GMAC lease that's ending. There's the "Fly Home" $500 national offer, and I see there's a $2500 factory-dealer incentive.

    Can I get all three, or is there a limit on this?

    I'm going today, please help ASAP.

    Thanks!
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    You should be able to get all three, but it might take some skill to get the entire $2500 manufacturer-dealer cash out of the dealership's hands.

    Good Luck!
  • squiredogssquiredogs Member Posts: 87
    Thanks for the advice above - the dealer was good about the $2500, everything went smooth, except the BS advertising fees, but hey...

    Sorry for the cross-post -
    Just got an '08 Combi that had everything we wanted at a great price. Well, everything except the roof rails... Not the crossbar type rack, just the parallel to the body roof rails.

    Can I get these installed by my dealer without butchering our beautiful new car? In other words, would getting them installed at the dealer be as invasive as say, an after-market sunroof?

    I'd really like to get the rails to get more of the vibe of our old '02 9-03 hatchback.

    Thanks!
  • saablcpsaablcp Member Posts: 195
    The 'Combis with factory equipped roof rails have a structurally reinforced roof .You cannot install them after the fact.On the plus side...the roof rails are useless without the crossbars.All Saab models have as standard equipment brass fittings under the moldings of both front and rear doors to accommodate the crossbars on a "use as needed basis".Buy the crossbars for $150.00 or so and you'll be good to go.
  • pengwinpengwin Member Posts: 74
    A dealership near me quoted me 25,005 OTD for an 07 anniv edition w/ cold weather and a moon roof. is this good?
  • waterdrwaterdr Member Posts: 307
    I purchased my 2003 9-3 in June 2006 as Certified Pre-Owned. I paid $17k for a vehicle with a $32K price tag and it has just 22k miles on it. Came with 4 years left of a bumper to bumper warranty or until 100k miles. I con honestly say that I am very pleased with the decision now 18 months later. CPO is really the way the to go. While the current discounts on a new one is very tempting indeed, this only drives the prices down further on the CPO cars too that are sitting on the lot.

    Saabs depreciate faster then any car on the planet in the first few years, then they seem to slow down, because "it's a Saab".

    Don't forget about the CPO's.
  • gunrabbitgunrabbit Member Posts: 3
    pengwin,

    Can you tell me where are you located? What color is the exterior/interior? The $25k OTD sounds like a good deal.

    I got a quote for $26k OTD on a 07 2.0T sedan with smoke beige exterior and beige interior. Automatic, moonroof, and cold weather package. I was ready to go sign the purchase papers tomorrow until I saw your posting.

    Please let me know your location and if you did buy the car at $25k OTD. Thanks.
  • rkreegerrkreeger Member Posts: 1
    car is fusion blue metalic 5000 miles navagation 50000 msrp car is in new york manhattan
  • eurospecialisteurospecialist Member Posts: 12
    waterdr
    "Saabs depreciate faster then any car on the planet in the first few years, then they seem to slow down, because "it's a Saab."

    Take into account that your $"32k" price tag was really closer to $27,000 to $28,000 with the incentives that were given at the time. The reason that Saabs depreciate so fast is because it is so closely competing against the new car deal.

    Why would someone buy a year old car for 23k or 24k (and have a $500 payment) when they can either buy a new one at 26-28k or lease a new one at $400-$500?

    Consumers always want to compare it to sticker and not the price they paid.

    Thats why is starts to slow down after the first 3 years or so.
  • waterdrwaterdr Member Posts: 307
    You did not get the point of my post. Incentives always play a part. What I was trying to say is that even despite incentives, Saabs depreciate very quickly. At the time I purchased my car, which was 3 model years old, there were not the incentives there were today. I paid $17k and have owned it for about 18 months. It is probably now worth $14k. If I had paid $28k for a car with an MSRP of $32k, it would now be worth about $20k.....an $8k loss rather then a $3k loss.

    The clincher with Saab is that they offer better warranties on the used ones then on new ones which is not the case with other makes.

    I am not against buying new.....in fact, I just did purchase a new car. But stictly financially speaking, buying used is always smarter. But, leasing changes things.

    The payment does not tell the whole story. But, it is America, and that is all 99% of the consumers seem to care about. If someone looks at a car like a rental and wants to get rid of it every two years, then leasing is the only option.

    The last point about Saabs is that once they get some age on them, they seem to actually hold their value better then most other brands. At least what I see where I live is that no matter of miles, if it is a clean 4WD or a Saab, they seem to always get money. But for someone leasing, why should they care.
  • eurospecialisteurospecialist Member Posts: 12
    3K loss in 18 months seems rather minimal to me?

    And most all the manufactures offer better certified pre-owned warranties than they do new (most all have 6yr/100k certified used and 4yr/50k new). The idea is to give the dealers as many reason to buy them when they come off lease so the manufacturer doesn't have to take their beating sending them to the auctions.

    I will agree with you that MOST of the time it make much more fiscal sense to buy used than new, but there are exceptions to very rule.
  • saablcpsaablcp Member Posts: 195
    The unasked question here is"depreciate compared to what?".Your statement has to have a context.All cars depreciate much more precipitously in the first 3 years.This is the basic rationale behind leasing as a financial option.Another component of resale value is market supply and demand.Saabs account for less than 1/4 of 1% of all cars sold in the U.S.A. and have proportionately less demand in the used car market thus impacting negatively on re-sale value.
  • waterdrwaterdr Member Posts: 307
    Yes $3k loss in 18 months is minimal because I purchased used. The car already took most of it's beating. I am not sure if you were agreeing with me or not by the use of the "?".
  • nondescript42nondescript42 Member Posts: 1
    Beware of Saab...

    We got rid of ours after owning it for two years and driving 15K miles on it. Long story short, we got rid of it because we kept having serious electrical problems with the car. The worst part was that the battery died on us after two years of ownership. When we called the Saab roadside assistance people, they sent out a couple of cars and it took 9 hours to jump start. Why did it take so long? According to the Saab service people, the car is designed not to be jump started since the car has so many delicate electronics - funny how Lexus, Mercedes, BMW and other don't seem to have such "delicate electronics." So, basically it was a design flaw - I say this because the tow truck people didn't really know of this "feature." Don't want my newborn and wife getting stuck in the middle of nowhere with a car that can't be jump started.

    Anyways, when we went to go sell the car, the Lexus dealer called the Saab dealer to see if they would buy the car. The Saab dealer told the Lexus dealer that they would not buy the car since, presumably, they probably couldn't sell the car. On the other hand, as long as the Lexus dealer didn't pay more than $15K for the car, they'd be fine... a car that two years ago we bought for $40K+ - talk about a disaster for a depreciation. We will never buy another GM vehicle - much less a Saab ever again.
  • waterdrwaterdr Member Posts: 307
    Yup...welcome to the Saab depreciation dissaster! Tis why I bought used and with a 100K warranty. Saabs seem to loose money faster then other brands in the first few years.

    BTW, my wifey likes to leave the keys in the ignition for some dumb reason which has killed the battery twice. Both times I called Saab roadside. Both times they came and jumped the car in seconds using standard, run of the mill jumping equipment. I think the last guy that jumped it was nammed "Bufford" and I think he just got out of bed eventhough it was 3 in the afternoon.

    There is nothing special with jumping a Saab with a dead battery. A battery is a battery.

    The last GM vehicle I owned previous to this was a Suburban....and put 100k miles on it. It was NEVER in the shop....not once except for oil, tires, and brakes. The first set of rotors did not go on it until 65k. When I got rid of it, the only thing that did not work was the electronic compass on the rearview mirror.

    Meanwhile, the guy across the street is undergoing lemon law proceedures against Honda. The car is in the shop more then it is on the road due to a suspension design flaw that can't be fixed. Go figure.

    While I can relate to your family concerns and know all too well the pain associated with loosing a child, Saab makes one dam safe car. I feel very confident in mine and one of the reasons we own it.

    It was unfortunate your luck was bad and you feel the way you do. I really can't find fault with Lexus as this brand is a great choice.
  • saablcpsaablcp Member Posts: 195
    Oh,by the way....you might want to google Forbes Magazine's list of "10 Least Expensive Luxury Cars to Own".Published in August of '07 it calculates total cost of ownership (incl.depreciation)for 5 years of ownership.The 4th least expensive vehicle was the 9-3 Sport-combi.The 2nd least expensive vehicle to own was the Saab 9-3 Sedan.I hope these "facts"have some impact on your "opinion"!
  • waterdrwaterdr Member Posts: 307
    Hey, I am always open to evidence. That is certainly good information to have and great for us Saab owners. However, I guess you have to consider what they are comparing the vehicle too. BMW, Jag, Caddy, and Mercedes have all done terrible these past few years with re-sale while when you look at Honda and Toyota it is a different story. Also, I think calling a Saab a Luxury car is a stretch. In many casis, the initial purcahse price is a lot less then the initial price of other makes which would make the cost of ownership lower too.

    As a Saab owner, I don't place Saab in the same playing field as many of the other luxury brands.
  • waterdrwaterdr Member Posts: 307
    Here is an example of a "luxury" 9-5 2001 Saab with lowish miles getting $4,500:

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ee9c851/34544

    Sad....very sad, indeed if you ask me.

    Go to the last page.
  • obrientwoobrientwo Member Posts: 9
    Currently the deals on left over 2007's are very good, but the deals on 2008 are not that special. However a dealer told me that great deals on 2008's will start after January 1, 2008. Anyone heard about great deals on 2008's? I like Saabs but will not buy one unless a special deal due to rapid depreciation in early years of ownership. On the left over 2007's, does the $4000 rebate for 9-3's apply after you negotiate a deal with a dealer?
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    The $4000 cashback is after the deal you get with the dealer.
    I would try to get invoice price, and then subtract the $4000 from that.
  • waterdrwaterdr Member Posts: 307
    While I am no "car buying expert", there appears to be three kinds of rebates. The straight forward "rebate" is advertised and then there is also sometimes "factory to dealer cash" which is not.

    I recently purchased a vehicle that had no rebates, but had $5500 in factory to dealer cash. I tried to buy the car from 4 different dealerships. One of them flat out told me how much money there was w/o me even asking and graciously deducted it from the 1% under invoice price.

    Two of the other dealers when asked by me simply stated that there was some money to "play with" but never disclosed the amount. The last dealer outright denied that any money existed even after telling them that I had confirmed this fact with a different dealer. They were either not aware, or chose to not allow me to have the money.

    The third type of "rebate" I become aware of only after having a friend who was a finance manager for a Mistubishi dealer. He claimed that Mitsubishi would give them special incentives for moving a certain number of vehicles in a specified period of time. If they did, they got cash back or even a "free" car from the manufacturer. The numbers were rather large if I recall....something like 25 - 30 cars in a short period of time....something that only a big volume dealer could do.

    He further indicated that if you caught the dealer at the correct time such as perhaps needing to sell one or two more cars in a day or two in order to get the big bonus, the dealer might extend closing incentives to the customer.

    All this makes trying to get the best deal possible hard to do. At some point, you just need to buy the thing and not look back. Apparently everyone must get a great deal anyway because I have never heard anyone ever say that they got screwed - lol
  • pregan3pregan3 Member Posts: 6
    A dealer near me has a few '07 9-3 sedans w/about 5k miles but none are certified pre-owned...Do you think this is because they won't be made CPO until the incentives on the '07s (4k customer cash) expire?

    If so I'd rather just wait to get the CPO warranty.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    the $4,000 cash will expire until they clear most of the leftover 2007 inventory.

    Try asking them if they'll CPO it for you.. Or maybe they're not CPOed because they wouldn't pass the inspection.
  • waterdrwaterdr Member Posts: 307
    With those low miles, I would suspect that they may be demos an thusly never titled. As such, they probably can't be CPO cars.
  • eurospecialisteurospecialist Member Posts: 12
    you can't cpo a new car with incentives. GM/Saab would call that double dipping incentives.
    You can however buy a extended warranty or have one included in whatever price you negotiate.
  • elvis2kelvis2k Member Posts: 4
    Hi,

    I recently purchased a new 2007 9-3 SportCombi.

    $32400 (msrp)
    - $1k (gm supplier discount--I bet anyone could get this with a big of haggling)
    - $650 (extra negotiation)
    - $5500 (GM '07 incentive--remember this comes off *after* taxes!)

    I had to find a dealer that was willing to search national inventory for the car I wanted. My local dealer only seemed interested in selling what was on the lot.

    The car is great so far, I feel the price was good. I don't worry about depreciation, I hope to keep this car 8 years. Without the incentive I think these cars are horribly over-priced.
  • heyjude2heyjude2 Member Posts: 4
    Hi. I just purchased a 2007 electric blue automatic areo convertible. It was
    driven 5000 miles by the owner's wife, has the balance of the warranty, and
    has been on the showroom floor since September '07. I've been looking at it
    since last summer. A few weeks ago, the salesman called me and told me they
    were taking an additional $2000 off for president's week. The deal I made totaled
    $15,0000 off the purchase price - $7,000 from Saab and $8,000 from the dealer.
    I sat down with the car salesman, he gave me a price of $38,600 including tax.
    I told him I couldn't go over $35,000 total. He came back in in about five minutes
    with a price of $35,600. (I may still get another $500 discount from going to a local
    auto show - we will be closing the deal in a week.) I told him I'd take the car for
    $35,600. I was so surprised at how much he came down in price and how easy
    the deal was to make. Now I'm wondering if I could have gotten more off if I
    played harder. What do you think? The car is just exactly what I've wanted for years. Judy
  • saablcpsaablcp Member Posts: 195
    First off....I.m not going to say what I think about the idea of finding "Exactly what I've wanted for years!"at a $15,000 discount and immediately second guessing your decision based on the possibility that the dealer was too accommodating and motivated to move a unit which has been on the Showroom floor for 5 months(which doesn't include the months they were paying floor plan interest on the car while the Dealers wife was driving it)!!!! I'll reserve saying how I feel about that approach to "The Art of the Deal"!...... Here's what you better clarify with your dealer.You state you are going to "close the deal "in a week".Presidents day cash expires on 02/29.Unless he is offering to report the car through G.M.'s retail delivery system on or before that date AND back date all your paperwork consistent with that 02/29 date....you will not have the deal you think you are getting.That money will be gone .I don't know where you reside,however the only Auto Show cash I am currently aware of is that tied to the Philadelphia Auto Show and that also expires on 02/29. Just a heads up ...I think you had best contact your providing dealer and clarify these issues. Mostly I don't understand what you mean by saying you "just purchased" the car but you are closing the deal next week?
  • heyjude2heyjude2 Member Posts: 4
    I signed my contract to purchase the vehicle on 2/15/08 showing the $15,000 off.
    I'm getting a home equity loan through my credit union. That takes 2 - 3 weeks.
    I'll actually be purchasing the car, closing this deal, March 4. So my paperwork does not need to be backdated. My salesman is going to report the car through GM's retail delivery system by the 29th, so we're covered. There is an auto show in my area that is also tied to the $500 rebate. I'm not second guessing my decision on buying a saab. It is what I have wanted. I believe I got a good deal. What made me question it is after the sale, I asked the salesman if these end of the year sales always had this much of a discount, and he said it's not unusual. So that's what made me wonder if I could have got more off, not to sound greedy, but I'd rather have the money in my pocket than theirs. I've never had a saab before, that's why I decided to ask this question on the saab forum.
  • saablcpsaablcp Member Posts: 195
    For you to clarify,but first ....Congratulations! You are going to love the car.I just leased a 2008 Aero 4 door and as an owner driving the car on a day to day basis I am much more aware of the cars qualities than I ever was doing 5 mile test drives with clients!The last point to clarify is I suggest you ask is: if when the owners wife took the car for her personal use did they report the car as being in "loaner car" service?This is a common practice as it qualifies the vehicle for an add'l. $2,000 rebate at time of retail sale.You buy the car at an equivalent lower price than a brand new car off the showroom floor,however the factory warranty started when the car was reported as a loaner car.This should be a point you get clarification on.If the owners wife was driving the car for the Summer of '07,prior to the car being put on display for sale as a leftover '07,you may have lost as much as 9 months or more off of your 48 month warranty.Mileage on the car at time of sale to you would also count against the 50k. allowance.
  • heyjude2heyjude2 Member Posts: 4
    I know I'm going to love this car. I'm only going to have it on the road from mid
    April to mid November, then put my 4-runner back on the road. Yes, I did receive
    the $2,000 loaner discount, and I did know that the warranty period will be shorter.
    The salesman was great and very upfront about everything. I've bought several
    new cars (usually end of the model year), but this negotiation was by far the
    easiest one. It took all of ten minutes. Also, I do know a mechanic that works
    there - maybe that helped! Judy
  • donovankddonovankd Member Posts: 6
    I have a combi with roof rails. I should have bought without. Can the rails be removed easily when not in use? If so, how I do I cover up the attachment points?
  • skinhealerskinhealer Member Posts: 33
    Wanted to get a Saab 2.0T

    Audio system with Navigation
    Automatic
    Cold weather
    Moonroof package
    Premium package

    MSRP: $37,010.00

    There is 3500.00 rebate and an another 2000.00 incentive for buying.

    I was thinking of asking for 31,000.00

    Wanted to know what you all think of that price.

    Thank you.
  • saablcpsaablcp Member Posts: 195
    Where are you coming up with the figures of $5,500 in incentives?April dealer cash is $2,500.....do you have owner loyalty eligibility($1,000)...is the other $2,000 because the car is a dealer service loaner?
  • tom08tom08 Member Posts: 2
    In the process of purchasing new 2008 9-5 with visibility and paint. negotiated with dealer to 35.5K$ so far. However, given the cash back from manufacturer I am thinking the price should be ~1.25K$ less. MSRP is 39040 without destination. Invoice is 36740-$2500 for cash back= $34,240. So it looks like 35.5K$ is too high? Do all dealers get the cash back for all models? Is there any reason not to apply the cash back discount to the purchase price?
  • rgreene1rgreene1 Member Posts: 3
    Did you purchase your Saab from your local dealer (who did the national search), or from the dealer who had the car you wanted? If it was from your local dealer, was there some extra expense since your dealer served as a "middle man"?
    I'm asking because I may soon be in a similar situation with a Saab I want sitting across the country. Thanks.
  • tom08tom08 Member Posts: 2
    Used local dealer - car on the lot. Final price was~ 35K$- good luck!
  • elvis2kelvis2k Member Posts: 4
    I bought my car from a non-local dealer who found the car after doing a national search. There was an extra $250.00 expense to have the car trailered to them. I drove 2 hrs to sign the papers and pickup the car. My local Saab dealer was not interested in searching for the car I wanted. I guess they wanted to sell what was on their lot.
  • rgreene1rgreene1 Member Posts: 3
    Sorry for the confusion - -let me try again. Did you purchase your Saab from 1) the dealer who searched for and found the car you wanted, or 2) the dealer who originally had the car before it was trailered? If #1, then who bought the car from the dealer who originally held it? Hope this makes sense. Thanks.
  • elvis2kelvis2k Member Posts: 4
    I purchased the car from the dealer who located the car (in Cleveland).
    The car was trucked from another dealer (in Philly I think). I had to pay the shipping fee and a small deposit before the transfer happened.

    Nobody bought the car from the original dealer in Philly. Dealerships have arrangements where they can transfer stock to one another. Not sure what this involves for them (doesn't much matter to me). As I said, it cost a couple hundred to have the car shipped.

    My local dealer (in Columbus) was not interested in finding a specific car nationally. I suppose this varies by dealer. Dealers in Cincy and Cleve. were interested.

    Hope that helps.
  • yv27yv27 Member Posts: 3
    I just got 07 9-3 aero with navi + stick, fully loaded with 3 extended warranties. I was wondering if someone could direct me to a good site to sell the car. It has 1200 miles.

    Thanks.
    Yury
    odesitnyc@gmail.com
  • yv27yv27 Member Posts: 3
    I think the price is a bit high, you can get aero for the same price. Navi is hard to find. Actually, that is what i was told is the book value for the aero by my dealer, friend. I have 07 aero on stick with navi and i need to sell it. If you are interested, let me know.

    Yury
    odesitnyc@gmail.com
  • hutch79hutch79 Member Posts: 5
    Hello,
    My husband and I just bought a new 2008 9-3 2.0T 4 door sedan today with metallic paint, moonroof, and cold weather package. We weren't fussy about the cold weather package, but I guess that's how they come in the Northeast. Anyway, Edmunds has been an invaluable resource in this whole car buying experience. I just wanted to contribute to the community on what we paid for our new car. I wished more people had posted their prices when I was in my search. Anyway, we paid $27,554 plus a $175 documentation fee + tax + registration. Hope that info helps for anyone in their hunt. We did our buying online requesting quotes from any dealer in a 75 mile range (which happens to be quite a few for where we live) and went with the lowest quote. It was a painless process and we couldn't be happier with our new car. Thanks again everyone.
  • hutch79hutch79 Member Posts: 5
    One last thing I forgot. Our car is an automatic. Hope this helps.
  • cpa_howardcpa_howard Member Posts: 8
    I'm looking for SAAB 9-3 Sportcombi 2.0T and dealer told me that GM has rebate up to $3,700, the one I looked MSRP $33,275 (metallic paint+ auto+ bose + 17' wheel) would be down to $29,575 + tax + fee. GMAC has 5.9% APR for 60 months.
    Is this good deal? It seems people get the rebate or incentives average to 4K or 5K from either SAAB or GM, but I tried so hard to negotiate just up to $3.7K.
    Maybe it's in the middle of year, not at year-end.
    any opinion, thanks in advance.
  • hutch79hutch79 Member Posts: 5
    If you want a comparison, our MSRP was 32,475 we paid 27,554. Not sure if the SportCombi is more in demand or whatever (we have the sedan), but just wanted to give you a comparison. If you have e-mailed all the dealers in your area asking for the lowest price, a competitive price should soon emerge. The next lowest dealer 's price came in at 28,000, and then we had 2 say the price they could do was 29,000. The final 2 dealers we were in brief communication with didn't really like to deal over the web, and we didn't want to go there so we eliminated them. The dealer we got it from apparently was running some kind of promotion (but aren't they always?).
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