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I leased a 2001 Aero in August, 2001. The only difference from your specks is I got a manual trans not the automatic. I was able to get the lease captialized cost to $35,299 (sticker was $42,500 I think). That is GM supplier pricing and the $5000 lease reduction. The car is very nice and I have no second thoughts on it. The only issue with the high output engine is torque steer in the first few gears. You want to make sure you are pointed straight ahead and have a good grip on the wheel before you nail it.
One other thing to consider is tires for the winter. The Michelins that come on it are a summer performance time and are said to be terrible in snow. I live just north of Detroit, MI. and have purchased a set of 16 inch rims with 215/55/16 snow tires for the winter. I will be putting them on the car in the next couple of weeks.
Drive Safe,
Joe
2000 Saab 9-5 Wagon
I made the jump and bought a 9-5 Aero auto with the 17 BBS rims. A few questions.
1) The dealer told me I have 4 coupons for maintenance on the SAAB which entitle me to free services. Do I have to pay for normal wear items such as wipers, brake pads, and bulbs ? or are these included in the maintenance schedule ?
2) It sounds like I need a snow tire package. Does anyone know were I can get a good deal on them ?
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks
Saab also has snows on steel wheels, which are cheaper.
Tire rack will be a bit cheaper tha Saab for wheels and tires. I believe it was about $550 for 4. Lots of choices for 4 snows.
I went the extra bit to have the nice looking wheels. I always liked the idea of snows on mags. These even look like snow flakes :-)
Drive Safe,
Joe
I will check out the '02 Arc and Linear in the next several days at Saab NA, but the pix I've seen show the wood trim in the Arc as a lighter wood like that bird's eye maple. The Linear appears to keep the current walnut look. I'll post once I've confirmed with real cars.
Thanks.
I'd love the leather & wood steering wheel but at $385 + install, I'll hold off.
http://www.saabcatalog.com
Saab sells a wiring harness that allows a hands free kit (HFK) to wire directly to the Saab audio system. This will only work in pre-2001's without Onstar. It includes connects for a mic, mute, speakers, power, etc. Note that not all phone HFK's include a wire to run the mute circuit. Some popluar Nokias (6100) and Motorola's do.
If you have an Onstar installed car then you can't use the Saab Cell Phone harness. In the 2001's with Onstar, the plug has been replaced with a different plug and is already attached to the Onstar system. You can't tap into these wires to install a HFK without causing problems with Onstart. There is a neat solution.
If you have Onstar and want it to interface properly with your cell phone The is an elegant solution called Triad available from Uhltronics. This is a device that switches between Onstar and your cell phone signal. There are no other options here that I am aware of.
If you have a phone that does not have a HFK or a mute wire, you might consider a Cellport. They even have a voice activated system that works amazingly well (I installed it about two months ago). The voice activated system is new to the market and not available at most dealers yet. The non-voice system is available. Market price for the system is approximately $200. The voice system is about $260. You have to buy the basic unit, plus a pocket for your phone. I have found one dealer that seems to know the product well and has in stock. Both Cellport systems use adaptors that let you switch phones without any effort. Great if you have different drives and phones.
For mounting, you can use the saab "egg" or also there is an neat solution made by Panvise.
For an antenna consider one of the internal intennnas, to keep your car lines clean, the right antenna makes a big difference. You'll also want to use the HFK mic, not the Onstar mic by the mirror.
So, depending on what parts you get, you'll pay $150-400 for hardware (depends on if you have onstar or if you go for the cellport). Installation is really easy, it should take a good installer less than two hours or about $100.
I've been really happy with my set up. I can make calls, never touch the phone and it all itergrates seamlessly with Onstar and my audio system. SOund quality is great, and it doesn't affect Onstar performance, regardless of weather I choose to keep it or not. Intrusion to the car is really minimal and could be removed with no trace for a lease return.
Hope this helps.
A dealer told me these cars are hard on brakes, 20k miles for pads and new rotors every second pad change. $600 for the rotor and pad job. Sounds like a short life to me.
Thanks in advance for the help.
DP
Our front rotors had an unusual problem. They didn't really wear down but wore oddly. There was a Raised Outer Groove on the disk making it impossible to fit new pads over the rotors. At less than 25K miles I thought it was way too early for a rotor replacement. I should have argued much harder for some sort of an accomidation on the rotors I think.
All things considered, I have no regrets on selecting the 9-5 though.
Drew
Also - Ronal has an excellent tire/wheel package -Ronal is oem of alloy wheels for most of the world's car mfgs (Saab, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, etc). Their package incldues the Nokian NRW - H-rated snows - which are probably the best snow tires in the world. If you go to saabnet, ronal is offering a factory direct deal on their wheels and snow tires for about $1100 I think.
I just picked up the Dunlop Wintersport M2 - 215-55h16 - will put them on in early december.
Pat
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Sedans Message Board
Drice Safe,
Joe
I bought an Aero with heated seats about a month ago. The MSP was $41,795, talked him down to $39770, got another $2k off as the car head 1,700 miles on it, then got another $5k off for the lease incentive. Total cap cost was $32,700.
You may want to check out the leasing section of this board as well as the saab board at www.saabnet.com.
Great car. Good luck!
Anyway, what is my recourse if the problem isn't fixed? Have A.E. hold the payment? Call Saab? Go to another dealer? Recco's would be appreciated.
jb
Call Saab? Not yet. But you should be documenting everything; dates, names, numbers, work orders, problems, etc, etc, etc, etc. For now Saab NA will say it's not their problem, they can't do anything, the dealers are franchised, it's not a defect, etc, etc, etc, etc.
No, you need to keep talking to your dealer. Give them a second, even a third, chance to fix the car. Talk to the Service Manager. Go to the General Manager. Go to the owner as a last resort.
Hopefully you'll get a CSI in the mail. Dealers are super-sensitive to those things. DON'T FILL IT OUT!!!!!!!
Instead, take it to the dealer, and "discuss the problem" in a rational manner. Make sure you deftly and discreetly mention you got a CSI and, boy, gee whiz, you suuuurrrreeee would like to give them top scores in everything. If only your little, easy-to-fix problem was solved.
Ultimately another dealer will be the choice. But not until you have exhausted all possible avenues at the first dealer.
Good luck.
I only get results through my salesman rather than get the run around through the service/parts depts. I have had my share of inept service department management. I had one CSI on the first repair and have not seen any since. I guess this is how the dealership gets a #1 rating in service - by screening who they send them to based on the last response.
My first question is if this is a fair price for the 9-5? It's nicely equipped with leather and sunroof. The two cars are actually similarly equipped, with the exception of a few premium features on the Saab (cooled glove box, rear heated seats and climate control). My primary concern is with the reliability and cost of ownership for the used 9-5 compared to the new Passat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Its a lot more solid than the Passat, but new versus old is cut and dry choice. I would go with the Passat. After a year, your out of warranty with the Saab, and having owned three Saabs so far, I can tell you that owning one without a bumper to bumper warranty is very expensive. The VW should give you 3-4 years full warranty (I am not sure what they are giving now). The glove box is something I don't use much, and I never sit in the back seat. Thats just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Compare the 9-5 to the Audi A6, 5 series, E class, S80 Volvo, GS300, cars like that.
jb
In the Saab's favor: More interior room, availability of a manual (if that's your thing) and deep discounting/lease rates which bring the actual selling price closer to the TL's (which sell close to sticker).
The TL-S: Much more powerful engine, better handling, refinement, quality/reliablity, a real navigation system instead of that incredibly stupid OnStar and much better resale (the Saab's depreciation is staggering).
Oh yes, I own a Saab (the lease deal swayed me) but I drove a TL-S before I bought. The cramped interior ruled out the TL-S for me - but it sure was a sweet ride.
For performance sedans in this price range, you should also check out the Lexus IS-300.
Sure, the specs and features for the money are tempting. The 260 HP engine is powerful but the turbo Saab is no slouch and very tunable for more HP. It puts the torque where you need it in city driving and overtaking.
There is no doubt the resale of the Saab is not what it should be. In my case the lease incentives and interest rate made it more attractive than any Japanese or German sedan and I looked at and drove them all.
When all said and done, the Saab puts a smile on your face everytime out, the TL-S didn't even do that on the test drive.
The 2.3 LPT engine, unfortunately, has no place in a mid-luxury car. The turbo lag from a standing start is noticable and the vibration is pronounced at idle. It is a four, after all. The V-6 Acura is far more refined (and powerful!) in this regard.
So many Saabites question lineage in Japanese cars such as: "an Acura is just an Accord" or "a Lexus is just a Camry" while forgetting that the current Saab lines are based on more humble Opel platfoms. Hint: find out what parts from your Saab interchange with a Saturn L and save a lot of money on your next service!
Second, there is a difference between lineage and fraternal twin. A number of the Japanese luxury brands are blatant copies of their main product line. This includes the QX4/Pathfinder, Accord/TL, Civic/Acura El Camry/ES300, Maxima/I30 to name a few. Not only are similarities obvious to see, they even change the styling at the same model year and sell the two vehicles in the same market all usually with the same drivetrain or minor variations.
Lineage is little different. The X-type is not a Contour nor is the Lincoln LS a S-type or Thunderbird. I do not see a problem with mixing and matching some components and parts or even using the same platform, but lets draw the line at the same sheet metal and basic drive train. I was elated when the Saturn steel rims for my winter tires fit my Saab. It saved me $300. I am sure my battery is an AC-Delco like my Isuzu was but I haven't checked and don't care.
The 4cyl vs 6cyl arguement in a mid level luxury car is a North American bias and most major luxury brands, Jaguar being one notable exception, are all sold with 4cyl elsewhere in the world. The BMW5, MB E class, Land Rover, even Grand Cherokee can all be had with 4cyl elsewhere and this is normal. You could also get into the same discussion with V-6 vs I6 vs I5 etc. The same bias occurred when the 6cyl finally started displacing the 8cyl 20 some years ago. If you want the 6 cyl get the SE. At least there is some drive train options.
So back to the Accord/TL-S comments. If you want an Accord buy an Accord, if you want a TL or TL-S, buy a loaded Accord. If you want something just as well equipped but a little more fun and satisfying to drive try Saab, BMW, MB, Audi or Jaguar.
As I said before, cars like the Acura TL are nice but must be compared to their direct competition, like the Infiniti I30, Lexus ES300, Mazda Millenia, VW Passat, Mitsubishi Diamante, etc.
But to compare a 9-5 to one of the above cars? Puh-leese.
The TL and 9-5 are way different cars, plain and simple.
Owning a 2000 9-5 now after having a leased Honda that here sells as an Acura made that clear. It is a matter of taste and if you enjoy the lines, sleekness, cabin and turbo boost of the 9-5 get that.
If you like the advantages of the other, get it.
jb
This might be evidence that if you read enough of these posts you start thinking you have the same problem as others :-).