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A number of 9-5 owners have had good luck with the Yokohama Avid V4 as they're good quality and affordable.
#1194 of 1203 How's the reliability in '99 9-5 SE V6s? by bszeto", where in Canada, or the USA, does one find a clean used 9-5? I'm looking for the V6 Turbo and there seems to be few of them as mentioned in the message shown above. I'm looking west of the Rockies on either side of the border.
You could also look into replacing all 4 with something like Bridgstone 950's. I did that with my last 9-5 and loved the tires. I'm not sure if 4 950's would be cheaper than 2 mxv4's but worth a look I'd say.
Good Luck
Drew
I haven't made final car decision to replace my current one but this lack of contrast seems apparent to me.
The 9-5 will be slightly bigger, the ride is more refined and if you go with the Aero you'll have way more POWER!
I've been driving a 9-5 Linear for about a year and totally enjoy the car. I went to look at the new 9-3s. I would still go with the 9-5.
Dealer cash ranged from 3500 on Aero wagon to 5200 on Linear sedan.
If you go to www.carsdirect.com, you'll see that their price references rebates that expire on 12/2 - but are not quantified in $$$... that's all I know. I wonder why Edmunds would pull that rebate info... GM was unhappy? Same thing on '02 Mazda Millenia - there was first $4K rebate going on, then 5K. They never showed it, and their TMV for Millenia is completely off-base (as in way too high). I think it is the same in 9-5 case.
Talking about misinformation!
Tomek
No. Don't know why anyone would think that. GM documents don't say that.
That's not to say it's never been offered or won't be. Just that it isn't now.
Oh, but it is 2002 - just noticed. Yeah, I'd try 33 - 33.5. Good luck.
If you want the car try $34K but don't expect to buy it much lower than that.
If you are a current SAAB owner there's also a $500 loyalty cash bonus too.
$35K is a reasonable price for everyone involved.
Only found on manual tranny models as the auto tranny cannot handle the added torque.
http://www.saabnet.com/tsn/models/2002/pr6.html
The current 9-5 went thru a massive overhaul in 2002 so don't expect too many changes until an all new car comes out.
One big thing to consider is interior and trunk room. I like the new 9-3 but it is a smaller car than the 9-5. The 9-5 may look & feel small but it is very roomy, even for big folks (I'm 6' 4"). The hatchback is no more in the 9-3 and there is no wagon version like there is on a 9-5. Two rather different cars, the 9-5 & 9-3.
Hope this helps.
Better hurry
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1873170349&category=31867
I have no affiliation with them whatsoever, I am just a satisfied customer.
Invoice - $37157
Dealer Cash Discount - less $4000
Lease Discount - less $1000
New invoice - $32157
Based on the above, I don't see why a Saab dealer would not take about $32500 for an Aero, especially since Saab is in such bad trouble financially. Also, Saab has a 2% holdback which contributes more profit for them. I'm thinking of offering $32500 for a 2003 Aero to my dealer and leasing, considering the money factor is .00046 and the residual is 49%. Has anyone else had any luck with this tactic?
Same question on "lease discounts". What is that exactly?
And finally, exactly which Aero has an invoice of $37157?
Oh BTW, just because SAAB Corporate is hurting financially, do not expect the dealers to just rool over and hand you a $5000 under invoice deal. If you can make it work, great. But at least post all pertinent details of your negotiations so we all can figure out how to do this.
CarsDirect has the Aero invoice at $37157, without any options. Also, this same site has the Aero purchase price LESS than invoice at $35405. It looks like CarsDirect took $4000 off MSRP ($39275), which leads me to believe that Saab is offering dealer incentives of $4000. Also, the $1000 lease discount comes directly off the cap. cost only if you lease. This amount came from the leasing board. I am considering a Saab for my next purchase, but only if I can get all these discounts. The Saab 9-5 Aero is a nice vehicle, but it is in no way comparable to a BMW, MB or Lexus in the 40K range. A 9-5 Aero for around 34K to 35K is a much better price point for this vehicle.
I've never heard of $1000 off the top for a lease until I read your post. I'll keep digging but so far no official or semi-official confirmation is available.
A "no options" Aero might be tough to find. There aren't too many options to begin with but a 5 speed Aero with nothing on it is a rare bird from what I can tell. Finding that will take a nationwide search.
Lastly, Road & Track did a comparo of 11 sport sedans over the summer. The 9-5 Aero finished fourth but I don't know why. The editors did not have one bad thing to say about the car. Well, I think they criticized it for not offering a CD changer. The IS300 finished in 3rd but received several adverse comments. The C280 finished towards the back of the pack.
All three of those cars you mentioned will offer buyers the pleasure of near MSRP purchases along with the enjoyment of full market price interest rates. Happy full-price paying!!
I'm thinking of getting a Saab. It's the only car my wife likes. I'm also considering VW passat 4mo, and Subaru. I like the look of the 9-5, too, but I'm concerned with reliability, because I would hold onto it for awhile. I know that these depreciate like a stone. One dealer told me a guy had a 9-3 for 9months, and wanted to get a WRX. The value of the car was 50% less. Now, I don't know if that's realistic, but the red book values (I'm in Canada) are way lower than what dealers list them for used. Significantly lower. I don't want to invest in one if it's not reliable and I take a bath on resale. If it's reliable and I can enjoy it for 5+ years, great, I could probably find some deals, but not if they don't hold up. They cost as much as bimmers, even more in some cases, but they don't seem to be the same level of car.
REgarding the car magazines. I've always felt that they b---ch about the "quirkiness" of the center ignition, and something with the seatbelts. Then they give them a low rating. I think they just can't get over that, and feel they need to knock it because of that. Why should "Quirky" design mean it's not as good a car? They are very biased IMO.
regards,
cdndriver
You'd be hard pressed to get a BMW for the same price as a similarly equipped 9-5. With the current incentives, a 9-5 is a great value and you'll pay far less than MSRP.
Yes, the 'quirky' adjective seems to pop up in every Saab review ever written. OK, so the ignition key is in the center console. Big deal, it's been there 20+ years in different models. It would be nice if writers would just get over that. From a functional viewpoint, I've come to really appreciate having the ignition and the window regulators in the center console. It's nice to keep your left hand on the wheel at all times and use your right for ignition, shift, windows, heat/acc, and stereo.
I drive both a Subaru Outback and a 9-5 wagon, and I must say that though the Outback is endearing in its own right, it doesn't come close to the comfort and performance of the 9-5 on a road trip.
I test drove a Subaru Outback sedan/vdc-H6. It was a 2002. It was fun, and I was impressed. I took it in a big parking lot and did some tight turns. Fair bit of roll to it, but otherwise, very nice and smooth engine. Man the heater fan is noisey, though. My problem is I don't fit. Even with the seats all the way down, my hair and left side of my head kept brushing the liner and roof. That gets annoying after awhile. I couldn't sit in the back seat without bending my head. So I think they'll have to get taken off my list. They are very nice.
Lasat night I test drove a Passat with 4mo. I am interested in the vr6, but they only had the W8. WOW. That is peppy and puts you back in the seat! I loved it, but now I must get realistic.
I stopped by the Saab/Saturn etc. dealer on the way home. I loved the look of the Linear wagon, and the aero sedan. The wagon had the touring package and premium package and was 44,999.00 but I overheard the saleman telling another guy that there was no dickering on price, that was it. He didn't mention anything about incentives. A woman who works near me says she and her husband have a 9-3 and 9-5 wagon. Even though they bought two from the save dealer, they didn't get any break on the price. That knocks them out unless I go used and then I'm concerned about care and repair of that turbo. Very pricey I'm sure. Though they depreciate fast enough that I might find a deal there. Especially in a wagon. So they hold up in the long run? I've found two 99 wagons to look at.
I must say that I think they are one of the sleekest looking wagons out there, and the cockpit is gorgeous; it looks like a jet!
regards,
cdndriver
2. Passat doesn't have a VR6 anymore, it has the old 2.8 V6 (190hp) used earlier in Audi A4. VR6 is now used in Jettas and Golfs GTI (2.8 liter with 201hp, there is also VR6 3.2L coming soon in Phaeton and Toureg, also used in Europ in Golft R32). Yummy!
Tomek
If you can swing it, go for it!
Drew
considering mixing 2 Yokohama Avid V4's with the 2 remaining original Michelin MXV4+'s.
Any opinions on whether this makes sense?
Don
You've got all winter ahead of you. I'd install 4 new tires and not worry about the extra $200 or so the additional 2 will cost.
The other problem you'll encounter is from your Lease Company. When you get your turn-in information, it will be very cleary stated that you WILL be charged for turning in a car with mismatched tires.
Sometimes they will get very picky and charge for replacing with a Lower Tire Rating as well. However, we did replace our MXV4's with a lower speed rated tire (Bridgestone 950's) before turning in our old 9-5. We loved the tires, they were cheaper and the lease company didn't charge us.
To others with newer tires, I suggest that you step up your tire rotation schedule. Saab's recommendations are way too long. Rotate every 5-6K and your tires will wear evenly and longer. We used the 10K Saab say on our last one and also experienced 2 tires wearing to fast. Actually, I believe that with the new No Charge Scheduled service, Saab is actually saying that NO rotation is needed. That's insane IMO. The tire manufacturers will Love it though.
Good Luck
Drew
The 9-5 tends to wear the outer shoulder and being front wheel drive means the fronts will take most of the punsihment. Check air pressures weekly and run a higher PSI in the fronts than the rears. What's SAAB say you should run, 26PSI or something? Jeez, I run 41PSI in the front and 39PSI in the rear.
I've heard that new cars are coming over the border and are being sold to USA buyers. Who knows how this takes place? $44,000.00 CDN$ is $28,106.00 USA$ at today's rate.
The dealer here says he has a 99 9-5 coming in with the 6 cyl engine. Are these very good engines, and is the 99 a good year or perhaps I should ask, if I go for a Saab 9-5, pre-owned; what would be the best year to look for, assuming it's a clean car? since little has changed to the current one.
thanks,
cdndriver
Drew
Both engines are very good and durability is a strong point. Buy the one that gives you the performance you want.
It appears that 9-5 Linear sedan carries about 5K in rebates right now until 1/2 --> carsdirect.com target price is something like USD 30K - pretty close to those $44K Canadian. If I needed a new car, I'd probably go for it (we're talking VW passat $$$ here).
Happy SAABing -
Tomek