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Comments
I like your point that a well tuned suspension doesn't need brutish tires. But I think that the examples being mentioned (Viper V10, Corvette, etc.) have these huge multi-sized (front vs. rear) sneakers is to transmit the HP to the pavement. Porche is the only brand that comes to mind that in some years consciously used oversize tires to correct for design probems (i. e, terminal oversteer). I can't think of anyone who uses these things to necessarily enhance cornering.
Don't know how you'd solve that issue beyond replacing the remote. If you plan to keep the car you could upgrade to the all-in-one keyed remote and ditch the little fob. Maybe your dealer will cut you a deal on a new remote.
My complain is the incredibly poor Range. I've never had a remote with such a short Range. It's annoying.
Drew
There had been some discussion of this on SAABNET, and the consensus was that although the range isslightly shorter than most, you can make the most of it by holding the key above eye level. Also some have had luck in reversing the orientation of the key i.e holding the key towards you. Good luck
Don't forget to try the remote on chin amplifier!!
Never posted here before - in fact never visited the discussions - but I thought that I would chime in here. I bought a fully loaded demo 2003 with the 3.0. Car had abt 7k miles on it, sticker was almost 42, paid 30. Now have 15k on the car, I love the heck out of it. Fast, agile, comfy, attractive, well-finished interior. Had one computer related problem with the car so far and that seems to have been fixed. Service dept is fast and friendly and good. I was disappointed to see that the V6 is no longer available. Somehow I can't see this car with a 4 cyl engine, no matter how souped up it is.
Tom
Actually this is one of the minor problems that have come up with this car. This Saab is by far the least reliable and poorly built new car (of 10 in my career) that I have ever owned. Saab's reputation for reliability is unfounded and I would caution anyone thinking of buying a used Saab to (1) buy as most comprehensive warranty as possible and (2) be prepared to get to know your Saab mechanics very well since you will see them often.
Do you base this comment on your single experience? My experience with my 2001 9-5 SE has been essentially flawless, with only one out of the ordinary maintenance service visit in three years. I agree that its always a good idea to purchase an extended warranty if you are risk averse (like me) or if you suspect long term problems.
I have not had the problem you have experienced -- is water getting in causing corrosion? Or was the wrong type of wire used? Possibly it was not repaired properly the first time.
On the other hand, I'm not in love with my dealer's service department (they keep turning over personnel, and I'm left with the feeling that it must not be the greatest place to work), nor am I pleased that Saab has left a V6 out of the 2004 lineup, so when my lease runs out at the end of November I may look elsewhere.
It's widely known in 9-5 circles that the early models did have their problems. As time went on the 9-5 got better. So I would not judge an entire car make by the unfortunate experiences of one person and/or one car. I've got a friend with a Lexus who has seen more service visits in 18 months of ownership than I have in the 3 yrs I've had a 9-5. And think of the thousands of Toyota owners with sludged up engines and Honda/Acura owners with auto trans problems.
If you're leasing you may be better off in an '04 as I assume residual values are better. But check with your dealer for the latest numbers.
If you are buying and keeping for the long haul then get the car you want. I don't think deals on '03s will get any better (there's prolly not much of an '03 selection to choose from).
If you're buying and keeping for a short term you're better off with an '04 if only to minimize the depreciation hit.
Beyond the financial issues I think you should get the car you want. If there's an '03 that's configured exactly the way you want it, go get it. If not, find an '04 that does the trick for you.
I hope this helps. Happy shopping!
You may want to get a copy of Road & Track, July 2002 issue. They compared 11 sport sedans incl the 9-5 Aero, G35, 330i, and IS300.
Sounds like you want a performance car with more of an edge. No question the other cars you mentioned will give you the sharper feel you're looking for. Of course, that will come at a significant cost in practicality but that may not be an issue with you. Have fun shopping.
I just bought a '00 9-5 Aero and I only got one key and one extremely large remote fob. My dealer wants $225 for a new key with built-in remote. Previous messages I've read have indicated that these go for $144, but those were posted over a year ago. Does anyone know how much they are currently charging and if I can get this done anywhere else besides the dealer.
Thanks.
I was told by several vendors and mechanics that directional tires can do that. So I'm planning on doing a rotation front to rear on my right side to see if that fixes the problem. If not, I'll be trying the same thing on the left. If that doesn't fix it, I'll not be using directional tires anymore.
But I'm looking for a luxury sport sedan. I have been looking at the BMW 5, Lincoln LS V8, and the upcoming Cadillac STS.
My coworker has an older Saab and has done a lot of work on it. How do the new 9-3 and 9-5's compare quality wise now that they are owned by GM? How about service, reliability, quality of materials, etc?
I'm keeping my mind open to my new car, and wanted to be more informed about the Saab line.
Also what are the main diffs between the 9-3 and -5? Is AWD an option on either?
-Paul
I have a major decision to make. (1) Keep this unreliable money pit and make numerous repair trips. The latest failure is "believed" to a simple flapper in the climate control system which will require about 6-8 hours of labor to take out about half the engine to replace a $5 part. (2) Trade it in on anything else but a Saab. (3) Find someone I do not like and sell them the car. (4) Emulate Col. Potter in MASH who put an end to his jeep's misery by shooting it with his pistol.
Frankly, the Saab is overdesigned and overcomplicated plus poorly built resulting in unreliability. The addition of GM to the mix is not additive. Any personal touch seems to have been lost. These have been my experiences with my first and last Saab.
Good luck.
you may need a new tire.
this happened to me once when i bought 4 tires in one of those discount places......they usually get off quality tires.
We have been fortunate since we purchased a 2003 Aero Wagon. I have read that prior to 2002 the (-5 could be hit or miss. We have had ours for 1 year in December and have not had one single problem.
Saab Aero vs Others -
This is tough, as I am a big Saab fan. But there are some nice sedans out there. I like our Saab as a freeway cruiser but not particularly as a canyon carver. To cover miles on a freeway you can't beat the Saab; Benz, BMW, Audi, Volvo, Jag it doesn't matter. Unless you are talking AMG, M Models, S models, Type R models in those brands you will not find a smoother, faster car with 30 mpg. I have had several new Benz 420's, Audi 3.0's, 530's try to show off and they have been humbled. 0-60 is not blinding but 60-120+ is very fast.
Now if you have to always take the canyon home I might go with another car. The Saab is not terrible but it is not damped particularly firmly. It tracks well but there is some float over uneven turns, and you hit bump stops on bumpy curves. I think it competes very well with the base levels of Benz C/E class, Audi A6, BMW 530/540, but no way with the AMG, S or M models. This is not even mentioning the G35 or the new Acura TL which are super nice also.
Having said that I would probably get the BMW 530i Sedan with sport package, or the G35 with Sport package/AWD or the new Acura TL if I wanted to canyon carve.
I think the Saab Aero needs stiffer springs and it would be an exceptional handler. There are some springs I might buy and I will report back.
There's a lot of discussion over on the Subaru forms about this vehicle. A lot of people like it, and a lot don't.
BTW, there is a 9-2x thread here at Edmunds, if you rather post your comments over there.
Bob
If Saab styling and engineering can make a few improvements and transform it into a more exciting vehicle.... It could be a very viable car to consider. I'm anxious to see what they do with it.
Drew
As you can see, it's nothing more than a 2.0 WRX wagon with a Saab nose. The interior has some parts from the Forester (center dash panel) and the steering wheel from the upcoming all-new Legacy. The seats, interior door panels and rear hatch are also unique to the 9-2x. Other than that it's pure WRX, if you get the turbo (Aero) model. The non-turbo Linear model is a tweaked Impreza 2.5TS wagon. Also, there is no signature Saab ignition switch on the floor.
Pricing is reportedly going to run from $22K - $30K. For $30K you will probably be able to get the all-new 2.5 Legacy turbo, which will certainly be a much nicer car.
Bob
I know of 4 speed versus 5 speed, exterior revisions and different wood interior and stiffer suspension. Is the new suspension much stiffer? anything else of importance.
Thanks!
My question, has anyone else had problems with the engine coolant leaking? Any suggestions on what to do? Thanks in advance for your help!!!
do you smell coolant when the car is warm?
btw sabb coolant is BLUE, just like a lot of windshield washer fluid. also, if you have a head gasket leak, usually some white smoke comes out of the exhaust. take a look yourself under the car for any blue coloring. call the service manager, and politely tell of him your concern and that you are worried about getting stranded if the car breaks down.
how much sense does it make to get a cover everything warranty with a high deductible, vs one that just covers the major components?
How many Saabs have been in your ownership to base the Proclaimation on?
Good Luck with the future miles in your Saab.
Drew
I bought the car (new) because I wanted reliability, safety and a comfortable ride. I did get safety. Reliability no!! The car is noisy (wind noise)and has a poor heating/cooling system. The repairs are expensive and I really can not find anyone in whom I have confidence that knows how the car works and how to fix it. The Saab customer service has been polite at best, but unknowledgeable and unhelpful.
I am glad that you were lucky with your Saabs; I believe that is was just good luck. Congratulations. These cars are over engineered and poorly built. My '99 9-5 was the worst new car I have ever bought; the one least lived up to my expectations and predictions of the salesman. I made a bad mistake and will never look at a Saab again. Back to quality - Japanese iron.
What I do know is that after three Saabs, my experience is one of very good reliability. Also, after having participated here for several years, the overall feeling here is NOT one of Poor Quality and Poor reliability.
I have no doubt that your Saab is a bad one but I beleive it was your Bad luck and my experience is not one of "good luck". Our experiences are currently Three to One.
Best of luck from here out.
Drew
My experience with Saabs is echoed by the mechanics in this area. They have seen lots of folks here with troubled Saabs and a minority of Saabs that are trouble free. We never had any trouble with the 7 Toyotas we owned so it is back to Toyota for my next car. I am sure there are Saabs that run trouble free. You may have one; congratulations on your good fortune.
Is my car a lemon? Probably not under the lemon laws since it can be fixed and the truly major engine parts haven't given out. It certainly isn't reliable and requires constant repair. However from the long list in my previous post you can see why I hold my breath every time I start the thing. Frankly the car isn't worth much, thus unfortunately I am stuck with it since it probably would be too expensive to trade it in on something that would give peace of mind.
Actually... I take that back... it's not the price you pay since it was replaced under warranty.
Drew
I suppose I should do a Col. Potter (MASH) and shoot the thing. The other option is to donate it for a tax write off. The next car certainly won't be a Saab no matter how much loyality incentive I am offered.
I just think it is NOT correct to say Saabs in general are NOT reliable. It's a false statement. I have a neighbor who had the identical situation with 2 Volvo's he's owned. Lights were going out constantly along with Many other problems. After his 2 Volvo's I still wouldn't make a general statement that Volvo's are unreliable.
He finally dumped it and got a BMW instead of another Volvo. That's what I'd do if I were you.
I don't mean to badger you. But, I will speak up if i disagree with something said here. I do wish you luck with your future choices. The odds are greatly in favor of consumers getting basic reliable cars no matter what they chose this day in age. That's the good news.
D.
Wiper Blades! First of all, why do they have to use a size that is NOT available at retail? They have an odd size only available at the dealer for an INSANE price. Second, it seems that they've made a further change in the Grip Size for the Refill. What i used to do was buy longer Refills and cut them to the proper legnth. Now when I do that, the little Gripers you slide the blade into are too small. This method worked great on our previous 9-5 but not on our '02.
I'm really ticked about this. I bent them to fit but the Blades do NOT work well now. The funny thing is that this it the type of issue that annoys me enough to think more in my next purchase. LOL My reason for that is because i have to beleive they thought about this and decided to force a high profit part sale at the dealer level.
Drew
I'll find out before long though... after several hours of driving in the rain today with poor blades the sounded like finger nails on a chalk board on every pass, I'll have to do something soon!
Drew
When my wife and I looked for a new Sedan 3 years ago we were not comfortable in purchasing -- nothing on the market stood out. So at the time we thought --- hey what the heck we will lease and try a car out for 3 years...if we like we will buy. After a ton of research BUT NOT looking at the customer satisfaction reports, essentially just features -- we ended up on a Saab 95. I am soooooo glad to be getting rid of this car next month ---- soooooo glad. This car has an MSRP approaching 40k and let me tell you it is not worth 15k, IMO. 1 week after we got it, a colleague of mine who is a citizen of Sweden laughed at me and outright told me that Saabs are considered Junk luxury sedans in Sweden. They are better known for other vehicles like commercial trucks. He was saying that most Swedes cannot figure out why people buy these cars over a Volvo or other well known European models.
So with this in mind we started down our lease. Well, within 5000 miles it sprang an oil leak all over my garage floor. Once that was fixed, one of the headlamps went out. Then the digital display got all jarbled. Then the brake pads needed replacement at 20,000 miles (seems awfully short to me), now there are popping noises coming from the steering column, high pitched screeching sounds in reverse at low speeds, and finally a collection of rattles in the car -- making it noisy. To top it off, on the way home tonight we noticed that the light on the right heated-seat knob no longer lights up. It is just one thing after another. Tonight was the straw to document my experience here on edmunds as I found this site useful in my recent Saab replacement purchase.
Now, my wife and I are extremely pleasant to our vehicles. We do all the maintenance when the manual indicates. This was her car and she drives it very soft and easy. But when we have to take a 40 thousand dollar car to the garage 4 times outside of regular maintenance before 30,000 miles I am ready to be rid of this poorly built car. I have had a Ford Taurus in the past that never had a problem in 80,000 miles of ownership, we owned a Nissan 240SX -- not a single problem in 113,000 miles of ownership. Why all the sudden do we get an expensive vehicle and it is a running joke.
Also, is it me or does anyone else find this car vastly unintuitive. Every feature it seems I am pulling out the manual and I am a professional engineer. Our other car (a Ford Explorer) is very intuitive for doing things like turning on fog-lights, implementing the radio volume-speed increase feature, the wipers on the headlamps, checking the oil against a black plastic tip on the dip-stick -- what genius engineer thought of this????
We have decided in our next purchase going with a winner -- we bought a Lexus. How much you want to bet I do not have any problems with this car before 75,000 miles -- not a single one.
So long Saab! Should the slogan be:
"Saab, We can only sell to foreigners -- our countrymen know better."
As for me, I have owned two SAABs in the last 4 years and both have been great. I, unfortunately, am leaving the SAAB family as well due to the new family of GM bred products (9-3SS). My friend owns a 9-5 and has never had an issue at all with his Aero.