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Saab 9-5 Sedan

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Comments

  • bhrobertsbhroberts Member Posts: 13
    I just took delivery on an Aero with M/T. I can't get comfortable in the soft, bolstered seats. They don't go down low enough either. Will the dealer be able to lower the seats more than I get it to go? Will I be able to switch them out for firmer, manually adjustable seats?
  • bhrobertsbhroberts Member Posts: 13
    The 0-60 on the 9-5 Aero M/T is 6.7 but I can't remember where I read that. I paid $34.5K for a car that listed for $42 (rounded up). I like it alot except for seats (see above). If I can't get the seating position comfortable for me I may have to put it back on the market and take the hit :( I'm going to the dealer on Monday and see if they can help me. If you go and test drive one and are satisfied with seats and everything else you may be able to get a great deal on my slightly used Steel gray with M/T. Haven't used up the first tank of gas, yet. Let me know. You're in Indiana, I'm in Pittsburgh. Not too far away?
  • oldmanoldman Member Posts: 35
    That is not out of the question. But I was thinking of the dark blue or the dark coffee colored paint with beige interior. I think the AERO seat upgrades are included in the basic package, no? So far I haven't had the time to get over to my dealer and drive the AERO. Certainly the ARC seems comfortable, but I suspect the AERO seats are different. Let's hope you can resolve the problem and keep the car. I would also say that everyone says the AERO is a fast car. But the 0-60 you mentioned is, not to be critical, pedestrian. Perhaps they seem "fast" in highway passing modes, or just because of most people being familiar with econobox powerplants by comparison. The Volvo S60R purports to be faster, and has 300hp to back it up. But I like Saab 9-5 styling very much.
  • cstowecstowe Member Posts: 101
    My local SAAB dealer has three 2003 9-5s that did not sell new and he has now moved them over to the "used" lot...they each have about 300 miles on them. All are Linear with the automatic as the only option selected. I was shopping for a used 9-5 and wanted the arc or aero becasue of the horsepower, vent seats, and all the other goodies but this is all they have.

    He is asking 29,000...what do you think board? With 4500 cash incentive on the new ones (which I could option the way I want) I would think he would need to come down much more than that.
  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    How about the dealer starts with a real world figure, like the value of a year old car that when new went OTD for 29K?

    IMHO, I've never seen "left over" or "demo" type pricing that would make sense to an Edmunds devotee whose beginning offer should always be at dealer invoice. I think that typically the end of year leftover sales are a suckers game if one is a well prepared buyer.
  • buddhabmanbuddhabman Member Posts: 252
    Congrats on your new Aero. Sorry you think the seats are too soft. I don't notice that, my seat adjustment are great for me. The memory setting work fine for us. Have you tried adjusting the lower portion tilting it back and up. A question on why you would want the seats lower, maybe you are very tall. I read that 0-60 is 6.7 secs. The 60-120 time is what is impressive.
  • paulr11paulr11 Member Posts: 9
    After 101k miles with my '99 Saab 9-5 4 cylinder automatic along with thousands of dollars of repairs, endless trips to the shop, total unreliability, incompetent dealers, unhelpful and user hostile Saab customer service I am free at last. I now have a 2004 Toyota Camry. I have had Camry's in the past and the Saab was a major mistake. It was noisy, did not handle well and the reputed performance features were not needed for normal and sane driving. But worst of all the car was NOT reliable and subject to continuous mechanical breakdowns. If I had an enemy who I really detested I would sell him the car at a low price and then gloat. My advice to anyone that will listen; Do Not Buy or Lease A Saab. You will be sorry.
  • bhrobertsbhroberts Member Posts: 13
    I'm getting used to the seats. They aren't the ventilated ones, btw. There's a lumbar support that I put at it's most extreme position which moved my thighs further over the seat edge. This feels better for me and I'm begining to not think about the seating while I'm driving. I'm finally starting to enjoy my new car. It has a very rich feel to it, but with the manual and 250hp/256tq it's fun to zoom around in, too. Handles great. People make too much about the fwd vs rwd vs awd with respect to handling. I don't notice the torque steer.

    I think 29K is just a bit too much for a 2003 new Linear. I just bought a well optioned 2004 Aero for $34.5K (List - $7500). At $27K the Linear might be okay, though. That's about the price of an Acura TSX. The Linear is surely nicer.

    I passed up a 2003 M/T Linear with 46K miles for $24K. I would have bought it at $22k, I think. Never got to make the offer, though.
  • buddhabmanbuddhabman Member Posts: 252
    Congrats on your new Camry.

    Nice Car - Booring!! ;-)

    Too bad about your old Saab. I read that the ones prior to 2001 can be a problem. 2003+ are better I hope, so far so good, no problems.

    When I see you on the highway I will try not to blow by you too fast. ;-0
  • paulr11paulr11 Member Posts: 9
    Thank you for your best wishes with my new Toyota. After my adventures with the Saab "boring" is exactly what I want. No more exciting trips to have it fixed every other week plus the scheduled maintainence checks. No more exciting diagnostic hunts to find out what broke this time. No more exciting feeled to see if the car will start and actually run. Boring reliability is something I can get used to.

    By the way why do most Saab owners usually talk about how fast the car can go to the virtual exclusion of anything else. I could offer some reasons and opinions but I would like to hear what others have to say about this.

    Thanks again for you best wishes.
  • buddhabmanbuddhabman Member Posts: 252
    by paulr11 - 'By the way why do most Saab owners usually talk about how fast the car can go to the virtual exclusion of anything else. I could offer some reasons and opinions but I would like to hear what others have to say about this."

    I am new to the Saab following so I can't speak for the past. I am a big fan of our 2003 Aero Wagon. We bought it over an Audi Allroad even with the Audi AWD advantage. The Audi has a wonderful interior and great exterior styling, the inside is a class to itself. This made it a tough choice, but the reliability issues loomed large for us. Comparing the Saab to the BMW 3 series & 5 Series wagons and MB C-Class wagons, it's just a better value period. IMHO the handling & interior on those two makes don't justify the significant price hike.

    We bought the Saab for lot's of great reasons: it's features/size/value; it's styling inside and out; it's comfortable seats; it's reputation for safety; it's improving reliability per Consumer Reports; it's strong drivetrain;, it's improved driving dynamics per mag reviews and personal drives, and the bonus was it's good gas mileage. Plus it's just plain fast. ;-)
  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    Paulr11, I think that it is bit much that you had to appropriate Dr. King's message when discussing a Saab. But, in any case, why did you keep the damn thing so long? I mean, 100K and 5 years is a long time to hate something.

    Without more specifics, I don't think that a few "thousands" of dollars of repairs would be out of line on a high mileage import. (Brakes, tires, shocks/struts, some a. c. work, an alternator, starter, a couple of batteries, and maybe $1000 in miscellaneous would be par for 100K.) Should you disagree, I encourage you to cruise over to the Mercedes E Class Board and see what a luxury import costs.
  • nelsoncmnelsoncm Member Posts: 103
    Hey, the bolts on the front wheels of my wagon are starting to rust badly and further inside the wheels too. My car is only 1.5 years old and I'm in So Cal -- it looks like there is some kind of recall related to rust on wheels for the Arc (02), and I'm planning on taking it in next week. Just wondering if anyone else had this problem.
  • oldmanoldman Member Posts: 35
    Saab probably buys their bolts from the same vendor as Volvo! Mine rusted after 2 years (S60) and Volvo replaced them all under warranty. Just take your Saab to your dealer and ask about it. These are just cheap Cadmium-plated bolts which start rusting as soon as a tire wrench bungs the plating.
  • smksmk Member Posts: 4
    Okay, just want to see if anyone else has had any problems with the new 9-5 Aero. I bought it less then a month ago (March 2004) and had the engine light go on the day I bought it and now the warning, abs and another safety light went on. I really love the car and the way it drives and am not sure what to do. Also, twice I got locked into my car and the driver side locks would not unlock. The dealership service department has had the car more than I have now. Any ideas or thoughts? Has this happened to anyone? The dealership keeps telling me its connectors, but I don't know anything.
  • oldmanoldman Member Posts: 35
    Wow. That's a fine howdy doo. I'm just an admirer of the 9-5 model. I wouldn't consider a new one until they offer side curtain bags for rear seats. Hence am considering a used Arc 2002, to ease into one without dropping a lot of cash. Incredible lack of modern safety equipment for a $36,000 car, but a beautiful machine no less. Others have complained about frequent blown tires and bent rims, lack of available snow tires or replacements on the Aero's 17s. Nobody has been complaining about these particular electrical glitches. Hope they can fix it for ya.
  • 2003saab952003saab95 Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2003 saab 9-5 with 40K on it (I drive a lot). On my recent 40K service, my dealer told me that my front brakes only have 25% of their wear left and that I should consider replacing them at 45K. He told me that he MUST replace the rotors at the same time. All told, I am staring at $500 for the job with the rotors.

    Can someone validate this for me? Must I have the rotors replaced along with the brakes?
    Help!
  • buddhabmanbuddhabman Member Posts: 252
    They should be able to machine your rotors not replace them. But that still might set you back $500 depending on your dealership labor rate. Check "parts for saabs" website for replacement rotor costs. Then ask your dealer what the OEM rotors cost and what the time and labor rate for the brake job.

    But if you are doing it might as well add Goodridge steel braided brake lines, for firmer feel.

    Good luck.
  • buddhabmanbuddhabman Member Posts: 252
    Knock on wood, our 2003 Aero wagon is running great.

    Is yours a 2003 or 2004 Aero? Talk to the dealer but also send a note to Saab thru their website. Saab can't afford a reputation for quality problems, particularly on their flagship. They were already fighting a bad quality rep form the cars in the 80's and early 90's. Did the physical lock mechanism work, pulling up on the lock button?.

    Good luck.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,250
    our leased '01 9-5 had to have to front rotors and pads replaced at 30k. when i questioned (politely) why they needed to replace the rotors; after all they didn't vibrate, and the brakes still seemed work just fine, they said the would 'comp' the rotor replacement. i paid the whole labor charge(175) + new pads(102) + tax.
    try to make sure your car is really clean when you bring it in. it's probably not a cut and dry situation, so it may help if your car looks good.
    good luck.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • czar58czar58 Member Posts: 6
    I replaced just the pads at 32K. Had a local independent shop do the work. Did not turn rotors or replace. No problems before other than worn out pads and none since.
  • 03oddity03oddity Member Posts: 60
    I too had to have front brakes replaced at 30K on my leased 2001 9-5 SE V6. Got charged over $400 for pads, rotors and labor. They claimed the rotors did not have enough metal remaining to qualify for machining. They put some ventilated aftermarket rotors on that were warped. Took 11K miles and two more service visits to convince them of that fact. Finally they replaced the rotors again on their dime.

    I'm not a throttle-and-brake driver. First time I've had this happen with any make of car.

    Don't buy Saabs--lease them!!! Even then you may get stuck with a repair bill. Aarrgh. Don't get me started about the headlamps. They blow every 15K like clockwork...
  • ffb13ffb13 Member Posts: 181
    if you go back you wwill note many complaints on both the above.
    i was told by my dealer in conn. a reputable and honest place where i know the owner,at 48,000 miles that my car was perfect .no need to do anything.

    at 53,000 miles---when the warranty ran out ,guess what the same dealer told me that i needed
    a new exhaust
    new cowl
    and that i had an oil leak.needed a new head gasket.
    when i told thme that i did not see any leaks they said that they are experts and that only they could see it brcause of the place where it was.
    i have all of this in writing.
    to make the story short,they were out to make money.
    now 75,000 miles and all ok.

    same applies to brakes and rotors.

    and the same has happened at mercedes,bmw,and others.........

    in one delaership in vermont i was given the 60,000 mile service for 399 versus 699 elsewhere,but guess what,they did not do the full service.under threat of legal action and taking them to the attny.gen. office they complied and did the entire service 3 days later.
    now they have posted the correct price.but who knows.
    if they can take you they will.

    so the old saying --caveat -emptor---or buyer beware.........
  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    For those of you wondering about how much leeway the General would give SAAB, they are now going to be packing up their tents in Atlanta and SAAB USA headquarters and all SAAB USA employees (80) will move to Detroit to work near the flagpole.

    Two things strike me about this announcement. SAAB's Atlanta location always puzzled me because it was not close to their major customer bases (the Northeast, for one), major media markets, good ocean shipping, etc. What does Atlanta have to offer an imported car headquarters except cheap real estate? Secondly, neither the Atlanta location and certainly not the new Detroit location exposes them to the hip automotive influences that seemingly incubate on the left coast. This move only makes sense if the real plan is to lay off half of the 80 people, have other GM people handle their duties like PR , warranty, etc. and shove the remainging 40 people into some unused basement down on Third Ave near Selden.
  • buddhabmanbuddhabman Member Posts: 252
    That is weird. But doesn't Porsche have a big facility there. Does it have something to do with a testing track or facility. Mama Hen bringing her baby back home.
  • ponytrekkerponytrekker Member Posts: 310
    Kiss that brand goodbye. Your next SAAB 9-5:

    image
  • marc4marc4 Member Posts: 1
    I agree....the Saab emblem should have a lemon in the design as to warn all potential Saab owners that you will be purchasing a lemon vehicle. I have a 2001 Saab 9-5 with 40,000 miles and I am at the dealership every other week. I know everyone at the Saab shop by their first name. The service is also horrible. Charles River Saab tried to rip me off by charging me for warranty parts!!!! Can we say avoid this dealership at all costs. Please folks, if you want to buy a car go for a Lexus, Acura, or any other luxury Japanese cars. These cars will last longer and save you a heck of a lot of money in the long run. I will soon trade in my Saablemon for the new Acura TL. AGAIN, AVOID SAABS
  • aerodriveraerodriver Member Posts: 12
    Whoa, there!! Every brand has its lemons, and Saab (while much improved--see JD Power results) is no different. But speaking as a three-peat Saabster, it's a love/hate relationship for Saab owners, with love eventually winning out. Remember why you bought the car: it's fun, it's different, it's not Japanese/German, and it's not for everyone. Your Saab has lots of virtues and some quirks, and that's why you feel a genuine pride of ownership when you slip the key into the center-mounted ignition. No luxury-loving Lexus/Acura owner feels the same thrill.

    You didn't buy your 9-5 for its bulletproof reliability. Enjoy your 9-5 for what it is, a fun and exciting car with occasional lapses, and exploit the hell out of the warranty Saab provides. While you're sitting in the dealership's service waiting room thumbing thru the new car ads, ask yourself: do you really want to drive some other company's cookie-cutter sedan?

    Hang in there. I've been where you are, and I assure you it gets better.
  • smksmk Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the input and wrote to SAAB. They purchased my lemon back. I did love the car but am too risk averse to buy another one.
  • smksmk Member Posts: 4
    Okay. Just an update to my SAAB story. SAAB agreed to repurchase my vehicle back and refunded my money. It was a little bit of a hassle but honerable on their part. The dealership I dealt with gave me a convertible while the mess got straightened out. I'm back on the market looking for a car and am too chicken to buy another SAAB. I really loved the car but its not worth the hassle of reliability. I'm afraid I'm venturing out towards the Japanese brands this time around.
  • cwmozartcwmozart Member Posts: 13
    After three Volvos, I decided the S-80 was NOT my next upgrade, esp. since the test car stalled a half mile from the dealership. The 9-5 is the most interesting car on the road at the moment, despite the rusting lug nuts, so I bought a pristine 2001 steel-grey which I love. The reports I am reading here of expensive brakejobs, etc. for 9-5's are laughable; the figures as shown are not at all scary. To wit: owning Swedish cars in the Washington, DC area is a bracing experience (one of the priciest areas to be, why am I here?), but if the alternative is Japanese, Detroit or WAY OVERPRICED Germans, then Swedes look pretty sweet. My main query: have any regular contributors had simply stellar experiences owning a 9-5? I got a 100K warranty and am looking waaaay down the road.
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    2002 9-5 Linear Wagon - 30K miles, no problems
    Still a delight and would buy another
  • ponytrekkerponytrekker Member Posts: 310
    Well, on another board there are over 500 High mileage Saabs with between 200 and 300k, so.
  • cwmozartcwmozart Member Posts: 13
    What board is that? I am interested in reading about 9-5 owners' experiences. I have seen too much negative material about Saabs.
  • buddhabmanbuddhabman Member Posts: 252
    Glad they made it straight for you. Knock on wood our newer 2003 Aero Wagon has been perfect thus far. We'll see in 60K or so though. Consumer Digest and some others have noted that the quality improved dramatically from 2002 onwards. If you don't go with Saab there is Subaru if you need a wagon. The redesigned 2005 is supposed to be killer. The Mazda 6 wagon is supposed to be real nice also.
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    Edmund's doesn't allow references to other car forum sites. Do a google on 'saab' and you'll find it right away
  • cwmozartcwmozart Member Posts: 13
    Since you all seem like a seasoned Saab enthusiasts, what's the deal with the so-called turbo boost delay? I have really only noticed that it kicks in late on hills for added power. Otherwise, on flat straightaway it gets you out in front of everyone PDQ, and with a nice roar to boot. Also — any electrical problems I should watch out for? My 2001 only has 28K on it. There's a lot of scuttlebutt here about ignition units. Also, what happens when you remove the large Ecopower-stamped plate to access the DI cassette? (I haven't purchased my Torx wrenches yet.) I assume the plugs will be easy to change.
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    Turbo lag may be evident if you're doing a stop-light drag race, but if you're already at cruising speed and need it for passing, the acceleration is instant and awesome, as you already know.

    The large "Ecopower" plate IS the DI cassette. When it's pulled out the 4 ignition coils hang down from the plate. Check your trunk for a vinyl tool kit pouch and there should be a Torx in there. Remove the 4 torx screws from the top of the DI. There's a maroon-colored plug at the driver side of the DI that has a sliding lock clip. Move the clip towards the rear of the car to unlock, then pull the plug to the right to remove. Grap the 'handles' on either ends of the DI plate and the whole thing will pop right out to reveal the plugs. After you've done it once, it's about a 1-minute operation later.
  • domer67domer67 Member Posts: 1
    I am the owner of a 2003 Saab 9-5 that has about 4,000 miles on it. So far everything has gone pretty well with it except for one problem. When the car has been driven for several hours the control panel overheats significantly. It seems to be due to the climate control system but the overheating affects the audio section as well. The control panel becomes extremely hot and very hot to touch. I called the local Saab service advisor and he said that the some overheating was considered normal. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
  • aerodriveraerodriver Member Posts: 12
    The fascia/dash of my 2002 9-5 Aero with 14k miles also gets hot to the touch right around the audio (cassette and CD) unit. I haven't noticed any radiant heat, nor does it seem to affect the function of any components in or around the control panel. The audio works fine, so I've never asked the service tech about it.
  • aerodriveraerodriver Member Posts: 12
    My 2002 9-5, with admittedly low mileage, has been reliable to a fault. I haven't done any maintenance beyond the warranty-required services (shame on me). Nor have any components failed or caused me any worry. My previous 1996 9000CS had only a handful of minor warranty repairs performed over its 90,000-mile lifespan with me. I think there are plenty of Saab owners out there with similarly positive experiences; unfortunately, they're never heard from on message boards like these.
  • cwmozartcwmozart Member Posts: 13
    Good point. Online boards seem to bring out the bile in some folks, and to be fair I haven't viewed the Edmunds entries for other foreign makes yet. Interestingly, my insurance only went up about 70 bucks a year as I traded a 14-year-old Volvo with 182K, for a 3-year-old 9-5 with 27K. This says much about their recognized safety standards. No need to purchase a bike rack, either. The trunk and fold-down seats easily accomodate my other wheels. My only complaint about the 9-5 is, yes, the body roll when cornering. But in contrast to others' remarks, I don't find the torque steer at all problematic. Having owned a Scirocco way back when, I was more concerned about hydroplaning during storms. Saab seems to have really refined front wheel drive,
  • teecheeteechee Member Posts: 5
    I have owned a 1996 9000CS and now a 2003 Aero which has a little over 25, 000 miles in over a year and a couple of months. I just replaced the front brake pads. I did it myself and took less than 45 minutes. If you are somewhat mechanically inclined the brake job is fairly easy to perform with the proper tools. I have had a check engine light come on that was cleared by the dealership after two attempts. I just replaced a cracked tire due to a pot hole, and I recently had the dealership tighten the front window sills as they were jittery on door closings. I love my Aero and really couldn't dream of a more delightful car. A recent review of I believe Car and Driver ranked the BMW 5 series as a relatively lousy car at $50,000 plus. Then there's the Mercedes at $55,000 plus. Give me my Aero any day at $35,000. It might not be perfect, but last time I checked there was not a problem free car available. And the sight, speed, and smoothness of the vehicle is beyond awesome. I look forward to many happy miles with the car. I am however considering a new wheel and tire package for the future. Happy Motoring and God's Blessings to all.
  • yoreet1yoreet1 Member Posts: 10
    Driving: 99' SAAB 9-5
    Mileage: 75 K
    Problems: None until 2003.
    Then it became a nightmare. I have a catastrophic failure of A/C Compressor and Clutch. Shortly before then I bought an Extended Warranty for 100K at Nationwide Warranty. WARNING: Don't BUY IT! The warranty is administered by MBA DIRECT out of Scotsdale, AZ and they don't give a damn about your car. All they want is to have your money.
    Bottom line- they installed an after-market compressor that broke this year again! In addition I have a problem with brakes' hydrolics and a small transmission leak.
    But....I do not intend to give up on my car (for now:-)) because I love it. Driving and handling characteristics are superb. And it's a true SAAB machine, built in Sweden and not somewhere in Michigan
  • cwmozartcwmozart Member Posts: 13
    The problems you mention don't sound that uncommon for a 75K car, especially one from the first model year of 9-5's. For warranty issues it might be best to take it to a dealer or a Swedish specialist. I say this cautiously, of course, as all my problems are still down the road (I'm at only 28K). I haven't heard of Nationwide Warranty. There's an outfit called Guardian which was recommended to me by a shop that only works on Swedish autos. Keep the faith.
  • cwmozartcwmozart Member Posts: 13
    On hearing a pinging from the engine during acceleration, can I assume this is because I am currently using regular-grade gas and not premium? I also have dumped some injector cleaner in to mix with about half a tank. I am starting to think that high-test is the only way to go with the 9-5's. Anyone else had this happen?
  • dmb0705dmb0705 Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone have experience buying their leased Saab from Saab Finance at the end of the lease term?

    My '01 9-5 lease ends in a few weeks. When I called Saab a month ago to ask if they would be willing to reduce the buy-out price at lease end, I was told absolutely not. They said they didn't negotiate, but if I didn't buy at lease-end Saab would offer my car to the local dealer. Saab implied I may be able to get a better price through the dealer.

    I decided to call Saab Finance a couple days ago just for grins, and they dropped the price by $800.

    Can anyone share their experience? I'm still debating whether to buy the car or get something else.

    Thanks.
  • saabzerphunsaabzerphun Member Posts: 4
    Hey there cwmozart,

      I have owned 4 SAABs; all have been solid and safe, quick and balanced, fun and reliable. My experience with the local dealer has been unsettling. The factory-trained tech seems to only want to R&R (remove and replace) malfunctioning components. In my Wisconsin city, there is a local devotee of SAABs whose mission in life is to sell & service used SAABs (only). I buy from him and have all non-warranty service done at his shop. I own a Volvo, too. A similar "Import Car Repair" servicer for that car is a good find whenever you purchase a hard or expen$ive to repair import. One such servicer exist in this area, too. I have told my children to find the servicer that satisfies them before they purchase a used import. I think that is a good policy for everyone.

       I have had two accidents in my SAABs and will never buy another vehicle. One was an "off-road" experience when I fell asleep and the other was a van that t-boned me at 35 mph (I called 911, opened the door, and climbed out of the ditch). Both verified the sturdiness of SAABs and the degree the designers went to develop safety systems that work perfectly. I am still driving the "off road" vehicle that was repaired perfectly and drives as new.
  • cwmozartcwmozart Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for the interesting ownership history. I've had only Volkswagens and Volvos up until my 9-5, and it's certainly the best car I have owned. Someone on another auto chatroom said perhaps GM got smart and gave Saab the resources and the support to engineer and build something truly excellent in the 9-5. Where I live (Virginia outside Washington), you can't believe how many 9-3's are on the road. European car sales are quite high here; however the 9-5 has only recently started being seen in larger numbers. There's a fair group of repair shops, and 2 dealerships (Virginia and Maryland). My relationship with them is only beginning. How are Saabs in the snow, since Wisconsin was mentioned? Volvos are awful.
  • saabzerphunsaabzerphun Member Posts: 4
    Dear CeeDub,

       It does snow quite a bit here. Since I moved up here, I've purchased only front-wheel drive vehicles (except for a disastrous 1980 LeBaron that my dad from Cincinnati sold to me at a very low price). In this climate, all four wheels need snow tires and I have had four per vehicle since around 1986. All-season does not cut it here. In March, when it warmed, melted, froze, then snowed about 6-8 inches, I was the only vehicle on the road making any headway. The TCS is a great feature unless you are in a hurry.

       I have read that the 9-3, up until its current iteration, was not a very safe car, being based upon an Opel design; it crash-tested poorly. This fact was not well-publicized by GM. In snowy weather, the 9-5 is the big dog on the road, with a set of Gislaveds or Arctic Alpins as your contact patch. I've purchased from my local SAAB devotee and from the Tire Rack with no problems whatsoever. Our Volvo is a turbo, too; it has an automatic, though. I don't feel as in control in the snow in it. My 9-5 is an Aero with a 5-speed. IJDGNB.
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