Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Saab 9-3 Coupe (2002 and earlier)
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
You're right, it could get old real fast. Then again, there's always something like that on every car, huh?
:-)
I you don't believe me, try a search: 'How reliable is your new car?" at the BBC
I have 78k km on this car and am enjoying every minute of it. The car has cachet because you don't run into many of them. The dealer says they are noticing a dip up in resale because the car is now a GM car (read parts availability) and because the car has earned its repuation for rock sold reliability.
So if you don't want a car everybody else already has, and the Saab fits your needs, you'd be wise to at least try one. It's as comfortable at the ski hill or the beach as it is going to the opera and studies show, people think they're more expensive than they really are.
I plan on keeping this car for a very long time. They are able to be mod-ed 'chipped' for a tremendous performance boosts. To research this aspect of Saab, try the performance tuning links at Wigwam Saab of Rhode Island.
Anyone know how to take off the auto-gear-shift? I rodered the exchange part, and wonder if I *have* to take it to the dealer for such a minor change...
Have any of you seen new 2001's in your area, and if so, what kind of price was being asked. I'm not sure what to make of his asking price. Any thoughts or comments are appreciated. Thanks
If it's a new car, the full warranty would be in effect.
tlivac -
have you decided about your car? I'm sure you can get more than 15K for it....OK maybe. Depends on where you're located and the condition of the car. Kelly Blue Book says 17,995 for a car like yours in excellent condition. Check out the site: www.kbb.com. Let us know what you decide.
The reason for my post is that I would like to modify my SAAB with some upgrades namely a "chip". Does anyone have any direction as far as dealers or websites that I can check out. Also give me feedback of those who have added that component and let me know what you think. Thanks for your response and happy driving!
Labor day weekend I bought a 1999 9-3 SE High Output Five Speed with 48,808 miles for $13,900 at Z and W Mazda in Princeton, New Jersey.
Back to the 9-3. I drove approximately seven examples with mileage from 34,000 to 57,000 miles. Let you ears, eyes, feet and fingers tell you about the car. You should drive as many examples as possible to get a well rounded feel for the car.
Try to look at the owners manual and service book from Saab in the glove box. Call the original dealership and ask for service and very politely ask about the service history of the car. Find out what the original "In Service Date" was on the car. That's the day the four (4) year warranty began. Depending on the mileage and "In Service Date" you might still have some Saab USA warranty left on the car. You might even find the owners names written in the manual or service book. Get their phone number from some on-line white pages. Call them and ask about the car.
Do your ears hear excessive squeeks and rattles. You will know what's typical after a few test drives. Some are typical of the breed.
Do you see lots of scratches, I always check the bottoms of the doors to see if the previous owner scraped the door on high curbs and sidewalks. While you're down on your knees check the drain holes in the bottom of the door for clogging and or rust. Check the consistency of the gaps on the doors, trunk and hood. If they're not consistent you know body work was done. Is the front air dam area dented and scratched from running into curbs and parking lot blocks. More dents and scratches indicate a sloppy driver and car that might have suspension or steering system damage. The same goes for the alloy wheels. Inspect the air filter. No tools required. Dirty filter equals negligent owner. Are the tires worn evenly. Dismiss a car with unevenly worn tires. Front wheel drive cars NEED balanced tires and alignments are critical. Nothing is more annoying than a shaking steering wheel and a car that constantly pulls to the side. Ask the salesperson to back the car out of the parking space. Watch the tail pipe. Anything more than a moment or two of exhaust smoke and you may have a expensive repair. After swapping seats with the salesperson, turn the steering wheel all the way to the left and drive in a circle then turn the wheel all the way to the right and drive in a circle. If you hear any clicking or clacking noises the CV joints are shot. Walk away from the car.
How's the pedal action on the clutch and brakes.
Stomp the brakes. Do they grab and sop or does the pedal go to the floor.
The trouble with manual heating controls breaking on the base models
and wanting leather & heated seats kept me away from base models.
I could go on but this is a good start and I have to go back to work.
Michael
The car was brought to the dealer twice for unscheduled maintenance, but my problems happened to coincide with scheduled service intervals.
At 500 miles I noticed a squeak in the FR suspension. I brought the car in for the free 1000 mile service and the problem was diagnosed as a bad strut and was replaced at no cost to me.
5,000 mile service was performed
10,000 mile service was performed
At around 18,000 miles I was swallowed up by a pothole while swerving to avoid a taxicab. The RF suspension was making all sorts of strange banging noises. I brought the car in and the problem was diagnosed as a cracked strut and busted thrust bearing as well as a bent rim. While the suspension was being repaired, I had the 20,000 mile service performed. The dealer covered the suspension pieces & their labor under warranty. I had to eat the cost of a new wheel and the 20,000 mile service.
30,000 mile service performed.
There are so many things I like about the Saab and I would reccomend it to others. I love the Turbo 4 engine, the heavy european steering, the taut suspension (yes, even in the base model), the versatility of the hatchback, the thick leather, the comfortable seats, the thick leather, the thick paint and sheet metal... I could go on for a while.
I do have a few questions for those of you who have returned their cars that they leased from Saab Credit.
Somehow, I must have had a rock hit my front left fog lamp on the highway. The light still works, but some pieces of the lens broke off. The glass is super-thick BTW. Can I replace this part myself?
My rear bumper is pretty dinged up from parking on the street here in NYC. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get charged for that, but I'm not sure.
My Saab's replacement was purchased about 5 months ago. I found one of the last remaining 2001 Honda Prelude Type SHs in the country. Hopefully there will be another Saab in my future. I'd consider the 9-5 Aero wagon if the time ever comes.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
TIA.
303 Aerospace Protectant--for vinyl and rubber. You can buy it over the internet, also they have a list of retailers on the page. Their carpet cleaner is also very good.
Another product I like is Pinnacle Vinyl and Rubber Protectant. Available from internet retailers. Do a web search.
Plexus is good for clear plastic (instrument panels, etc.) Meguairs also has products for clear plastic.
I am in the process of buying a 1999 Saab 9-3 SE 4 door hatch back.
Anyone have advice of what to look out for mechanically and otherwise?
I remember in the 80's everyone talked about problems with turbo's and "Coking". Is this still an issue or has the problem been resolved?
Any advice for turbo owners?
Anyone who owns this car care to reply with likes/dislikes, etc?
I value all feedback. Thank you in advance and have a great day!
Mike
Kumit-
RP Cali
Now, my car looks brand new. My question is has anyone had the same experience? Also, how can I get the best value for my car? I really don't want to go through the trouble of placing an ad in the local paper. Any help would be appreciated.
Where in MD is it? I know there are a lot of SAAB's in the DC area. try selling it at SAABNET.
If it is in good condition, I wll give you 7K cash. Tomorrow.
Has anyone here heard about this new 9-3? You'll now find information about it at the Saab USA website. Look for it in the lower right corner of their front page. ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
If anyone comes across more information about this, please post it here. Also, in accordance with our Town Hall guidelines, please do not link to other sites that also host message boards or chats. Thanks! ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
It has a little of the Vibe/Matrix look going on, but much more upscale. I imagine it will give up some torsional rigidity to the sedan with the big back hatch. It will be a lot more practical.
I test drove a 5-speed 2002 SE (4 dr.) hatch yesterday and was disappointed with the folddown rear seats.
What puzzled me is that neither the seller nor I could figure out how to have both rear seats folded down all the way (for maximum cargo volume) AND have the driver's seat be in a confortable driving position.
When we slid the seat backwards to accomodate my legs (I'm only 5'10"), the driver's seatback would crush the left rear seat cushion that's flipped vertically to allow the rear seatbacks to come all the way down.
Conversely, when we slid the driver's seat forward to unsquish the rear seat cushion, that of course left me in an overly cramped driving position.
So...were the seller and I just spacing out and missing something painfully obvious about how to fold those rear seats down without the driver's seat mashing the left rear seat bottom? Have any hatchback owners out there had a similar issue? If I'm correct about this, do I just live with rear seats that fold down only partially?
I just can't believe that a design feature this inelegant could make it's way into an otherwise fantastic car. Or do I chalk this one up to Saab "quirkiness", and just live with it?
Thanks!
Herb :-)
Also, if you know anyone that would interested in discussing this subject, please send them here. Here' the url to this discussion that you can copy/paste: /direct/view/.eea6849/495
Thanks for your participation!
Revka
Host of Hatchbacks & Wagons
I live in San Jose, CA.
I've been looking for "my" 9-3 since Sept/Oct '03, and if all goes well, will be in my shiny, laser red/charcoal gray 2001 9-3 SE (5 spd) within two weeks. (Can't wait!)
The Saab specialist who found the car for me says that the 9-3 hatches are in relatively higher demand nowadays. Reason being (no surprise here): Saab no longer makes'em.
In fact, he can sell a used 9-3 for close to (if not even more than) the price of a comparable level 9-5.
As far as your "low sales" query, it felt like it took forever for me to even find the exact car I wanted. Part of that, though, was my desire for the particular red/charcoal color combo in the SE level.
Apparently, it's a very low demand color. Few new car buyers ordered it originally. And few used car buyers want it. It took me close to four months to even find one car that fit the description, and that's the one I hope to be driving soon.
Hope that helps...
Herb :-)
I elected to purchase a slightly lower-profile, quiet-running tire, a Goodyear Assurance P205 55 R16 with an H speed rating (I believe the original equipment tire had a higher V rating). I have been very pleased. I have also been surprised at the roadholding, being unable to detect any deterioration in cornering or braking -- in fact the lack of uncontrolled bouncing has improved these. I live in snowy Chicago, and the snow performance has been very acceptable, not as fantastic as the Blizzaks on my Avalon, but certainly very good for a high-mileage rated, all season tire.
The Saab is, unfortunately, not a well-insulated car. Anything that reduces tire noise is a plus. By the way, the Assurance tires have a built-in permanent shine on the sidewalls, a very useful appearance attribute.
I am living in the Chicago area too. I bought my 2002 as CPO and found that the dealer put some cheap Cooper tires on it. It may due to my heavy steering and longer stopping distance problems. I am looking for a good all-season tires (at least it will do ok on light snow). I heard good things about Kuhmo ASX but they don't have 205/55/16. I am thinking among Michelin Energy, Yokohama, and the Goodyear you mentioned. I am trying to stay away from directional tires.
How's the Goodyear tires perform on Dry and wet surface ? Do they provide good handling ? Thanks.
As I get older my driving has become more conservative, so I rarely take my tires to the performance edge. Nevertheless, I have great confidence in the Goodyear Assurance dry road performance. Since you live in Chicago you will know that our summer has been remarkably dry, but my recollection of early Spring driving in the wet was very positive. Of course, my tires are relatively new, which always helps wet traction. We also received only moderate snow during the winter, but the Goodyear Assurance performed most satisfactorily.
On our Toyota Avalon, however, I installed Bridgestone Blizzaks on steel rims for the winter -- and I can change back to regular tires/wheels in my garage if no snow is forecast. During a very difficult winter in northern Kentucky (we moved to Chicago from Louisville) the Blizzaks were superb. I cannot speak too highly of them. Swopping for genuine winter tires is always a better choice than all-season, but I have not done this for the Saab. Maybe this coming winter will be a test ?!
It'll be tough to find one.
The ContiExtreme I used were good on snow but they were a liittle bit noisy.
It got an "Average" grade, which isn't too shabby.
But I think that after 100K miles Saabs tend to bring trouble. So try to get one with low miles.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the car an Acceptable rating in the Frontal Offset test. I have an odd feeling the 9-3 can do better than that, but test results are test results...
I'd go for it. Buy what you like, as long as you know what you're getting when you write that check.
My own son wants a 2002 9-3 SE (either hatchback or convertible) when he begins driving.
Some ask the question, which brand disappears first, Saab or Mitsubishi?