Thinking of buying a low mileage 9-3 Aero. Any owners on here and what are the things to look out for etc?
Had a 9-3 1.9 tdi for three years and my dad had it for another 4.
Obviously a different engine but just minor niggles. Air con display went funny, rubber on buttons wore off. Seats are some of the best. If it has sat Nav it's rubbish. Paint finish excellent. My dad got it serviced at a good independent and sold it with 110000 on the clock
Again we've not had that model, but we have had 3 Saabs and they've all be very capable and reliable, shame that GM managed to make a failure out of them, and yes I'm seriously thinking about a 9-3 TDI
Ive had 2, one was an 02 which did over 100k with no problems and I bought a new 9-3 convertible back in 2011 with no problems all the time I owned it. Go for it
A few years ago I had a gorgeous blue 93 Aero convertible.
Due to an unexpected arrival it was traded for a Rav 4.
Really like it and a shame Saab are no more.
Thanks guys. I really like the car but have this niggle in my mind that they are no more as a manufacturer. Model I am looking at is the TTiD 1.9 180bhp with all the toys and 35k on the clock.
I had a 1.9 TiD (120 bhp) for years, >100K miles. My wife had the 150 bhp for 50K miles as a company car. Both cars ran perfectly. I sold mine because of the surreal taxes on diesel cars here in Holland, my wife returned hers when she decided to change jobs. Swiss company Hirsch had (has?) a tuning package for these cars.
My 100K miles car had some ERG valve issues (name me a modern diesel that hasn't...). That's all. And check if the timing belt has been replaced (only on high milage engines). If so, check if the waterpump has been replaced as well. Only a 40 GBP job when the timing belt is off.
Some cars have problems with tyre wear at the back: on a 9-3 the back wheels can be aligned - like the front wheels. Neglect can cause uneven wear.
Menno
I've had a few SAABs and always enjoyed them, nicely understated and a little bit different.
I ran a 9-3 Aero convertible for a couple of years with no problems whatsoever, had it "chipped" which gave more power and better fuel economy. The build quality was good, nice leather trim with a slightly quirky interior (dashboard layout/lighting and ignition key location). Front seats amongst the best in any car for comfort, great long distance motors. It did eat front tyres though and fuel economy not great if caned, also expensive to tax and insure, servicing not cheap either as I remember.
Mine was the twin turbo 1.9 and it was a joy to drive. Afaik someone took on Saab parts so it shouldn't be a problem.Originally Posted by Tenko
Parts are plentiful- GM and as I said find a good independent to service it
Thanks, some useful info here. The dealer also has a TTiD4 130bhp which has great fuel economy and only £30 rfl a year. It's cheaper than the Aero with less toys but the enhanced economy makes for a compelling argument.
Used to have a -07 9-3 1.8t. I still miss it. The thing about Saabs is that they don't look good on paper when you look at the specs, but on the road they are a pleasure to drive. Acceleration for example, 0-100 km/h doesn't look so good, but when you're driving at 60-100 km/h and need to overtake, suddenly the acceleration isn't too bad. The "cockpit" design is very ergonomic, everything is easily within reach. The green dashboard and the nightpanel are heavenly when driving in the dark.
Writing this I just realised my next car will be Saab.
I have had a couple or three of the Saab beasties over the years and found them very understated. sadly they went downhill when GM took over fully but are still a great car.
Good luck and hope you have many years of great motoring when you find the right one for you.
Jim
Used to to sell them. Great cars and if you're going to have an accident, can't do better. (Sorry, but true.) don't know what the parts situation is like now, but I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
Mate of mine ran a 9-3 estate for about 3 years and 85,000 miles
Pros:
Comfortable seats
GM petrol or FIAT diesel - plentiful parts but not the most exciting engines.
Good cruising ability
Lots of Vectra mechanical parts used - engines, wheels, hubs etc all compatible
Slightly "different" from BMW/Audi etc.
Good bodywork and paint
Lots of Forums/brand fans
Cons:
The usual EGR/DPF problems with the FIAT diesels used on shorter runs
FIAT diesels - cambelts, swirl flaps and waterpumps
Air con condenser, prone to leaking because of stone damage
Tyre life not brilliant - can eat tyres
Gearboxes/clutches can be fragile
Handling not briliant
Leather seats can go baggy with lots of miles
Very optimistic fuel consumption computer on mate's car.
Getting old
Most of them seem to be black!
As for safety - in their day they never reached Best in Class but they were still 5 star Euro NCAP (old system) for occupants but only 1 star for pedestrians, so don't hit anyone in a Saab. Under the new Euro NCAP tests they wouldn't fare as well as a more modern car.
Last edited by UKMike; 22nd March 2015 at 23:38.
I have had a 9-3 1.8t for a year now and 12k. needed a clutch recently, mainly as I did a carl noob remap and that took the last of the life out of it, but that was at 70k and original clutch. lovely otherwise, as said nightpanel is a wonder. Easy and cheap to get parts, cheap insurance, and I think the petrol vs diesel debat is less relevant as petrol ones can be much cheaper, no DMF or DPF failures to hit you.
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