Why are these so cheap?

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
03/23/2014 at 12:53 • Filed to: whysocheapopnik

2002 Saab 9-5 Aero, (Top of the line) Manual transmission, loaded.

$2,790?

DISCUSSION (46)

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 12:54

Maintenance on a saab is expensive and not many people think they looked that good.

jkm7680 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
03/23/2014 at 12:57

Yeah, I've heard that you need oil changes up the ass.

I don't especially mind the looks, the wagon at least.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:01

Probably a lot of people are scared off because of the company shutting down, and what that might mean for getting parts and service. I would think there are some really good independent shops, but no idea what the parts supply is like.

AthomSfere > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:02

Oh, that doesn't sound comfortable at all... Oil changes up the ass? The pure physics of it all!

jkm7680 > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
03/23/2014 at 13:02

Yeah, I've talked to some guys who own a Saab specialty shop near my house, they carry tons of extra parts for all of these, and don't charge excessively.

AM3R > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:02

How many miles?

feather-throttle-not-hair > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:03

I like the way they look. But i'm assuming maintenance. Also the fact that there is no saab in the U.S. anymore.

Ryanator122 > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:03

Isn't this the one which is just an Impreza WRX underneath?

jkm7680 > AthomSfere
03/23/2014 at 13:03

Haha, not literally.

Or are they? Hmmm.

Kinja'd!!!

jkm7680 > Ryanator122
03/23/2014 at 13:04

No, that's the 9-2x

jkm7680 > feather-throttle-not-hair
03/23/2014 at 13:04

Yeah, I've got a local Saab specialty shop with lots of parts.

I actually like the looks.

jkm7680 > AM3R
03/23/2014 at 13:04

170,000

I just chose this one to post, because I liked the looks the most.

Plenty for lower mileage for the same price range.

My hovercraft is full of eels > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:19

A friend of mine got one of these a couple of years ago. A great machine if you ask me. Looks great (he had a sedan), goes like hell, and I don't care about the FWD-ness.

However, he spent about (the equivalent of) 8 or 9000 USD on it over a year, and it was still far from OK when he sold it.

jkm7680 > My hovercraft is full of eels
03/23/2014 at 13:21

That much? How did he manage that, what went wrong?

PRBot II > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:36

Saab driver here. Disregard claims of bad reliability, excessive oil changes, parts being unavailable, exorbitant maintenance bills, etc.

The 9-5 Aero is a fantastic car. Jeremy Clarkson said it's faster from 40 - 70 mph than a 911 Turbo. Not sure if that's really true, but these cars are pretty quick.

They're cheap because of supply and demand. No one wants them now, and no one wanted them then. Which is why they went bankrupt.

I love my Saab. It's unique, it's quick, and I don't have to deal with douchebags in Civics trying to race me.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:37

Maintenance probably, and the fact that people know that Saab closed down. It's assumed that because Saab shut down, no parts will be made anymore. But I'd like to hazard a guess that it does share many components with the Vauxhall Vectra which it's based upon.

The 9-5 Aero's a great car though. Apparently, some engineer at Saab said that the absolute maximum power a FWD car can take is 220bhp. The Aero has 250. And also apparently, from 40-70mph in 2nd gear, it's faster than a 911 Turbo of the same era.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:39

Sleeper of the century, too.

jkm7680 > PRBot II
03/23/2014 at 13:39

Thanks for the positive words, I'm seriously considering one of these.

I need something with lower maintenance costs than my Audi

Something that can haul ass, and parts

Manual transmission also.

That is true, I see the light now, nobody wants a car from a company that has gone out of business no matter how good the car is. I've got a local family owned Saab service shop nearby, so for maintenance, I'm all set.

Anything to look out for?

jkm7680 > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
03/23/2014 at 13:41

That's one of the reasons why I want one. Something fast and reliable enough.

It's a good car, but not enough people are buying them.

jkm7680 > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
03/23/2014 at 13:42

I have so much want, and tempt.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:45

I was actually just looking at them prior to seeing your post. Definitely tempting. For $2k though, you're taking a big risk.

Also, not much farther upmarket, you have the Viggen, which is apparently even faster.

jkm7680 > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
03/23/2014 at 13:48

Arggghhh, don't tempt me with the Viggen. I've wanted one from the second that they came out.

Just out of the price that this particular one is, I'm guessing that there is something mechanically wrong with it. I'd be looking around $5,000 for one of these, and hope that it's not screwed up.

It would have to be a wagon though, Haha.

PRBot II > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 13:54

The fuel pump will probably fail if it hasn't already. It's happened with both my last Saab, and my current one. The maintenance bill should be a few hundred bucks. Burnt out pixels on the display screen is normal and should be expected. Things break on every brand of car. Saabs aren't shittier than most cars, in fact just the opposite... another reason why GM put them down for good. Saab's standards were too high, and they were costing GM more money than they were willing to fork over.

Anyway, I'm on my third Saab now across 13 years of daily driving. Each one over 200,000 miles easily. I'm at 266,000 miles on my current 9-3, and it still hauls ass.

jkm7680 > PRBot II
03/23/2014 at 13:58

That's nice to hear, Thanks. Somebody else here claims that their buddy spends $8,000-$9,000 on maintenance every year, I find that very, very hard to believe.

Saab has always had a great reputation, but people just seemed to stop buying them. Some of the last models that they made looked much better than the competitors, but they just weren't bought. Which doesn't make any sence.

PRBot II > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 14:05

$8,000 - $9,000 every year my ass. Here's what you can get for that price:

Kinja'd!!!

2007 Saab 9-3 , 65,000 miles, manual transmission. $8,500.

If that's the case, why not just buy an '07 9-3 every year? That's nonsense.

jkm7680 > PRBot II
03/23/2014 at 14:14

I agree, that sounded like bullshit. Unless he needs a new Saab every single damn month.

People don't see the light with these. My A4 is just about as nice as this, had 90,000 miles and cost nearly double the price.

In the next year and a half, I will probably purchase one of these depending on how everything else goes in the meantime, to bridge me through for another car about five years later.

Thanks for the tips though, please let me know if there is anything else reliability wise!

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 14:14

Thats called an enema

jkm7680 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken
03/23/2014 at 14:17

Prepare to meet your maker. Argoooohhhhhh. It's in.

Kinja'd!!!

M54B30 > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 14:27

I'd avoid one for a few reasons:

Goofy looks
Expensive maintenance
Weird quirky Saab things (ignition key, etc)
Parts and service will be harder to get with no company support

PRBot II > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 14:34

Just keep up with regular preventative maintenance, use full synthetic oil, premium fuel, and don't abuse it.

Actually now that I think of it, my experience is just with the 900 and 9-3. I've never owned a 9-5, so I'm not sure if the fuel pump issue applies >_<

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 14:41

Get the funnel ready!

jkm7680 > PRBot II
03/23/2014 at 14:42

Haha, I'm guessing that it will still apply to both of them. I'll do often oil changes, and I won't hoon it as much as I hoon my A4. Thanks!

jkm7680 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/23/2014 at 14:43

Gababahahhabaabahabhabahabhabhhhhhhhhhh

Kinja'd!!!

Because-Racecar > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 14:53

What is this I don't even—

...oh...

jkm7680 > Because-Racecar
03/23/2014 at 14:56

Haha.

Japan, you make the strangest shit possible.

Because-Racecar > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 14:59

Haha. Literally.

jkm7680 > Because-Racecar
03/23/2014 at 15:02

Hahaha, I didn't even notice what I did there until now.

THShorn92 - Left his car in America > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 15:08

Crapppp..... I've been looking for a wagon for a while now, Audi, Volvo, VW.....now I want one of these......curse you oppooooo *shakes fist*

jkm7680 > THShorn92 - Left his car in America
03/23/2014 at 15:10

Haha, One of these is probably the best bang for your buck that you can get, besides the A4 Avant.

JasonStern911 > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 15:22

because most people in the market for a front-wheel drive car would rather own one with perceived better reliability (valid or not, I have no personal experience) and cheaper parts.

My hovercraft is full of eels > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 16:14

I can't remember exactly. Some serious engine trouble.

jkm7680 > My hovercraft is full of eels
03/23/2014 at 16:19

Huh. Engines only cost about $1,500.

That's what I would do, just buy a new engine rather than repair it.

Eazy-O > jkm7680
03/23/2014 at 18:11

Tiny Toy Viper sums it up nicely.

I just wanna say, stay away from the V6 diesel. Those are horrid Isuzu crapsicles. The rest are fine. On the petrol engines pre-2004 you might have oil sludge issues, so check for those. Here's a bit more on the topic, if you feel like reading: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthre…

NEVER buy cheap oil or skip for intervals. I really don't do much driving, maybe 30 miles per week plus road trips and holidays in the summer, but I still change it every year.

Other than that, SAAB electrics seem to be... a bit funny sometimes. Check if all of them work and call the dealership for price estimates on broken ones (if applicable). Some of them are really easy and cheap to fix, others not so much.

The SID displays, for example, are prone to dying pixels, but over here a fella is fixing them for about 60$. You can get them with liftime warranty for 100$. Without a specialist shop, you could get ripped off.

And this example is pretty much standard fare. The cars are cheap, so used parts are cheap. And if you're buying a car for 3 grand, you won't be dumping all new parts into it, eh? Plus, the way I see it, all the people in our club are nice, most of the community worldwide and on the road I've run into have been nice and it may just have rubbed off on the mechanics, especially the little family-owned affairs. Find one who's not just in it for a quick buck, but because he wants to help keep the beasts on the road and your maintenance really shouldn't be a problem.

And an anecdotal story: Rolled into a GM/Opel dealership/tech cause my alternator was acting up. A new one for my 9000 was quoted at 951EUR (about 1300USD). We exchanged a quick laugh over the counter and back at home I found one for 70USD. Internet, ain't that some shit. ;)

Good luck and ask away if you have any more questions.

jkm7680 > Eazy-O
03/23/2014 at 18:20

Thanks man! That's a great summary, that seriously helps me a lot. Luckily for me, I've got a specialty shop nearby. It's family owned and I hear good things about them.

I just have a couple of questions, What line of the 9-5 Wagon would you recommend? Arc, Aero?

My other question regards repairs. What is the highest amount that you've had to spend on a repair for a Saab?

And, slightly off topic. Do you know if it is possible to install a double din in one?

Thanks for the advice!

Eazy-O > jkm7680
03/24/2014 at 05:21

Let's start from the bottom. :)

Double din is a go, as far as I can tell, since the stock unit is double:

Kinja'd!!!

Forum thread on this: http://saabworld.net/f29/aftermarke…

Repairs... Huhm. As I said, I do get by with a friendly mechanic and lots of used parts and only drive about 4000 miles per year, buuuuut... I think a torn boot for a CV joint cost me about 140USD including labour, the fuel pump replacement was about 120USD.

The alternator issue described in a previous post turned out to not be the alternator, but the power steering pump which is below it. The first shade tree mechanic I could find did not diagnose it correctly and I kept asking around Germany for "EIN SAAB NEUNTAUSEND LICHTMACHINE, bitte?" Anyway, a refurb pump, fluid, labour and a new belt (old one shredded when the pump siezed) ran me a total of 200USD.

The yearly maintenance event is a change of oil, sparks, filters, minor tech inspection issues... I'd say bout 130USD with labour. I could do it myself, but I like to support my mechanic/club president/all round good guy, Edo:

Kinja'd!!!

All in all, in the 4 years of ownership that was about it, really.

Be aware, though, that I'm converting these costs from Euro.

As for the trim choice, this is gonna be on the short, but we can talk more later... Personally I'm a bit of a... er, cost conscious individual, so I'd go for the least equipped model that still suits your needs. You'll have less stuff to break and less stuff to add weight. As long as you have the 2.3 turbo engine, even the low pressure one, you can toss on a remap and get the Aero power levels. As for suspension bits, those should be cheap enough or just go for some aftermarket stuff. Depends what you want from it. Sporty? Comfy? Brutal acceleration? Lemme know, we'll rap.

Ozz out.

jkm7680 > Eazy-O
03/24/2014 at 06:03

Thanks! You've really been a tremendous help!

I'm all up for sporty and brutal acceleration, except I don't want to spend massive amounts with repairs. I'd also be interested in bringing it to the Track from time to time, only occasionally though.

I appreciate it!