Hrmmmm, Should I?

"John_Harbinson" (jensenkid97)
11/20/2015 at 17:39 • Filed to: None

I want to trade my Escalade for a 2004 Saab 9-3 2.0T 5MT Loaded, offer came up through craigslist. Only problem is the saab in question has 188k miles.. Anyone have any experience with these cars and know if high mileage should scare me off? Car looks pretty damn clean..

DISCUSSION (15)

Future next gen S2000 owner > John_Harbinson
11/20/2015 at 17:43

You will want to swap out the power steering pump. They had a bad design from the factory. Mrs. Something-Clever-Here has 120K on hers, it has been fairly maintenance free. Only unexpected issue was a miss from some spark plugs and a broken spring - fairly common on these cars. Other than that, oil changes, tires and brakes.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > John_Harbinson
11/20/2015 at 17:46

My personal opinion is...why??

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
11/20/2015 at 17:48

Because an Escalade isn’t born from jets!

John_Harbinson > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
11/20/2015 at 17:50

Because the caddy costs me $65/week or every 280 miles or so, in fuel. 10mpg on a good day.

John_Harbinson > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
11/20/2015 at 17:50

No, but it is powered by the same tornaydos as the chevy silveraydo

I own dead car brands only > John_Harbinson
11/20/2015 at 17:54

I’ve had three Saabs and two was the 9-3. Best car ever. I had 120k on the first one and all I did was a tune up plus the usual (tires, brakes, and oil). I regularly averaged 35 mpg and could go as high as 39 mpg.

The power steering pump only fails if you overfill the motor oil. Too much oil and it blows out the seal between the engine and the pump. I did my oil change by draining and pouring in 6 qt. It requires 6 and 1/3. The 1/3 was often taken up by the remaining oil that’s impossible to drain off.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > John_Harbinson
11/20/2015 at 18:16

The Saab is probably worth much less than the Escalade. Does the trade include the other person giving you some cash as well?

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > I own dead car brands only
11/20/2015 at 18:19

And don’t forget about the DICs and APC valves commonly going at least once as well. I had to replace both on the 9-3 I had.

John_Harbinson > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
11/20/2015 at 18:20

Escalade’s worth ~4000. I paid MUCH less for it, and I’m currently just looking for something that is decent in the snow (doesnt matter if i have to buy snow tires) but the gas mileage is going to single handedly deplete my bank account if i keep driving it. I’ll have a job soon, but not soon enough to justify the gas costs, especially once they inevitably go up. I also want something that is a little more fun to drive than this boat.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > John_Harbinson
11/20/2015 at 18:27

Oh... it’s an older Escalade then. Yeah, you’ll save money on fuel. You might pay a little extra for repairs/maintenance. Oil changes will be a little bit more expensive since using synthetic is highly advisable on a turbo 4 cyl. Also check with your insurance as well to see what effect it has on your rates.

davedave1111 > John_Harbinson
11/20/2015 at 18:33

They’re not terrible for reliability and fixit costs, but a lot depends on the price. Over here, a 10yo high mileage 9-3 would be worth maybe Ł1k, or ~$1500. At that price, you can live with the risk of it dying completely, because you won’t be massively out of pocket if you have to sell it as spares-or-repairs.

One thing to note, if it’s your first experience with Saab: round here they get a lot of liking because they’re quirky, interesting cars with a slightly different way of doing things, but it’s important to remember that that’s relative to cheap econoboxes and so-on; Saab never competed with e.g. BMW or Mercedes.

Sam > John_Harbinson
11/20/2015 at 19:01

I'd say do it. SAABs are great cars as long as you properly maintain them.

John_Harbinson > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
11/20/2015 at 19:17

I’m fortunate enough to have a father who owns a business that I can be insured through. An insurance company won’t touch me until I’m 25, no thanks to my dad’s driving history. (Many, Many tickets over many, many millions of miles) We had a Tesla Roadster Sport (my uncle’s) on the policy for a few years, and the insurance didn’t go up a dime. And oil changes will probably cost around the same since there’s a lot less oil in that four-banger than my big ol’ hunk o’ ‘murican Vee-eight iron.

I own dead car brands only > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
11/20/2015 at 19:48

There is no dic on this generation. It is coil on plug.

SaabE39 > John_Harbinson
11/20/2015 at 21:18

Kinja'd!!!

I own an 08, same motor from 03 on up. I couldn’t tell, but is it the lower case t(smaller garrett turbo) or big T (TD04)? 03’s & 04’s have their share of weird electrical quirks, but if it’s made it to 188, most if not all should be sorted out. The power steering pump seal is a common thing, also check the brake booster, you’ll know the pump/seal needs to be changed if you do an emergency stop and the wheels lock up.

Also, I believe those early motors have SAI. Try to find a Saab specialist to delete it, makes life easier. Other than that, check the normal stuff, pads, Suspension (sway bar links specifically) and you should be good to go. Let me know if you have anymore questions.