1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I conducted over a year's worth of research prior to jumping into Saab ownership (mainly b/c I wasn't ready to purchase another car when I started). Here's what I found:
It's helpful to envision your (future) Saab as a ticking bomb ready to go off and shower you with maintenance bills. Be realistic. Parts will fail and the car is not a Honda (Thank goodness!). I dumped a lot of stress by budgeting enough money to cover the cost of replacing the trans within a year.
Only a fool buys a used European car without having a specialized expert give it a heavy once over. Pre-purchase inspections usually run ~$120 and are worth every penny (you can usually bargain at least that amount off the price based on its results).
Don't be afraid to walk away from a car. There will always be another.
Don't buy a car that has been in an accident.
Private party sales are my preferred source. No shady maneuvers and you usually get an idea of how the car was treated.
If there aren't maintenance records to prove the claims of recent maintenance, then do not let those things influence the price or your interest in that particular vehicle.
The best Saab is one that has recently had some significant maintenance items replaced (blower motor, A/C, Trans, turbo, etc). The seller has already replaced some of these big ticket items for you and he/she is usually fed up with the recent maintenance.
Look in your area for service support. Are there independant shops that SPECIALIZE in Saabs? Is there even a dealer near you? Where will you have your car towed if you have a catastrophic failure? Meet the service manager at your local independant shop. Do you like him/her? Do you feel that they are sincere about supporting your needs as a customer for parts or repairs?
I bought a 1994 Aero 5spd in Le Mans Blue. I chose the Aero in part for the performance and appearance, but mainly because it is the most sought after car for 9000 enthusiasts. If the engine takes a dump tomorrow, I can sell the car rather easily. Because it's an Aero. I do most of my maintenance on wear items (brakes, exhaust, plugs, etc.) and I'll save a ton of cash based on that alone. I paid under $7000 for a 155K mile car. The Saab shop that did the inspection couldn't believe how straight and clean it was compared with their customer cars. I couldn't be more thrilled.
posted by 216.152.109...
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