1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I looked at several used 9-3s base and SE in March 2002 and the quality varied greatly. I then got distracted with a deal, $16,500, on a 1999 9-5SE with 51,000 miles. The car was looked great until I did a cold start and the car smoked for five minutes. The dealer said, "We can't find a problem and the smoke is within spec." Yeah, right.
Labor day weekend I bought a 1999 9-3 SE High Output Five Speed with 48,808 miles for $13,900 at Princeton Mazda in New Jersey. They have two or three more base models left For $13,500-$13,900.
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 stop 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
posted by 66.200.16...
, Wed, 23 Oct 2002 15:37:45
, Wed, 23 Oct 2002 09:26:53
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