trying to find a car for my little sister and im finding a lot of 96ish-99ish saabs and volvos w/ 80k-100k miles in her price range. i dont know anything about saabs or volvos, so yeah or nay?

she was driving a 99 Mazda 626 w/ 130k miles and a brand new transmission, we got about $5k from insurance after someone hit her so trying to decide if we should buy something else or fix hers.

[Edited on March 22, 2007 at 8:12 PM. Reason : .]

3/22/2007 8:09:38 PM

friend of mine had a 2000-ish 9-5. The mechanics were reliable the only problems he had were with electrical issues (sensors). And he beat the dog shit out of that car. 5pd turbo

3/22/2007 8:13:24 PM

ask pwnt, that motherfucker beats the hell out of his saab. generally though, I wouldn't go with one

3/22/2007 8:14:36 PM

not any worse than any other euro car. older models of both brands can have alot of electrical gremlins, but by the years you mentioned most things had been worked out.

if you go with a volvo, i know a very good ex volvo tech that runs his own shop now. good work at good prices. two of my cousins drive volvos and found him.

Igor used to work at saab, maybe he'll chime in with some more saab info.

3/22/2007 8:15:15 PM

I wondered something after I read that, and it was the following:

"Where does the name SAAB come from?"

Wikipedia answered my question.

Saab AB is an aviation and defense company based in Sweden and founded in 1937 in Trollhättan. Its name was an acronym for "Svenska Aeroplan AB," where "AB" stands for "aktiebolaget" ("limited company"), thus written as 'SAAB.'

So there we go. And that was today's learning moment.

3/22/2007 8:18:39 PM

i guess i'll go check them out

ps if anyone sees a good sedan with under 100k miles for under $5k let me know

3/22/2007 8:20:02 PM

My 98 Saab 900 was pretty cheap to own, but I sold it shortly after 100k miles. It didn't have any problems when I sold it though. I'd recommend finding a good independent shop to do your work. I used Swedish Imports on 15-501 in Durham. They are strictly a Saab/Volvo shop.

[Edited on March 22, 2007 at 8:49 PM. Reason : l]

3/22/2007 8:25:25 PM

how about volvo s40's

3/22/2007 8:53:24 PM

i've only worked on a couple. as far as i know they're decent. a girl i know had one for a few years and only did basic maintinance.

one of my cousins has a 98 850. it's been a good car. had some electrical issues with the fuel system recently, but it has well over 100k miles. not sure exactly how many now, but it had like 120k or so when he got it a couple years ago. the other one has an old 240, so not really applicable.


[Edited on March 22, 2007 at 8:58 PM. Reason : .]

3/22/2007 8:55:35 PM

Quote :

"she was driving a 99 Mazda 626 w/ 130k miles and a brand new transmission, we got about $5k from insurance after someone hit her so trying to decide if we should buy something else or fix hers."

Either one will be better than that Mazda. I would bet fitty dolla that it's a four cylinder with the automatic.

And I'll also wager that that transmission will shit the bed too, and likely sooner than the original. It's a Ford tranny and an absolutely horrible one at that. Add to that a seriously hamstrung attempt at mating it to the Mazda car and engine, and you have imminent disaster. I've heard COUNTLESS stories of their failure, and I know from experience that they will burn fluid WITH A SERIOUS QUICKNESS.

My bro-in-law drives a '95 Volvo 960 and it's rock solid. It's had a few small issues here and there (namely accessories and whatnot) but still been a great car. And that 2.9 straight six is fuckin' awesome.

I've had quite a few friends with 850s and S60s, S70s, etc.

I also have relatives on both sides of the family that buy nothing but Volvo.

I'm not so sure I would swear by SAAB like that, but I have next to no experience with them.

3/22/2007 10:06:30 PM

i had an older mazda/ford hybrid, we know the deal with transmissions. i wasnt sure what i would be able to find in the price range, but now that ive looked around im not letting the mazda get fixed

3/22/2007 10:23:52 PM

finding a good late 90's volvo in that price range shouldn't be a problem. not sure about saabs, i'm not up on their pricing.

the guy i mentioned before sells used ones he's fixed up also. weaver bros. sells alot of decent used ones too.

3/22/2007 10:28:26 PM

nicholaspea had a 9-5 for a while, you could ask him about it; he sold it to a guy I know who is, last I checked, still driving it with minimal trouble.

Come to think of it he also had a Volvo 850R and a 940 wagon. That particular 940 wagon now belongs to TallyHo.

3/22/2007 10:48:56 PM

saabs got the sludge = dont buy one from a girl

3/22/2007 11:15:25 PM

Yeah, there was a sludge problem on the NG900 and 9-3's. There was a fine mesh screen over the oil pickup that was prone to buildup. If someone neglected their oil changes it can clog pretty easily and the car would suffer until you pull the pan and clean it.

I would say to listen to the valve train for signs of oil starvation, but my valves ticked like crazy from the time I bought it regardless of whether it was cold or warm. I never pulled the pan to find out if mine had any sludge problems though.

You can find a New Generation 900 or a 9-3 for under $5k. I looked at one last summer that was a 1999 9-3, Turbo, leather, sunroof, 5-speed, etc. for $4500 and it had around 110k miles.

[Edited on March 23, 2007 at 7:43 AM. Reason : f]

3/23/2007 7:42:04 AM

most of the saabs im finding in my price and mileage range are 9-5's

and that s40 was sold and the s70's i checked out where ragged out, so im back to square one



any used car lots that anyone recommends?

3/23/2007 4:18:03 PM

Quote :

"the guy i mentioned before sells used ones he's fixed up also. weaver bros. sells alot of decent used ones too."

3/23/2007 4:42:15 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/car/299248676.html

3/23/2007 4:45:20 PM

Does she want a stick, auto, or either? This one is only $3700, but it's in Charlotte:
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/car/298912659.html

3/23/2007 7:05:34 PM

Some general Swedish car observations - the 40k (104-144k) miles that my fiancee and I put on a 1996 SAAB 900 Turbo were the cheapest 40k miles of any car I've owned, and there have been a few. Outside of oil and fluid changes it needed a clutch cable and thermostat. That's it. Great car, too bad she wrecked it.

The 9-5 is a very comfortable and spacious car, however dynamically it's a bit soft. Get a 5 speed, the automatic hunts for gears too much - annoyed me so I sold it. The guy that bought it hasn't had too much trouble with it - the usual things - SID display losing pixels, random electrical sensor complaints, but it still runs fine.

Of the Volvos the 940 turbo wagon was great, though not for a girl (it was very easy to induce oversteer in the rain). The car was very simple to work on, had a smooth ride - no complaints, other than I found a great deal on an 850R.

The 850R... fast, comfortable seats, quiet, but it had the harshest ride of any car I've owned. A normal 850 would be fine - they're cheap and generally reliable - just make sure the timing belt has been changed recently. The S70 that followed it had a different interior that seemed to get beat up a lot more quickly than that in the 850 - I've looked at a couple but haven't been impressed.

My recommendations: 96-01 SAAB 900/9-3, or 95-97 Volvo 850.

3/23/2007 9:38:13 PM

I drove mine from 32k to 110k. I had a serpentine pulley lock up ($125 for two pulleys and a belt) and I had an alternator croak (a few hundred bucks.) Other than that it was just 5k oil changes and other random fluids when they were due.

[Edited on March 23, 2007 at 10:21 PM. Reason : l]

3/23/2007 10:21:08 PM

its for my sister, so automatic and she doesnt care if its got a soft suspension

3/23/2007 11:20:37 PM

I have a '97 Saab 900 and it has been nothing but loyal considering it has 180K on it.

Quote :

"saabs got the sludge = dont buy one from a girl"

^not even true.

Quote :

"My recommendations: 96-01 SAAB 900/9-3"

^that is an excellent reccomendation. you can beat them up and they will take it. i don't plan on selling mine until it dies. my mom had an older 9000 and ran it until 250,000 before getting rid of it. the main problems i have had is the tensioner pulley went out and my ac is on the fritz. the one bad thing i can say is that the parts cost an arm and a leg. expect everything to be twice the normal price you would pay for any other part. and they are hard to come by unless you go directly to a dealership. ive never had my car serviced at the dealership because my boyfriend is a VW tech, but I know it can be pricey. you can also get the 900's for fairly cheap right now if you look on autotrader.

[Edited on March 24, 2007 at 11:45 AM. Reason : ^]

3/24/2007 11:44:37 AM

got a 2001 volvo s40. its got a little more miles than i wanted but its also got a 7 year/100k mile warranty

3/24/2007 5:50:43 PM

^^ proof women dont know what theyre talking about

http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=122&did=1051

3/24/2007 8:20:17 PM

I'm pretty sure she was referring to the "don't buy one from a girl" part, not the sludge part.

3/24/2007 8:39:21 PM

the biggest issue my family has had with volvos has been the exhaust system sensors....

3/26/2007 8:50:47 AM

yes i was referring to the don't buy a girl part, however i have never had any problem with sludge!

3/26/2007 9:57:17 AM