Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 21:22:21 -0800 From: Justin VanAbrahams <jvanabranopsam.com> Subject: Re: Is Saab's Reliability a thing of the Past?
Free Spirit wrote: > > I dont buy that at all, a good car can take abuse and > kepp running without problems. Case in point.. my Toyota > 86' Supra.. I've beat the living piss out of this car and > not had any real trouble with it, Please define "beat the living piss out of" and "had any real trouble." I beat the living piss out of my '85 900T, and now it needs a head gasket and a tranny. Does that sound reliable to you? Is this Saab reliability? I have no problem with it. I expected it. When you treat a car poorly, it'll break. Let me borrow your Supra for a couple weeks. I'll get it in line. And I won't even take it off road. Did you buy your '86 Supra new? Do you know the maintenance history of it? Do you trust the people who've worked on it in the past? From what it sounds like, this guy doesn't trust the dealer and it doesn't sound like he really knows the history of the car - who owned it, how they treated it. > I'm at 200K Mi and it's > still strong, needs a clutch, but come on, 200K on a clutch > aint bad, especially since I tow my jetskis all the time and > have to back them up my driveway, feathering the clutch the > whole way. I've not changed the oil in the last 50K or so, > never really did before, added a qt here and there and changed > the filter a few times. I've driven this car down jeep tracks > in Big Bend TX, and up logging roads in Colorado and New Mexico. I don't care how you treated your Supra. Your Supra isn't the Saab is question. And has no relevance whatsoever to this conversation. > My point, if the car is of good quality, a little abuse wont faze > it, but if it's poorly engineered, and has to be babied constantly, > its not a quality car. There is a difference between "beat the living piss out of" and "a little abuse." I don't know what that is, but it sounds to me like it's significant. And, FYI, some of the world's most reliable cars have the world's most extensive maintenance programs. Witness BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. > Cheaper parts are being used in the newer Saabs > is what I'm reading here. You don't know what you're talking about. Having owned 12 "old" Saabs and looked at several new ones, if anything, things are getting MORE expensive. > Any car unless it it a total piece of S*** > will last if you go totally anal on the maintainence and drive it > a little old lady. Bull. I can name a dozen cars right here that need extensive maintenance regardless of how they're driven. One is a Mercedes S600, and the other is a BMW 750iL. Do you call either of these cars "a total piece of S***?" > The real test is hard use, if it wont stand up > to that, then its just average quality-wise, you're just paying > a lot of money for a name plate in that case. Or perhaps you're paying for comfort, performance, style, utility or some combination of these factors. Would you take a Ferrari F40 off road? Would you drive a Suburban at Laguna Seca? Would you particularly enjoy a cross-country trip in a Geo Metro? In the world in which I live, most cars are engineered with a specific use in mind, and not all cars are as equally adept at bridging usefulness. > Go ahead and blame the dealer or the owner to make yourself feel better, > myself, I'm looking for a '90 900T that some yuppie decided doesnt > match the Lexus or their lawn or whatever. I've owned 12 Saabs. Two of which are 1990s. If you plan on treating your Saab like you treat your Supra, your bank book will be begging you for a break. They are VERY durable cars, but in worlds other than the one in which you live, they will require maintenance. I am one of those totally anal car owners, and I still pay a pretty penny on maintenance. It sounds to me like you don't know much about the older models or the newer models. I don't claim to know everything, but by God I've done my research and had the experience with which to form a pretty solid opinion. From what I can tell, you've done neither. > Doesnt sound like the > newer models are up to the task. Besides from what I've seen, Saab > resale value really sucks, good for me, I'm getting a used one, with > a good checkout by me and an independent Saab Mech. Saab resale value sucks because they have a history for unreliability. I personally beg to differ with many, if not most, of these claims, but that's why their resale value sucks. Perhaps you were unaware, but that doesn't really surprise me. Enjoy your 1990 Saab 900T, and if you're smart, you'll open a trust fund for it now. -Justin
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