Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 14:50:51 -0500 From: "McWilliams" <nowaynopsaminacan.net> Subject: Re: 1999 Saab 9-5 Wagon Questions
Hey, Robin.. FWIW...I think the Saab 9-5 Wagon is the pick of the litter these days. Stylistically, it just looks more naturally designed than the sedan...which seems rather...um...blah...to me. (There are a lot of nice cars on the road with lines similar to the -9-5 sedan it seems...but the wagon is quirky coolness itself in my eyes.) Regarding the service and repairs...I've found Saab to be extraordinarily conscientous and fair about fixing things. They have been especially reasonable about my '94 900S, which has had more than its share of odd problems. I think you can expect some gnarly things with aab...it's an inherent effect of the unique design and philosophy. (I was even cautioned about it by the guy who sold the car to me...how's that for bluntness? He was right.) The wagon looks to be a beauty! (I've driven one myself...and I'm thinking of getting one next year.) By getting the 99 model, you may be in for some of the "first model year" quirks; my 94 has certainly lived up to that expectation. But I really believe that Saab stands behind their warranties and vehicles...with little of the nasty cost surprises I've experienced with other brands such as Dodge, GM and the like. Can't speak to the issues of traction control, but I've heard that the 9-5 does quite well in Snow. robinb <robinbTIGGERnopsambag.com> wrote in message news:RSI4OJ56Ug5cPOUeh+Ol4AjqdiIRnopsamcom... > We're looking to replace our workhorse of an SUV, a 1990 Toyota > 4Runner with 183,000 miles. We drove the 2000 4Runner and were not > terribly impressed. This is unfortunate for us and Toyota because we > had assumed that we would be replacing the current 4Runner with > another :(. So, we are now looking at other SUVs and wagons. > > We drove a 1999 Saab 9-5 2.3 Wagon yesterday and really liked it. > There is a $3500 dealer incentive through the end of the month which > will bring the price down to $29K - $30K with some negotiating. I > have a couple of questions that I'd like to bounce off on you-all: > > (1) The car does not have traction control. The 2000 now has traction > control standard. We live in Wisconsin and it snows here! How does > the 1999 9-5 handle in the snow? > > (2) It's a 1999 and it instantaneously one year old. Is this really a > problem? I'm not sure if this really matters a lot to us because we > buy (not lease) and keep our cars for at least 8 years and usually > longer. Any other comments on buying last year's model when the model > year changes? > > (3) The car we drove was an automatic. We would really prefer a > manual transmission. The dealer will look for a dealer-trade for us. > Does Saab make a lot of 5-speeds? One of the problems we've run into > when looking at SUVs is that car makers are not making 5-speeds > anymore in anything resembling a 'family car'. Toyota shipped less > than 10 5-speed 4Runners to the entire 5 state midwest area in > November out of hundreds of cars. > > (4) This car will be driven for 8 -10 years and over 100,000 miles. > I've heard less than complimentary things about Saab repairs. I've > also heard that Saabs can easily go over 100,000 miles. I know that > the 9-5 was new in 1999, but can anyone tell me about their own Saab? > Expensive repairs? Lots of miles? > > Thanks a lot of any advise you can send my way! I'd especially like > to hear about how you liked your 9-5 2.3 ... wagon or sedan. I'll now > return to my lurking. > > -- Robin > > Please reply to robinbTIGGERnopsambag.com and remove "TIGGER".
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