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Re: Buying advise: 99 9-5 V6 Wagon Posted by billherbst [Email]  (#2137) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from billherbst) on Sat, 15 Apr 2006 00:16:38
In Reply to: Buying advise: 99 9-5 V6 Wagon, Mike in VT, Fri, 14 Apr 2006 18:55:18 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I own one -- a used '99 9-5 SE Silver Sportwagon. Bought a year ago with 71K miles for $11,000. Mine was, and is, nearly flawless. Still looks and drives like a new car.
The asymmetrically turbo-charged V6 engine in the SE is great! Nice low throaty growl, lots of smooth power, but still gets decent gas mileage (28 mpg highway). Takes premium gas, though.
Unlike those crummy German auto transmissions in the old 9000 series, the Japanese Aisan-Warner 4-speed auto trans in the 9-5 is nearly bulletproof. Should last the life of the car with standard maintenance, draining/replacing fluid every 30K miles.
With the V6, you'll be due for an engine timing belt/tensioner replacement at the 120K service. Since the engine will be opened up for that, it's advantageous to replace the water pump at the same time, as preventive maintenance.
Direct Ignition Cassettes (DICs), now called Ignition Discharge Modules (IDMs), are notorious for failure in 1999-2003 9-5s, although somewhat less in the V6 than the i4. The 1999 model year is not included in the current DIC/IDM recall/upgrade. You can pick up a couple of used DICs on eBay (you'll need two) for $75 if you act soon. Good insurance, and fairly easy to swap out with a #30 Torx driver.
Although the V6 is less prone to sludging than the i4, you might consider a gentle engine cleanse with Auto-Rx. Do a search here on the board for "Auto-Rx" and see what you think. With 111K miles, it's more cheap insurance for a long life. Then use a full synthetic like Mobil One 05W-40 Truck and SUV oil or Amsoil, and with luck you'll be set for a long time.
Other than that, you're already familiar with Saabs, so it's pretty much the same, except with better reliability in the 9-5 series. Parts and repairs aren't cheap, of course, and a good indy repair shop is a big plus if you can find one close by.
In my humble opinion, the 9-5 is Saab's best model ever. My 9-5 Wagon isn't quite the sports car my '87 9000 with a 5-speed manual was, but of the cars I've owned (ten in all, the last three of which were used Saabs), this 9-5 is my all-time favorite. I, too, hope to keep mine for a long time, at least until Peak Oil, the collapse of the dollar, or something equally draconian disrupts America's easy motoring addiction.
9-5 SportWagons are very cool. If the 9-5 you've described is as well-cared for as it sounds, scarf it up.
Best of luck,
--Bill
posted by 71.35.175...
, Sat, 15 Apr 2006 00:16:38 <-- Viewing This Message
, Fri, 14 Apr 2006 19:17:23
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