1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
Hi Folks,
I've only posted once or twice before, but I check in from time to time. I will be out of town next week when the big odometer event occurs, so I thought I'd share now my impressions with 99,830 miles on the clock.
I bought my Aero new in July, 2002. My commute is lengthy, and if I didn't have 6 other vehicles in my collection, the Saab would probably be showing 150,000 miles or so.
The bottom line is I love this car, and when I get in it's like a proverbial old shoe. The analogy is not far off, given the thick, high quality leather covering the sport buckets. Problems have been minimal - the most serious being the failure of the heater bypass valve at 84,000. That required a tow to the dealer after the car puked coolant all over the parking lot of a co-worker's apartment complex. I was picking her up for a business trip; we took her Camry instead. Hmmmm.
Other than that, the battery was replaced with a Napa unit at 55,000, and the front brake pads and rotors were replaced at 80,000. Oh, the driver's side sun visor flap over the mirror broke and was replaced at 80,000 too. All other maintenance has been by the book with oil and filter changes done additionally at 5K, 15K, 25K, etc. intervals. In other words, oil changes have been done every five thousand miles. Almost everything has been done by the dealer. The only unresolved problem has been mentioned on this forum - the automatic tranny hesitates to engage in Drive on extremely cold mornings. This has been happening since about 40,000, and the dealer can't replicate it because it's always warm by the time I get there. The tranny is fine otherwise. My commute takes me up 2000 feet in elevation daily, so the turbo is appreciated, and I'm disappointed if I get less than 30 MPG on a tank.
This compares very favorably with the Lexus RX-300 I traded for the Saab. That car, though not unreliable at all, nevertheless required more expensive service work in 74,000 miles than the Saab has so far. It also couln't exceed 22 MPG. I've has three Audis (still have one of them), and the Saab exceeds them too for reliability and relatively low service costs.
The dealer I bought from is primarily a Cadillac retailer. At the time I bought Saabo (as I sometimes call her) the CTS was new, and for similar dollars, I could have gotten one. To me, there was no comparison between them, especially in comparing interiors. Saab's visibility with consumers is pathetically low. Even car magazines rarely test a Saab, especially the 9-5. What a sleeper. It offers comfort, high performance and reliability. If I were with Saab USA, I'd sure be frustrated.
Anyway, great car. Regards.
posted by 216.19.1...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
