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Several points:
First, I love SAABs, have owned 14 SAABs since 1964, but I would think hard about this car you are considering. 150,000 miles is a lot of miles on a car that I suspect may not have been well maintained, and if you suspect body damage, even more reason to proceed slowly. Make the guy who is selling it tell you it either was or was not a wrecked car - better yet, have him put it in writing. Do a "CARFAX" on the car to see if it has any strange occurances in the past, such as a salvage title (http://www.carfaxreport.com).
If you are set on getting him a 9000, I would look for another car with a "cleaner" history. Check the classifieds on this site.
Second, I agree totally with Quasi's comments. SAAB 9000s can be expensive to maintain. This may not be the car for a 17-year old's limited budget. I don't like to recommend cars other than SAABs, but in some cases they make the most sense. A Camry or an Accord might be a good alternative.
If safety is the most important thing to you, why not consider a Volvo 240 sedan? There are more available to choose from than SAAB 9000s, and there are twice as many dealer service shops than SAAB. I have owned several 240 models (both station wagons), and I found them to be rock-solid reliable cars, and that repairs to my Volvos were 1/2 to 1/3 less, on average, than the same repairs to my SAABs. Parts are much less, too (the exact same Bosch windshield wipers were $7.50 at my Volvo dealer and $15.00 at my SAAB dealer - does that tell you something about dealer markup?). Insurance costs, too, are lower than SAABs. And the 240 was rated one of the safest cars in the world in its day. Volvo stopped making the 240 model after the 1993 model year. However, this is not an "orphan" car. Parts for the 240 Volvo are still plentiful, and will be for years to come because Volvo sold so many of these models, and most of them are still on the road.
You can probably get a 1991 or 1992 240 sedan for the same price you would pay for the 1990 9000 you are looking at. The down side to the 240? Well, it's rear wheel drive, so it's not as good in the snow as a SAAB (buying one with a locking differential can help make up for this difference). And Volvos just aren't as much fun to drive as SAABs - which may not be a bad thing with a 17 year old - it may discourage him from taking risks that he might take with a more powerful car. I personally think a Volvo 240 would be an excellent first car for a high school or college age kid - wellbuilt, reliable, economical to run, and safe - what more could you want for your child? Take a look at a 240 and see if you don't think it's a good match for what you are looking for.
posted by 65.204....
, Mon, 13 May 2002 23:29:51
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