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Re: '91 auto vs. '92 auto vs. '92 manual....BEST BUY??? Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Tue, 4 Mar 2003 15:08:13
In Reply to: '91 auto vs. '92 auto vs. '92 manual....BEST BUY???, Walter, Tue, 4 Mar 2003 13:40:46 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
First off - transmissions.
If you want a car with an automatic tranny, then by all means get one. Yes, the autobox has problems. Then again, so do manuals. In general, I expect to get about 80- 100K miles out of an automatic. Some last longer, some shorter. But assuming a $3K rebuild at 100K is safe.
However, if you prefer a manual, WAIT FOR A GOOD MANUAL-EQUIPPED CAR. Sorry for shouting. A manual car will have better gas mileage, better performance, and fewer failure modes.
These won't be the only cars to come down the pike. WAIT for the right car. Unless you absolutely don't care what tranny you get, why not go for better mileage and performance? And, in my opinion, more fun? I have autobox cars because physical issues say I must. It doesn't make me happy.
When it comes to TCS, that's an issue on both manual and automatic cars. Some folks have had no trouble with TCS, some little, and a few have had horrendous problems. Of course, any car will have complete repair records. Avoid a car that has had repeated TCS problems - the sign of a lemon. Nothing wrong with a car that has had a TCS problem that's been fixed.
I'm always worried about a car that comes with problems - the ABS and Brake Fluid lights being one example. That could be a relatively simple problem, or an astoundingly expensive problem that could cost more than the purchase price of the car to fix. Are you feeling lucky?
The ideal is a car that has been owned by a maintenance fanatic. That implies NOTHING wrong. If they've been living with little problems like burned-out lights and worn tires, have they been keeping up on oil and coolant changes?
If the only thing wrong with the manual is a worn clutch, that's no big deal. Yes, a new clutch ain't cheap in a 9000, but you can get a quote on it from a dozen shops and it's a 'contained' cost - you know what you're in for. More than I can say for ABS lights on. I don't know the price of a new clutch - I'l guess $600-$900. A new autobox will run $3K. ABS components start at breathtakingly expensive and go up from there - spending $3K to get the ABS working isn't out of the question. And the SRS light could be cheap. Could. Are you still feeling lucky?
Given these three and the idea that no other Saab will ever come on the market ever again, I'd pick the manual. I don't know how much you're willing to spend. My approach is to find the best possible car with the least wrong with it, unless I absolutely positively KNOW the expensive problems and that I can gauge their cost.
posted by 192.249....
, Tue, 4 Mar 2003 15:08:13 <-- Viewing This Message
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