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, Mon, 17 Feb 2003 13:42:05
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I bought an '01 9-3 SE with 5k miles on it in June of '02, 11 months after its original in-service date.
I have factory warranty for 6yr/100k miles from that original in-service date. So for me that meant 5yr/95k. This warranty is identical to the 4yr/50k warranty you get on a new Saab, only the period/mileage is higher.
The car was new in absolutely every observable way besides the odometer (at least as far as I know to date). I got it for about $3-4k less than I could have gotten an identical, brand-new '02. Honestly I think it's a better car, because of the warranty coverage. Plus insurance is slightly less. I debated for a while at the time whether to get the '01 or the '02, but now I am very happy I made the decision the way I did.
Make sure you get a detailed history on the car, including carfax, and an independent assessment to make sure there are no surprises.
My major concern (as with any used car) was "what if the first owner abused it?". Well, provided you to your research, I finally reconciled that this is a silly thing to worry about, because:
1) A "new" car could very easily be further abused on a single test drive than a used one is in its initial ownership period. So your new car with 10 miles on it has no guarantee of being better (in terms of abuse) than your used one with 25k.
2) The certified used inspection process (done properly of course) is much more likely to discover and remedy any potential problems than the inspection (if any) done on a new car.
3) You've got additional warranty coverage to help offset any remaining concerns from 1) & 2).
I think it's a no-brainer. I don't see why you'd buy new instead of certified used, unless you simply must have the newest, coolest thing, or you're leasing. Saab's program is excellent (search for the car you want at http://www.saabcertified.com).
Only downside is that if the car is more than a year old, you don't have any initial warranty coverage on wear items (brakes/clutch). Brakes you can inspect before buying. Clutch I guess you're taking a chance on. Also, you won't get treadwear warranty on the tires, since you're not the original owner.
'Roo
'01 9-3SE
'89 900S
posted by 128.42.178...
, Mon, 17 Feb 2003 13:42:05, Tue, 18 Feb 2003 08:17:59
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