Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 20:52:15 -0400 From: ma_twain <ma_twainnospamo.com> Subject: Re: Howcome the 1998 Saab 9-5 wasn't available in the US?
The Diesel wrote: > Your reply and Dave Hinz's reply got me thinking(they're the only > ones that showed up on my newsreader so far). > Maybe the 2002 Saab 9-5 is not out of my price range. > You see my original budget was $11,750, but my dad recently paid me > back $950 that I'd loaned him years ago so now my budget is $12,700, > and my dad will also let me trade in his beat up old 1994 Lincoln Town > car that just sits there and collects dust anyway. > I was only looking at cars within 100 miles of my area, but when I did > searches for "all distances" I realized that it's not unheard of to > find 2002 Saab 9-5 Linears with auto trans for about $13,900 so that a > 2002 Saab 9-5 may actually be in my price range which would be great > since among used cars the Saab 9-5 is listed in Consumer Reports as > one of its "Good Bets", while the Volvo S80 is listed as one of its > "Reliability Risks". > There may not be any 2002 Saab 9-5s in my budget in my area at this > time, but I know that they are out there in other parts of the > country(some within just 187 miles) so if I just wait and keep > looking, maybe there will be a 2002 Saab 9-5 within my budget in my > area soon. > The Volvo S80 does have major edges in the Side impact for the rear > seat and rollover resistance, but the Saab 9-5 seems to have the edge > in the Front Offset Crash Test and it has a major advangage in > reliability, and you guys are saying that Saabs have and advantage in > accident avoidance as well, while the side impact ratings for the > front seat are a wash between the 2 cars. > > > lkrznospamcomnospam (LauraK) wrote in message news:<20040619195756.06859.00000264nospam13.aol.com>... > >>>Crash tests will vary from year to year, as you're seeing. It's not >>>all that exact of a science. Even more impressive than Saab's >>>crash test results are the injury statistics in the real world; >>>it takes into effect not only how the car performs in an arbitrary lab >>>test, but how it does in the real world - including crash _avoidance_ >>>which the superb handling helps with a lot. >>> >>Saabs are definitely the best at crash avoidance! It saved my life at least >>three times on Friday, which seems to have been Drive Like an Idiot Day. >>There's no doubt in my mind that those three near misses would have been >>crashes in any other car I've driven. >>Best way to find out about how Saab does in overall safety is to ask your >>insurance agent how much it will cost to insure compared to other cars (or >>other years in your case). >>You should be able to find a good 1998-1999 Saab for less than your budget, >>particularly if you're willing to go extra miles to buy one. I got my 1995 >>9000CS in Nashville, 280 miles from Knoxville, where I live. Great car at a >>great price. >>Search with autotrader.com and there's another site like it, can't remember the >>name. >>Check the classifieds and check with independent Saab mechanics in your area to >>see if they know someone who is selling one. >>Visit Saab dealers in your area, tell them what you're looking for and that you >>wouldn't mind a higher mileage car if the price is right. A lot of times >>they'll sell tradeins with high mileage to auction since there isn't much >>market for them, since buyers fixate on mileage and not on how the mileage was >>put on the car. Highway miles put very little wear on a car, stop and go miles >>do. >>When you got more time than money, you need to spend it looking for the best >>deal. You'll find it, maybe not right away but you'll find it. >> >> >> >> >> >>lauraknospamousergraphics.com >>http://www.madmousergraphics.com >>web design, print design, photography >> You seem to have done your research and laid out your budget for the purchase. I would also determine the insurance cost and allocate some money for maintenance and repairs - then decide what you have for initial purchase cost. Saabs and Volvos are not inexpensive to repair. Keep this in mind when you allocate money for a repair/maintenance budget. Do some more research and talk with the technicians at the local Saab and Volvo shops. Find out how much it cost to maintain each model. You may change your mind. I have been driving Saab and Volvo turbos for over 20 years. The problem is once you have driven a Saab, nothing else will do :-) My experience has been that Saabs cost more to maintain than the older rear wheel drive Volvos. Two thoughts on lease cars. Some have said they are a good deal. Others have said don't buy one because the former driver may have skipped some maintenance to save money because he knew would not be driving the car after 3 years. The problems resulting from the lack of maintenance will be the new owner's problem - that's you, you are the new owner. Check the Volvo group for problems with the automatic transmission. Saab also had problems with automatics in the turbos, which is why most of the Saabs with over 300,000 miles are manual transmissions. Good luck with whatever you purchase!
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