2003-2011 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
First, a couple of specific, objective comments:
Is the 2003 car for sale at a Saab dealer? If so, will they certify it? That will at least guarantee to you that it has had its minimum required (once per year) oil changes, if they go by the book. The only objective downside I see to the 2003 car is the possibility that it went 3 years without an oil change. This has the potential for initiating sludge problems.
Is the car a manual shift or automatic. "Trionic 7" cars (2000-2003 9-3 CVs, and all 9-5s) are not as well suited to manual shifting as either earlier or later versions because the "drive by wire" throttle is a little sluggish. Conversely, Trionic 7 is well matched to automatic transmissions, dropping power momentarily to smooth upshifts and hanging back on downshifts until the boost is up enough to prevent jerkiness.
Otherwise, it boils down to your own preference. I shopped long and hard for a CV before blundering into a C900. After living with it for a while, I sold it and bought a new 2.0T. In my case, I started migrating with the other snowbirds, and I found the fast paced traffic of Tampa Bay to be too much for the old design. In somnolent Northeast Ohio, where I summer, the C900 was fine.
I found that the OG 9-3 has a level of body shake that is similar to the C900, with a much smoother engine and drive train, a more sophisiticated look with the top down (with the self-actuating tonneau cover). Being a more modern design, you don't have the problem of parts becoming unavailable, but service can be a little more expensive as well as parts costs.
In the end, for me, the additional rigidity, better handling, and added safety of the newer design were worth more than the potential money savings and better cargo capacity of the older design. If you decide the other way, it's just as valid a choice. Good luck.
posted by 24.33.227...
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