1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Bri, I have a 2003 Arc wagon, 79k miles. Great car, my fourth SAAB. I got it CPO with 31 k 4 years ago. It has been dead-on reliable. As with any SAAB, maintenance is the key.
Pros
*Very comfortable, especially on the highway.
*Tons of features, many say the '03 Arc is the best-equipped model
*Heated and cooled seats are standard
*Paddle-shifting "manual" transmission option is fun
*In sport mode, it can really go
*Engine is quite a bit quieter than the 2.3 four
*No sludge issues with this engine
Cons
*Fuel economy. Never gotten better than 26 highway mpg, and that's with 93 octane. City mpg is much lower. Usually I am running 22 mpg overall.
*Suspension is not sporty like in the 2.3 models.
*Timing belt, not chain. Every 60k you must, repeat must, change the belt, pulleys, and tensioner. This can be $800-$1,000.
Other
*I use Mobil 1 full synthetic, every 5k. Recommend that to you.
*The coolant bypass valve will fail, they all do. If you can't tell when it was done last, go ahead and do it.
*If the DIC fails (a common SAAB problem) you may have to replace two of them (v6 engine)
*The SID will probably loose some pixels. There are multiple inexpensive options for repairing that.
*Don't scrimp on tires. If you live in a snowy place, get snows.
Good luck, let us know what you decide!
--Dan
03 9-5 Arc, 79k
posted by 205.133.9...
, Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:04:12
, Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:41:17, Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:24:51, Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:05:51, Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:47:43
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