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Re: Which 9000 is better? A '93 w/75K or a 98 w/103K Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Thu, 4 Nov 2004 05:31:40
In Reply to: Which 9000 is better? A '93 w/75K or a 98 w/103K, synct, Wed, 3 Nov 2004 17:23:28 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Let's assume both cars are in equivalent condition, and both cars have service records showing them to be well taken care of.
Let's see - Five out of five say BUY THE '98.
Let's ignore the fact that the '98 is faster, with what amounts to an Aero engine. And that the '98 comes with just about every feature and gadget you'd every want. OK, don't - the '98 is a fully-loaded car, period.
The mileage difference is 28K miles. However, there is an age difference of 5 years. We're talking 6 years old or 11 years old. That's a big difference in car years. 5 more years for rubber bushings to age from ozone exposure, for seals to shrink, for oil to sit in the crankcase full of acids. 5 more years for the heater core to start leaking.
The '93 will have TCS, which isn't a killer, still isn't a nice thing to deal with. If you have the choice, don't. '93 was a changeover year, and as others have noted, the ECU is an orphan. If it was such a good one, why isn't it in newer cars? '93 was the first year of the new body style.
I just picked up a '97 with 102K miles, and felt comfortable with the buy because it had astoundingly complete maintenance records. More than having the records, the previous owner did every scheduled service. Yes, I still dropped about $450 in the car, because at 75 to 100K miles, I replace the tensioner and idler pulleys (and serp belt, just for grins). No big deal, the parts are cheap.
If a Saab is well maintained, 75K or 100K is not a big deal - these can be 200K+ mile cars with good maintenance. The advantages of the 5 year newer car - more power, more development, more content - outweigh the mileage difference. When I was looking to buy a 9000 recently, I limited my search to 96-98. Improvements over the older cars, and yes, younger. I'd have loved a '98, but they only imported 1300 of them. Not thick on the ground.
However, I'll go back to condition and history. I walked, no ran away from some 70K mile cars that had issues. Maybe it was minimal service records. Maybe it was that oil slick in the coolant tank, or the fact that the coolant tank was dry. Any time I saw a car with a suspect history, I immediately dropped the price I'd be willing to pay, to cover expected unexpected repairs. When the car is new, changing the oil every 15K miles, or forgetting to ever flush the coolant or brake fluid doesn't usually kill the car at 50K miles - it shows up at 100-120K miles. And there is no making up for a bad childhood.
Low miles is attractive, but judge each car on its merits. Condition AND documented regular maintenance are what counts.
posted by 192.249....
, Thu, 4 Nov 2004 05:31:40 <-- Viewing This Message
, Thu, 4 Nov 2004 02:56:43
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