1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
First, congrats on saving the bucks and keeping up your GPA. Good work!
As for the Saab. I'm on record here as saying a 9K is not necessarily a wise choice for a first car--mostly due to maintenance issues But since I have a daughter your age and she needed a car, I re-thought the whole thing and got her a '95 CS automatic (I have a '96 CSE 5-spd). The '95 runs great, with 139K on it. This works because I know how to fix a lot of it, have a great indy, and it's safe if anything bad happens.
What I'm leading up to here is that assuming you get a solid car with maintenance records and know that the key things have been replaced or done then a 9K (Aero or otherwise) is a great car. BUT (there's always a BUT) ya gotta be prepared to spend some money after you buy it. For example, we know the PO of the '95 and had the records. It cost $2,000 and had a recent fuel pump, blower motor and DI, but it still needed CV boots, tranny mount, complete front brakes, both upper mounts, serp belt and pulleys, all fluid flushes, battery, exhaust flex pipe, radio antenna, fan controller, the rear door locks fixed, etc. And it will need tires before winter. You get the picture. I DIY'd most of it, but it was still a chunk of change and time.
What you also might want to think about is not limiting your search to an Aero. You definitely play a premium for one, and it is *much* harder to find a good one that hasn't been hammered. For your budget, you'll have better luck finding a CS or CSE. Remember, a 170 hp CS can be upgraded to a CSE's 200 hp for very short money. And you can have the ECU in either remapped to exceed Aero specs. You don't get the suspension and seats of the Aero, but a CS or CSE is more likely to have been driven easier, and that's real important if you plan on keeping the car a while--as in through college. An Aero is cool, but only Saab-guys realize what it is. Plus you may find you pay more for insurance on an Aero than a "regular" 9K (check with your agent).
Good luck.
posted by 69.163.38...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.