1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
TJ,
Back in April, I was looking at convertibles. I ended up buying a 2001 Saab 9-3 SE in steel gray with an automatic, the premium package, the $85 armrest, CD changer in the trunk, and electrically heated seats for $37,295 at the end of June. I opted for the $5000 off and the 6.95% financing.
I spend a lot of time selecting my cars because I usually keep them for at least 10 years or more. I do my homework. I look at: Consumer Reports, 'http://www.carpoint.com', 'http://www.edmonds.com', Motorweek, Car & Driver, search on the web for sites like this one or car clubs to find out peoples experiences and I ask mechanics I know.
Yes, the value of the Saab drops more than most cars of the same caliber. However, since my California usage tax(which is effectively a personal property tax)is based on the value of the car, I see the value dropping as an advantage. IMO the value of a car seems to be based a customer's perception of image, realiability, and personal experience or what they have heard from friends. Keep in mind that some people really do not take good care of their cars and then see them as poor autos. Some people expect their cars to run forever not requiring any maintenance or anything replaced. Nice fantasy but not the reality. BMW and Mercedes are highly thought of here in Los Angeles, but people here are heavily invested in creating an "image". If you want a car that holds its value, I would suggest leasing/purchasing a Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes. Saab is poorly marketed here in the US. Hopefully, this will change with GMs resources. When I asked my local mechanic who works on everything from Mercedes to Toyota if the Saab is going to be a problem car, he emphatically said,"No" that they are great cars and to go ahead and get one.
In comparison, the Volvo is more of a luxury car or as one saleman put it, "It is your Dad's car". It was about $10,000 more to purchase by the time I added the options I wanted. I felt that the Saab was more responsive and better for the city driving that I do. I also found the Saab trunk to offer more space and I liked the fold down capability of the rear seat. I like the fact that the top design is from Mercedes. I know it to work very well on my friend's $70,000 Mercedes convertible. I thought it strange that the Volvo C70 did not have the gear selector display on the dash or sound system controls on the wheel. For me, the Volvo did not handle as well as my '92 Lexus ES300. I wanted a car that was more agile and fun to drive. When I took delivery of my Saab, I was really impressed with the level of sophistication and capability of the monitoring and computer systems. For example, the SID(Saab information display) will tell you if the battery in your key-fob is in need of replacement. It monitors all systems right down to whether you have a fog light out.
I have found the OnStar system to be great, especially the voice recognition telephone feature. Granted, I live in a major city where cellular access is not a problem. If you live in a rural area, you may have a less satisfactory experience. I know some folks had posted threads complaining about their OnStar experiences. Should the airbags deploy as a result of an accident(God forbid), the OnStar monitoring center will automatically be called. Not a bad feature if you really need medical attention.
Ultimately, the decision is yours. Personally, I feel that cars are like shoes or clothing, you try some on and they are a great fit or somehow they are just not quite right. It is afterall what you want and feel you can easily live with.
Sorry if this got to be too long winded. Best of Luck in your search.
, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 14:18:43
, Thu, 19 Jul 2001 22:08:35
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