My next car.. it's a Saab!

[nordwulf]

My Saab 9-4X will go to a new home on Friday. I had it on eBay for few weeks and it will stay in Michigan, just a few hours south of where I live. It is an awesome vehicle but I wanted to reduce my financial obligations. So it is sad but also good to see it go to a new home. At least I have about 10K miles of great experiences with it.

So what's next? I have been looking locally for a replacement car. 90% of cars I checked out either have poor ergonomics, lousy seats or just don't fit me good. I found 5 Saabs at local dealers which actually surprised me. They are usually hard to find in my area. But all were 9-3 and more than I was planning on spending.

I was considering leasing a new small car (Jetta, Golf, Focus) but didn't want to lock in for 3 years. $2000 down and $139 a month for Jetta seems like a good deal though. I also considered an older Mercedes as I like the W124 series (1986-1994). But it is always a bit difficult to find a good one locally and even more difficult on eBay and other sites.

Unless I wanted to commute to work by bicycle, I had to find something pretty fast. I always keep an eye on eBay for any used Saabs but nothing really came up within my budget and fitted my wants and needs. Low miles was important, condition very important. I was looking at sedans but wagons are my favorite. I still like the 9-5 the best but also considered a 9-3 wagon.

I decided to go with a 2004 9-5 Arc wagon that showed up on eBay last weekend. I was a bit hesitant to go the eBay route again but everything checked out on this one. It only has about 56K miles so not bad for an 8-year old car. AutoCheck report shows it spends the first 6 years of its life in Miami, Florida. The second owner purchased it with 36K miles on it. Miami means no road salt so that's good. The seller got a deal on a new car so this one had to go. I prefer to buy from private sellers instead of dealers.

This is a fully loaded 2004 Saab 9-5 ARC 2.3T wagon with only 55K miles. It has the more desirable SAAB 2.3T turbo motor and is in great condition. It has every available option including self leveling Xenon headlamps, Harmon Kardon stereo system with cassette/CD and subwoofer, heated and COOLED front seats, paddle shifters, sunroof, not to mention power heats/windows/locks, fog lamps, roof racks, cargo rack, michelin tires, new front brakes (pads and rotors) and a whole bunch more that I'm surely forgeting. The car is a blast to drive with plenty of room and still gets 29 mpg on the highway. It needs nothing except a new owner. It can be picked up in Verona, NJ 07044 or Denver, NY 12421.

It is similar to my 2005 9-5 Aero I had before. Another Aero was high on my list but just wasn't able to find the right one on short notice. And I think I will like the Arc suspension and 16" wheels better for everyday driving. It'll be a great wagon for touring. It sill has all the nice stuff like Xenon lights and the HK audio system. And the Buy-it-now price of $7,500 was just right.

I'll be dropping of my 9-4X this Friday and fly out to Newark the same day. Let's hope everything is as expected with my new 'used' Saab. Wish me luck!

[Shazam]

Does this make number 8?

[nordwulf]

Does this make number 8?

I had to look it up because I lost track. Yes, number 8 it is...!

[rpiereck]

Very nice, the owner of SAAB World should be driving a Trolhättan car, no questions asked!

What's that big black piece on top of the front license plate? A forward looking camera?

I test drove a Jetta Sportwagen last month and really hated the seats. I have had spinal surgery before and I am really picky about car seats now, I have to drive a car for at least 30 minutes so I know if I'll like it or not. The Jetta had some crummy seats, seems to me that VW is really after Toyota as the seats reminded me of the ones they put in Camrys and such. The seat on my 900 (well, both of them) are very good, probably the best seats I ever had on a car.

My wife and I are considering buying a wagon next, as she is pregnant and we'll need something with four doors. It's quite possible that I will sell my NG900 too, no sense in keeping three cars when I do 90% of all the driving. The next car will also have to be automatic as my wife doesn't drive stick when she drives at all. I would really love to buy a newer SAAB, preferably a 9-3 or 9-5 wagon, but could even spring for a 9000, there are some locally for good prices in great shape too.

I never owned a Volvo before, but those cars also have excellent seats. What's up with Swedes and great automotive furniture?

[nordwulf]

Very nice, the owner of SAAB World should be driving a Trolhättan car, no questions asked!

What's that big black piece on top of the front license plate? A forward looking camera?

Yeah, I figured I wouldn't be able to show my face here again if I bought anything other than a Saab.

My best guess for that thing on the license plate is some kind of electronic toll transponder.

[rpiereck]

Ah, makes sense, and it's a Jersey car, lots of tolls around there!

[SpecialTool]

She's a beauty and nice to see you back in a real SAAB Frank.

[nordwulf]

She's a beauty and nice to see you back in a real SAAB Frank.

All Saabs I owned were real Saabs. Even though that is open for discussion. According to some Saab oldtimers, any Saab after the 900 is not a real Saab. I briefly considered a 9-7X... Those seats are really comfortable.

The most difficult decision is what way to drive home from Newark. "New Saab" + "place far away from home" = Road Trip It would be a waste to drive straight home.



Through Canada towards Ottawa and the quiet north? A little bit south through Virginia? I just don't like the drive over the long straight and boring highways in Ohio and lower Michigan.

[Hirsch]

Conngrats Frank! The 9-4 was cool, but finding parts for it in the future might prove difficult. Good luck with the "new" 9-5!

If you find yourself in SW Ohio during your travels, swing by Cincinnati and look me up!

[rpiereck]

Through Canada towards Ottawa and the quiet north? A little bit south through Virginia? I just don't like the drive over the long straight and boring highways in Ohio and lower Michigan.

I agree, on my trip from Alaska to Alabama the part from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania was boooooring. Go north ans see something different.

Few choices:

New York, NY to Boyne City, MI - Google Maps

or

New York, NY to Boyne City, MI - Google Maps

or

New York, NY to Boyne City, MI - Google Maps