Saab 9-3 or 9-5?

[BrotherDan]

Hello All,

Stumbled across this site while exploring the web for info on the 9-5's and found just what I needed. Although, now I'm looking at 9-3's as well. Looking for a nice commuter vehicle and am a performance minded guy, so trying to find a good mix of reliability with something that's fun to drive. Manual transmissions are my preference and a wagon would be ideal but considering sedans as well just because I have a limited amount of money to spend ($2500) and really just want the best I can find for the money. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. The two vehicles I'm currently looking at are a 01' 9-3 and a 00' 9-5; both manuals)

Thanks, Dan

[Shazam]

I might stay away from the '00 9-5. They are known to have sludging issues. A lot of them never have a problem, but a lot of them do. You can fix this, but if it hasn't been corrected in the past ~13 years, then you'll likely run into other issues. The '02 and up 9-5 (maybe it was the '01 and up) don't have that problem.

The 9-3 is a great car, and will likely have less issues than the '00 9-5. It is basically the NG900 with quite a bit of changes. It is a reliable (if it has been taken care of) car that gets decent gas mileage. The platform is a bit soft, so it is common for people to add some a sub-frame brace, and people looking to put more power in it often even go for a 6-point sub-frame brace. I had a NG900 for years and loved it. But it eventually got to the point of old age, high miles and rust. Also, the 9-3 is a bit different when compared to the rest of the car market. It isn't your standard sedan. The trunk is HUGE, the back seats have enough for two adults comfortably, and even three for short trips.

So, unless the 9-5 has had the corrective measures made, I would avoid that. Though, if it is low enough miles, you could always drop the oil pan and do the work yourself.

I'm sure Frank, the site admin and probably the owner of more 9-5 than any other person, can give you more or better information. I may not be fully correct in my statements.

[BrotherDan]

I appreciate the information; I want to make a solid purchase so this type of feedback is very helpful. The 900 is a nice looking car as well and after looking over more information I've found the 9-3's to be more appealing.

Take care

[nordwulf]

I you have a limited budget like you do, an early 1999-2001 9-5 is probably not the best choice as Shazam mentioned. Unless you can find a well-maintained from a trusted source. But you probably won't find one like for $2500. 2004 and up had the cause of the sludge problem corrected from the factory. The 9-5 with manual transmission are not that much fun too drive, in my opinion. Great cruiser and sporty on back roads but still a heavier car than the 9-3.

I don't have any experience with the first generation 9-3 but it sounds like that will be your best choice based on what you wrote so far. Can you do some car maintenance and repairs yourself? You're looking at cars that are 12+ years old and little things can become expensive when you have to take it to your local repair shop.

[BrotherDan]

I you have a limited budget like you do, an early 1999-2001 9-5 is probably not the best choice as Shazam mentioned. Unless you can find a well-maintained from a trusted source. But you probably won't find one like for $2500. 2004 and up had the cause of the sludge problem corrected from the factory. The 9-5 with manual transmission are not that much fun too drive, in my opinion. Great cruiser and sporty on back roads but still a heavier car than the 9-3.

I don't have any experience with the first generation 9-3 but it sounds like that will be your best choice based on what you wrote so far. Can you do some car maintenance and repairs yourself? You're looking at cars that are 12+ years old and little things can become expensive when you have to take it to your local repair shop.

Hey there Frank and thanks for the additional input. Yes, I have grown up around street rods and muscle cars and work on my own stuff from time to time depending on the depth of the project and whether or not I "feel" up to the challenge (effort). I've had several volvos over the years and only recently thought, "Hey, I ought to take a look at Saab and see what their all about". I like swedish engineering and after looking closer at the Saab's, found that they were nicer looking in the interior space than I would have thought or as in comparison to Volvo. At any rate, there's a clean 9-3 near me that's for sale that I'm going to try and take a look at; it's got a 5 speed which would be a little more fun than the automatic for me. Does anyone know if there is any issues with those transmissions? I don't remember seeing anything about it so I would guess probably not.

[Yamarocket630]

The 5 speed manual is a good transmission if it hasn't been abused. If the clutch feels fine and it shifts smoothly hot and cold I wouldn't worry about it.

Also, if you do look at automatics, the 4 speed Aisin transmission is pretty much bullet proof. Not so much for the early (2002- late 2004) 5 speed Aisin. The later Aisin 5 speed is fine but can have some inherent weird shifts.