Strategies to find a used Saab

[Dave T]

Traditionally, I have bought a new car and cared for it. Traditionally, I've bought Saabs. I've driven a Saab for my whole driving life with the exception of a few months in the beginning and 2 years in the middle.

Unfortunately, my time with Saab was about to end last year. My Saab rolled down a slight incline and was declared totaled. (It actually wasn't, but they insisted so I sold it to a man for salvage and he repaired it himself). I got an emergency replacement Saab which will be celebrating its one year anniversary this month. Aside from initial repairs to things that I knew needed work, the car has not needed any repairs since then, which is 11 months later.

In a year or two or five, I'd like to buy a Saab that will be a keeper. Not sure what strategy to take. It will certainly not be a black Saab, like my emergency replacement. How should I go about it?

[Dave T]

The first thing to do is to settle on a model. Top contenders are:

Saab 9-3 (9-3SS) 2006 or 2007 SportCombi. Possibly 2004-2011 9-3 Sports Sedan or 2006-2011 SportCombi.

Saab 9-5 SportCombi 2004-2006, possibly the weird headlighted 2007-2009. Not the V6 in any case.

Then, I must look. Where?
1. Craigslist
2. Ebay
3. Forums, like Saabworld.net and others
4. Newspaper (much fewer ads now)
5. word of mouth
6. other online, like cars.com

Any others suggestions on where to look?

I have to think what I want.

1. The elderly driver that didn't drive the car much, but also might not have kept an eye on the car
2. The Saab enthusiast
3. The driver that cared for the car but kept it for many years so the car has high mileage
4. The average of the average driver. Neglects the car somewhat
5. The beater (no, I don't want one of those)

Which is best? 1, 2, or 3? Certainly not 5.

[nordwulf]

A strategy that was successful for me is knowing what you want, look for it frequently, have patience and be ready to buy when you find it.

My current 2005 9-5 purchased 1 1/2 years ago was owned my a doctor, registered in New Jersey and later in southern Florida. Only 44K miles on an 8 year old car!

cars.com often is a good resource for finding cars for sale by dealers. I prefer to buy from dealers as they have no emotional attachment to their cars. I also feel safer sending a deposit to an official dealer when buying long distance.

Craigslist only really works when your buying close to home and you can quickly check out any cars yourself. It sometimes is difficult getting all important information and pictures because CL is such a pain to use and search. I still like eBay and check it frequently for any Saab for sale.

[Gen-X'er]

I can't recommend the one I used six months ago but it seems to have worked out well. That strategy being:

1. I've always wanted a Saab. I think I should finally get one.
2. Look on CL. Here's one.
3. Price looks good, it drives nice, the interior looks good.
4. Buy it.
5. Do internet search to find out what I have.

This is unusual as I normally decide on a car, research it etc. Usually by the time I buy the car, I know I am getting a good deal and I have a good car. This time I didn't but so far it seems as I lucked out.

[Burnsside42]

If I knew how to make a good search page - I wanted to make a SaabSeach DOT com site years ago. I am very good at finding cars and getting histories - but I never got around to it. I'm sure there is SOME money in such a site. Anyone who wants to start it I'll help as long as I get a %

[Gen-X'er]

I purchased mine from #1. WWII Vet.

Pros --
well maintained, (but probably not Saab recommendations with regard to oil changes. Did the sump drop. It was fine).
Low miles (2000 bought on 10/13 with 86K original miles)
Interior was an overall B but they smoked and managed to put cigarette holes into the felt and the P.O. thought electrical tape was a great way to fix everything that was wrong with the car.
Lower price -- not needing to make a buck -- they had already bought the replacement and just trying to unload the car.
CL ad was lacking details which meant that a lot of the advantages of the car weren't readily seen, which meant I got the better deal by calling. CL ad had no pics, didn't mention the low miles, didn't list any features, and didn't list the color of the car.

Cons:
Not an Aero - you are more likely to find a base model with an elderly driver.
As mentioned above -- Not into Saabs so latest mods about breather or frequency of oil changes or going to synthetic oil were not observed.

As for the list above, I'm not sure where I would rank 2,3, and even 4.

2. I would think a Saab enthusiast is going to want a higher price but you may be getting more things for that price. I would worry that the car has been driven hard.

3. The high mileage thing bothers me. Even if the car is well maintained, the value is pretty much depleted so you really have to get the car at a good price. You also have to figure that there are some maintenance headaches in your future.

4. There can be advantages to the average driver with a little neglect. This might actually be my #2 depending on price, options, and mileage. Seems like your best bet to snag an Aero, Viggen, etc at a great price.

[nordwulf]

I like this site as it searches many other sites, including Craigslist for different regions depending on the zipcode and mile range you specify.

AutoTempest Used Car Search Engine - Everyone's ideal car is out there. Find yours.

[Burnsside42]

I like this site as it searches many other sites, including Craigslist for different regions depending on the zipcode and mile range you specify.

AutoTempest Used Car Search Engine - Everyone's ideal car is out there. Find yours.

Ad Hunt'r - Search ALL of Craigslist™ and more! does the same thing.

[Blackbird]

Always proud Saab owners selling here: Saabnet.com Saab Classifieds Index - Used Saab Car and Saab Parts For Sale Presented by The Saab Network - Since 1988!