Touchy Subject: Where are Saab fans going that want a new car?

[Jofa]

A lot of people trade every 3-4 years because they like the security of a warranty in their back pocket. Some people just like to have a new piece of metal in the driveway every couple of years. What are Saab fans driving to scratch that itch? The 9-3 never made the jump to Epsilon 2 swb, in the U.S. is the Buick Regal / Regal GS the nicest 9-3 that never was? Is an Opel considered in Sweden? How about Vauxhall in the U.K.? Or is the disdain for GM too much.

[tunnanxwd]

Caddy CTS-V or similiar perhaps? I automatically rule out Ford and Volvo based on past company policy such as with my Ford's extended warranty anything with or connected to a gasket was not protected and just keeping it running with a warped intake was an expensive chore; though the Volvo was a good car, our local dealer put in "additives" which I was charged for over two years and it was only a slip of the tongue that gave them away, sadly every dealer in our area is owned by one company. Toyota and Audi are out because their policy was to "take an order" (not official with no down payment), and then get you and a swarm of others to bid on "your" car when it came in.

It will also be someone close since as with the Saab as dealers folded, I am tired of the drive, usually over an hour just to get there. Local will be high on the list. BMW?

[nordwulf]

I always have the itch to get something different but there really is no need for me to get another car. But I often walk the used and new car lots to check out what is offered these days.

I really would like a crossover/SUV for my next vehicle and really like the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Seating position and interior are perfect for me and I like the go-anywhere feel, look and capability. But after a few bad experiences with a Dodge truck and Eagle Vision (I know, a long time ago..), I am very hesitant to get another Chrysler product. Especially when reading about transmission problems with the GC.

A 2015 Subaru Outback is also high on my list. Decent fuel economy, high ground clearance and AWD would be nice for Michigan winters, camping and exploring places off the beaten path. Wish the seats were a bit better but still a good vehicle for not too much money.

And then there is Volvo. I always liked the XC70, even though it is a bit dated right now. The XC60 is nice as well, even though it feels a bit small.

I try to stay away from the German luxury brands because I just don't feel comfortable with the reliability and quality on older 3+ years cars. Especially when you're not near a dealer and those can be far when you're out in the middle of nowhere. Every reasonable size town has a Ford or GM dealer and that's always reassuring.

Other desirable cars are the new 2016 Ford Edge or the 2015 Ford Mustang. Or a Nissan Pathfinder, current and previous model. Or a Ford F150 with a camper on the back. Or Toyota Highlander. Yeah, my wants are all over the place. I don't really care for status or brands, just reliability and quality usually do it for me.

[tunnanxwd]

Wulf, it was in the back of my mind typing the first post but when you said Highlander it came home hard. Why get a new car at all, why not a; though not quite classic, a comfortable niche car. Not a perfect example but I traded in my Toyota T-100 when we got the 2009 XWD and a few months later I missed it and tried to locate another. What I found was that with the reliability, comfort (in the LWB), good power and simple looks, they actually took off in terms of money. Pockets of loyalists know and value them much like the Highlander you mentioned.

[nordwulf]

There is a 2002 Lexus LX 470 locally for sale and I am very tempted. It is like a luxury Landcruiser and it looks great and probably will last for another 20 years. However, even though gas prices are very low right now, I am not sure if I can get used to 10 mpg average. A long time ago in the 80s-early 90s, Mercedes-Benz got it right with very good quality and engineering, together with some luxury. But these days, luxury is measured by gadgets, electronics and status. None of which I care for very much if it can break easily and expensive to fix.

[Jofa]

Personally, I like to buy new and hang on for dear life. I stepped out a little bit by buying the 9-4X with 45,000 on it. I'm sure Rock Auto and my local Chevy dealer can get me any mechanical part I need. Now if I wad her up in a snow bank or get hit that may be a little more stressful. My Silverado is 16 years old, 265,000 miles and I'd take it across the country tomorrow. I'm holding out for an SS with an LT1 and 8 speed auto.

[tunnanxwd]

Jofa, the only problem I have with that is that we inherit all of the mania and over engineered madness of the last 20 years. When you have to jack a car, remove the inner fender well and another support in order to change the oil on a Hyundai is madness. When the led portion of my tail lamp for my ice block combi is a $400 replacement job or especially with Saab, just the simple loss of a key will cost $150 or God forbid both keys and the required trip to the dealer to have the most unholy perform the sacrament of "marriage" so that the owner who just got "dry screwed", may now continue with conjugal motoring bliss with his Viking bride. Face it, a key should be a $5 item and cut with a smile. Between the high cost of purchase which leads to leases many of us who were once in the segment to buy nice cars can no longer do so and I refuse to lease .. leasing started out as a corporate tax dodge and as the economy failed became a way for the companies to keep up the numbers "selling" people cars they could not afford to buy. Buy a reasonable classic, spend some money on restoration and you don't need a Tech II making costly errors with it's flawed diagnoses.
Gimmie's some points, plugs and a new rotor cap please.

[Dave T]

When you have to jack a car, remove the inner fender well and another support in order to change the oil on a Hyundai is madness. .... Face it, a key should be a $5 item and cut with a smile. Between the high cost of purchase which leads to leases many of us who were once in the segment to buy nice cars can no longer do so and I refuse to lease ..... leasing started out as a corporate tax dodge and as the economy failed became a way for the companies to keep up the numbers "selling" people cars they could not afford to buy. Buy a reasonable classic, spend some money on restoration and you don't need a Tech II making costly errors with it's flawed diagnoses.
Gimmie's some points, plugs and a new rotor cap please.

+1

I heard of a car in the 1980's that required you to remove the radiator to change the oil! In contrast, the classic 900 was so easy. You could change the oil without even lifting the car up. The 9-3SS wasn't quite that simple but driving it over a block of wood to lift it 1 inch was sufficient (if you didn't mind working in cramped spaces, even that was not necessary).

To me, leasing by an individual makes no sense unless you want a car that you can't afford. Then leasing puts you further back in the hole because a lease is often only 3 years and a moderate amount of mileage.

As far as a new car, I couldn't find a Saab substitute. For me, it was a BMW 320i that has the same sized engine as the Saab, a 2.0 turbo. Some of the ergonomics aren't there. The seats are ok but not as good. The dashboard layout is not bad but not as good. Luckily, there's not much winter weather where I live, possibly only a week each year. This year, there was only a day that there was a dusting of snow and a week of cold, dry weather.

[packardv8]

As to what to buy, over the years, I've been trying to convince myself the Subaru is the successor to Saab, but emotionally, it doesn't work. The base Subies are dull, dull, dull and the rice-rocket WRX are too over-the-top. Neither of them light my fire.

I don't understand the paranoia of not having a warranty. It must be for those who didn't understand high school math. A new car will depreciate more in the first year than any fourth year repairs could possibly cost. The only explanation I can come up with is car payments because they are monthly are somehow not as real as getting a repair bill only slightly larger than that monthly payment, but only once or twice a year.

Another not-necessarily-truism is a new car is more reliable than an older one. Ironically, this was used by a friend as his reason to buy a new Mercedes. It has been in the shop more often in the past two years than has my 2005 9-5 or my '98 9000 Aero

The real explanation is probably some just want justification for buying a new car every so often. Your opinions and results may differ.

jack vines

[Jofa]

I like that new car smell but I've been out of the game for a while. Between having at least two kids in college for the last five years and great luck with are vehicles I haven't bought a new car since 05. We looked hard at the Regal but bought the 9-4x because it drives really nice with a touch of extra ride height and room.