Hey y'all. I'm still thinking of getting a second "backup" car, was looking at some 10 year old Volvos of course when I came across this very nice looking 2005 Saab 9-3 Linear. Seems like Saab owners are as crazy about their cars as Volvo owners are, like me. So does anyone on the forum have any experience with Saab that they'd like to share. Are they any good. I found a Saab shop in Reno NV near where my home is, and some in Seattle near where I'm working right now. Parts supposedly are still abundant. But what I'm looking for is anyone on the forum who's into Volvos that has had a Saab and what they think of them. This one has 124K on the clock and asking price is under 3K. The interior looks very nice and the exterior looks almost like new. I'm going to try to get over to Seattle next week and drive it. Thanks in advance if anyone cares to put their 2 cents in.

 

I have had several Saabs. Very different from Volvo in many ways (Saab is long dead, Volvo is Chinese) but that's neither here nor there. These later Saabs are really Opels, from the time GM owned both companies so very few symbolic features of Old Saabs remain, ignition key placement, lights out panel, nonsense like that... Very odious cars to work on and positively despised by all mechanics. Running parts are still around but you better get them used as new they are sky high. The interiors are weak, plastic and leather don't age well. Drivetrain is OK IF maintained. Like all modern cars, if babied and scrupulously maintained Saabs are OK, if you are into quirky, well, trying to be anyway may be they are fine. I'd not get into one but I wouldn't buy a newer Volvo either. Get a Toyota, or a Lexus if you are a fancy man, and live happily, as well as any car ownership today. European cars today are a scam, if I had to choose I'd get a cheap Jetta, nothing fancier than that.

 

Interesting perspective, thankyou. Talking about the GM influence, the Ford dealer that sold me my 2017 Volvo S60 T5 told me that I could have all my maintenance done at the Ford dealer because as time has gone on, car manufacturers are standardizing systems in cars to be more alike than not. So that any good qualified mechanic can work on any car today, as there is at least in America no bad cars being sold. Not sure about that, but Ford having owned Volvo for about 6 years, I figure they may have more mechanics that know something about Volvos. My last "classic" Volvo was a 94 940T, genuinely a fun and fantastic car to drive, loved it. Moved to Montana, lots of snow and ice and got rid of the Volvo and drove Chevy pickups for about15 years. Bought my S60, and thought, wow, these new Volvos are the best Volvos ever, I just love this car. Wonder if I love it because it's more like a Chevy? Just a thought.

 

Sadly, called the dealer in Seattle, the 9-3 has been sold. But in the meantime, I've discovered the Viggen......... Swedish Thunderbolt...... now the hunt is on.........

 

Interesting and good to know thank you for your opinion.