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Saab 9-5 Wagon

1081 messages,  Last post on Jun 02, 2012 at 7:17 PM

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What is this discussion about? Saab 9-5, Wagon

Messages Page 90 of 108

#891 of 1081 to zaphodatl and others re: v6/reliability by nelsoncm

Feb 20, 2004 (8:17 am)

As my post above, I bought a Saab because of its rep for reliability. Have a 2002 Arc wagon with the v6. While i've never been in love with the car due to the lack of storage space and the rougher ride (compared do my 2000 sable wagon), it has proven quite reliable. Had a coolant leak early on, they had to tear the engine apart for 3 days to get to it, but once the dealership fixed, it never was a problem again, and it's the only problem I've had. The battery light goes on in cold weather for some reason, but goes out after a couple of minutes, and I'm told it's just a Saab thing by a few different people. As for the v6 vs the 4 banger, you couldn't pay me to own a 4 cylinder. I drove a linear sedan as a loaner for a few days and to me it drives like a truck compared to the v6. Saab's aren't smooth rides to begin with but the vibration in the 4 was awful (to me.) The v6 may be expensive to maintain once the warranty is up, but I like the performance. So there ya go.

#892 of 1081 re explorerx4 by mushkin2

Feb 23, 2004 (2:37 pm)

Regarding the SFSC inspection of our 2001 9-5 SE Wagon, we may have gotten lucky. There were several scratches and dents (though nothing major), but the exterior was pretty dirty from city snow conditions, and we were only assessed $183 for a 2-3" square dent/scrape -- a fair assessment in my opinion. Incidentally, we were told by our dealer that the parts & labor assessed for such damage tended to be less than what one might spend oneself.
 
We decided to return the 2001 SE, paying the disposition fee, repair assessment and over-mileage charge, and purchased a 2004 9-5 Arc Wagon. As of Feb. 13, 2004 in NYC, the $4500 manufacturer incentive and the $500 customer loyalty incentive were both available. Our final price was $32,150 ($35,100 with taxes & fees).
 
I should also mention that by turning in the leased 2001 and taking delivery of the 2004 by the day before our last payment was due, we also saved the last lease payment of $443. We should be getting a final bill from SFSC showing the repair bill, disposition fee + tax, and the over-mileage fee, less the amount of the last payment (we had already sent the check away before we decided to buy in a hurry). This forced us to settle for what the dealer had in stock, but he had a Grey Arc with automatic transm. & premium package, and that is pretty much all we wanted.
 
After a week, I would say we are satisfied with the 2004 Arc. It handles the same as the 2001 V6, handles lighter and seems to have as much or more pickup. The interior leather seems less luxurious, the grey interior color is a bit lighter, the steering wheel wrap is thinner, and there are no heated rear seats. This and the lack of included OnStar (now $700 as an optional install on the Linear & Arc) may be what's keeping the price of the car down. We probably won't miss OnStar, because they were never able to diagnose a problem or open car doors owing to Saab proprietary policies or something, and the built-in voice activation cell phone was very cumbersome to use (though it was hands free).

#893 of 1081 v6 vs. i4 by dski

Mar 05, 2004 (12:34 pm)

I'm late with this response but .. oh well.
 
The v6 was dropped for obvious reasons. They didn't sell well and the i4 is just a better engine. At least compared to the V6 Saab had. It will be expensive as it ages.
 
Saabs I4 is a great engine. The reason someone described it as a Truck like is due to the fact that at idle it is not as smooth as the V6 and even other i4's. The reason is because Saab has alot of hp in this small engine as compared to other i4's... Its simply a trade off. If a rougher idle when sitting at stop lights bothers you, don't get the i4 unless it's a 5 or 6 speed that will be in neural at idle.
 
IMO.. avoid the v6 unless you'll have a warranty during the life of your ownership. Actually, Saabs are expensive in any form after warranty. We're on our 3rd Saab.
 
Drew

#894 of 1081 Why no more V6? by sfsaab

Jun 07, 2004 (8:27 pm)

I've had 4 Saabs. Two years ago, I had a V6 loaner from the dealer. I was shocked at how loud and course it seemed next to the I-4. Now I own an SE Wagon (V6), and I have grown to like it. Definitely a different personality than the I-4. I always assumed they dropped the V6 to cut on production costs - one engine is easier to develop than two? In 1994 I was disappointed that Saab introduced V6s. However, I think they'll reintroduce them as the model lineup grows. GM must have a lot of V6s to choose from. My Volvo-owning neighbor recently commented on my "Swedish GM." I thought to myself: "better than a Swedish Ford."

#895 of 1081 Re: Why no more V6? [sfsaab #894] by stefan_belgium

Jun 11, 2004 (3:34 pm)

Replying to: sfsaab (Jun 07, 2004 8:27 pm)
I completely agree with you, the V6 is by far inferior to the 4.
The 4 is a genuine proven Saab engine that last forever. I see many on the road with incredibly high mileage that don't burn oil.
The V6 is based on much less durable Opel engine.
The brand new Opel engines are probably as good as the Saab nowadays (Opel has improved tremendously lately) but the V6 in the 9-5 is the previous uninspired Opel engine which I found rather loud, rough at high rpm and much less poweful than the 4 in an aero.

#896 of 1081 Saftey issue of Saab by txrx71

Aug 25, 2004 (10:17 am)

i am strongly considering the purchase of a 9-5 Wagon...but i was reviewing the specs on it..and i noticed nothng was mentioned about any side-impact bags/curtains for those in the rear seat. does this mean sasb does not hve them? can this be possible? since the kiddos are going to be in the back, does that mean the comparable volvo v-70 has a clear safety advantage over saab? any thoughts??? thanks.

#897 of 1081 Re: Saftey issue of Saab [txrx71] by nelsoncm

Sep 16, 2004 (9:39 pm)

Replying to: txrx71 (Aug 25, 2004 10:17 am)
Yeah, I have an 02 Arc wagon that has every freaking feature under the sun, but I don't believe there's a canopy or side curtain for the rear passengers. Honestly though, how much safety do we need? Kids are automatically safer in the back seat (than the front) to begin with. I picked Saab over Volvo because it had a better rep for reliability. And not that I use them much, but the back seats in my Saab are hands down the most comfortable car seat I've ever sat in, period. Good luck.

#898 of 1081 by bcool

Oct 28, 2004 (9:05 pm)

I just bought a new 2004 SAAB 9-5 Wagon. We recently had some big rain storms and I noticed that the rear hatch is leaking. The dealer says that every thing looks OK, but I believe that there is a slow drip coming down from the top. Is anyone else have the same problem?

#899 of 1081 Re: [bcool] by bcool

Nov 17, 2004 (8:12 pm)

Replying to: bcool (Oct 28, 2004 9:05 pm)
It's coming in thru the "third" tail light above the hatch. It took me about 30 minutes, a garden hose and a saturday afternoon to figure that one out. I guess they don't have that kind of expertise at the dealership.

#900 of 1081 Re: [bcool] by robr2

Nov 19, 2004 (8:00 am)

Replying to: bcool (Nov 17, 2004 8:12 pm)
Finding leaks is one of the most annoying and difficult things to do. I had one in my Accord during heavy rains and I'd get a little drip on my right ankle. I spent 2 whole afternoons and untold gallons of water and I couldn't duplicate it. Now it's gone away. ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH

Messages Page 90 of 108

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