You have saved this page | See all saved pages
Saab 9-3 Coupe (2002 and earlier)
533 messages, Last post on Nov 20, 2006 at 3:24 PM
You are in the Saab 9-3 Forum.What is this discussion about? Saab 9-3, Coupe, Convertible
#127 of 533 Rebate and Avalon by ryman2
May 21, 2001 (1:45 pm)
Rebate of 4300 available on Base Saab 9-3 until the end of May according to International Saab in Falls Church, VA. You will not see it listed anywhere b/c it is a factory to dealer incentive- you have to find out about it from sites like this one or Edmunds or some other auto pricing site.Avalon- Can you even compare it to a Saab? If you were looking at a Saab and wound up with an Avalon, it sounds like you were not sure what kind of car you wanted or needed in the first place. They are two completely different cars. Probably the closest comparison for the Avalon would be the VW Passat. The Passat has a cavernous back seat but is nowhere near as fun as a Saab. While the 9-3 has in my opinion the most back seat room in the sports sedan class, it is a SPORTS sedan, NOT a FAMILY sedan. If you need to fit two teenagers in the back seat on long trips, its not for you. I can comfortably fit three average size adults on a long trip VERY comfortably, but if you need to fit four it si tight. That is typical of this class of cars. ALthough with the Saab you get a huge trunk- somehting no other car in its class can match. Also, before I ever bought an Avalon I would have checked out the 9-5.
Also, while Avalon may have more power in terms of HP you also have to look at power to weight ratio, amount of torque and number of RPMs that torque kicks in and how the torque powerband works- is it even, does it peak at high RPMs? And I'm sorry, there is NO match in terms of handling, which without good handling power is useless. Everyone talks about superior workmanship and reliability of japanese cars- I'm not sure what the talk is about. I personally think that japanese cars just have never rid themselves of the 70's econobox feel, no matter how pricy they make them. And they seem to have the same reliability as any other car that is properly maintained. I know lots of people who own japanese cars, lots who own European, and lots who own American. Everyone seems to have some problems and everyone seems to have good experiences. I think that aside from the few models out there that have documented histories of problems, most people base their beliefs on quality and reliabilty on impressions rather than facts. You want facts- check out Consumer Reports latest ratings for reliability of 9-3 since 1999. It has been well above average. I am glad that the Avalon works for you, but it sounds like the Saab did not work more because it is not the right type of car for your needs, rather than b/c of any inherent problem with the Saab itself. When the kids grow up and you're not comparing cars based on the back seat, try the Saab again- I'll bet you won't buy an Avalon then.
#128 of 533 SAAB Reliability re: 118 by marshal1
May 21, 2001 (4:37 pm)
For anyone that looks at Consumer Reports regarding reliabilty, the Saab 9-3 is rated as having barely average reliability since 1999 and far below average reliability prior to that. Sadly, those are the facts.As for handling, I totally agree that the Saabs are far superior to an Avalon or other similar vehicle.
#129 of 533 Incentives issue by tommyp13
May 24, 2001 (6:59 pm)
I just took a test drive, and was pretty impressed. I drove a base with a manny. It reminded me of my old '83 900S in some ways, mostly good. My 6'1" brother-in-law sat in the back seat with no problems, as did I, and I can't see why anyone would have any complaints about the room back there.On the base, the incentive is $4300 or 0%, as others have said already. It ends on 5/31, and my salesdude wouldn't comment on whether it was going to be around after. The incentive has come down in recent months, so I'm not too sure if it's worth the chance of it falling more, or them cancelling the 0% rate.
One thing that I was kind of upset about was that they don't make the 3-door with the pop-out rear windows anymore. That was a really great feature of my old car, and really helped with airing out the car (for reasons that I won't go into here).
Has anyone installed aftermarket leather? I'm thinking of that, as the color options don't seem too exciting, especially with a steel gray exterior. My concern is Saab honoring the warranty on the side air bags with aftermarket seat covers, though I talked to an aftermarket leather place, and they said that their covers use the same kind of tear-away seams as the factories.
I realize that the reliability isn't the best overall, but I hope that most people realize that they're not getting Toyota reliability when they get these. If they want it, they should get a Toyota, though buying an Avalon seems a little extreme. Guess it's a tradeoff, though I'd like to see Saab make more of a concerted effort to improve.
#130 of 533 Incentives by marshal1
May 25, 2001 (6:09 pm)
I would venture to guess that the Saab incentives will continue until the dealers sell off all the remaining 2001 and 2002 9-3s. I beleive that the 9-3 is going to be replaced by a new model in 2002/2003. Therefore, although the incentive may continue to go down, as it has from $5000 in January to $4300 in May, it is likely to continue as long as the 9-3s are on the dealer lots.One more thing, I would also venture to guess that none of you Saab enthusiasts have ever test driven a 2001 Toyota Avalon, which I ended up purchasing over the Saab. Therefore, you really aren't qualified to compare the vehicles. I on the other hand have driven both vehicles and can assert that they are both excellent cars in their own right. I certainly do not judge someone for choosing the vehicle that is right for them. If you look at my original posting, #115, its intent was to provide pricing and incentive information on the Saab. I have accomplished that mission and now, I will bid you all farewell.
#131 of 533 Just checked local dealer incentives by starrow68
May 29, 2001 (9:43 pm)
Hatchback only model not listed as having incentives. Great if you want a sedan but looking for hatchback and just came across the Saab in a computer search based on features wanted. Probably drive one anyway, just to see.#132 of 533 Please excuse the interruption... by KarenS HOST
Jun 12, 2001 (12:04 pm)
...but I'm here to announce the new Saab Owners Club now available on Edmunds.com Owner's Club board. Please stop by and introduce yourself in Meet the Members and let me know how I can help build your club.I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Hatchbacks.
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
#133 of 533 Starrow, hb gets incentives as well by tommyp13
Jun 12, 2001 (12:55 pm)
It's just a quirk in the writing of the details. You can go to a Saab dealer, and they'll verify this.In case you didn't know, www.saabnet.com is a great source for this kind of info.
#134 of 533 Re: Incentives by declanw
Jun 24, 2001 (1:08 pm)
Marshall1: How did you manage to get from ~32K down to 24K with the rebate of 4,300. Was the balance a trade in? Thanks#135 of 533 Response to Declanw by marshal1
Jun 24, 2001 (7:38 pm)
No, the $24K did not include a trade in price. The $24K sales price was based on the invoice, not the sticker, minus the $4,300 incentive. Here's the breakdown for a 2001 9-3 four door with a manual transmission.Invoice = $25,170
Leather = $ 1,175
Sunroof = $ 1,001
Heated-
Seats = $ 392
Dest. = $ 575
Total = $28,313
Minus - $ 4,300 Incentive
My Price= $24,013
Just a tip, never negotiate a sales price based on the sticker price. Always negotiate based on the invoice price minus any rebates or incentives. Good luck.
#136 of 533 just bought a 9-3 SE Automatic 4-door hatchw/heated seats and metallic paint by dstrau
Jul 03, 2001 (3:26 pm)
Did some research on CarsDirect.Com and Edmunds. The rebate was still in effect. Got a price of $28545 from Cars Direct.Com. went into the dealer, spoke with them, made the offer,.and it was accepted. Hope I didn't get too destroyed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!To POST a message, please
Sign In.
Advertisement
Most Popular in Forums
Search Forums
Enter Keyword(s):
Learn More, Do More
Edmunds Community
Advertisement