Saab 9-3 Aero buyers info. '03-'04 era cars.

[ImDesigner]

I'm considering options for a new commuter for the OH to use and these look like great value for a '04 year/80-90k mile car. On occasion, I'll be using the car too so the Aero bit in the name is important.

What should I be looking out for when viewing? Are they generally a good solid car? Are they built as well as they look? Are they a decent steer? How do they take high mileage commuting?

Any hints and tips would be greatly welcomed.

Thanks.

[Rovinghawk]

I have one. Remap will give 250hp; 210 as standard is pretty good.

Look for oil/filter service records with full-synth oil. Otherwise they're pretty solid. High mileage won't be an issue- just let the oil warm up before you work it hard & let the turbo wind down before you stop the engine if you want the turbo to last.

0-60 is ok, 30-80 is superb.

I'll be keeping mine for many years (Insch'allah) & would recommend them highly.

[ImDesigner]

Rovinghawk said:

I have one. Remap will give 250hp; 210 as standard is pretty good.

Look for oil/filter service records with full-synth oil. Otherwise they're pretty solid. High mileage won't be an issue- just let the oil warm up before you work it hard & let the turbo wind down before you stop the engine if you want the turbo to last.

0-60 is ok, 30-80 is superb.

I'll be keeping mine for many years (Insch'allah) & would recommend them highly.

Thanks for responding. I'm used to servicing with fully-synth and turbo warming and cooling as I do it all religiously with my current car so I can carry that over no problem.

Are there any known weaknesses to look out for?

[nickbee]

I have an '04, it's just gone over the 100k miles. Not the last word in dynamics but certainly fast enough and has plenty of torque. It's been massively reliable and I expect to run mine until it dies, which may well be many years from now. I can't advise on faults as it's never developed any but I would say stay away from the optional 18s - they look great but the ride is as crashy as hell.

[parabolica]

03/04 would mean you're looking at the newer shape saloons yeah? I had one until this year; had it 3 years from 80k to 140k and it didn't miss a beat, despite one or two seized callipers on the rear. Ride is a tad harsh unless you have borsch springs but the seats are very comfy. My dad bought my car and it's still going well; engine sounds and works perfectly for a 140k mile car. Regular top-ups with 0W-40 are required; also it's a chain not a belt which helps mechanically.

Mine was also chipped (small amount; only 10% increase) but it seemed to get upset when running it on normal unleaded; the engine was a lot smoother and more responsive with premium unleaded.

[ImDesigner]

That's all very encouraging stuff really. I'm very happy with it being a chain driven engine. Do they suffer from chain rattle with higher mileage?

How are the interiors? The Aero looks to be really welcoming. Do they rattle/squeak at all?

[Rovinghawk]

ImDesigner said:

Are there any known weaknesses to look out for?

Not really. 5 speed box has occasional issues with 5th but it's not that common.

[ImDesigner]

I'm not used to such positivity and I'm enjoying not worrying about potential pit-falls.

I suppose they don't have a mechanical LSD up front? Wishful thinking I suppose.

Are new parts plentiful?

[bakerstreet]

I had an 05 diesel, but I believe these issues carry over to the petrols.

Single instrument display pixel failure. Units are now becoming quite expensive to replace.
Rear calipers seize
Front drops links fail
rear shock fail and springs crack
Stereo can be an absolute pain and can't be changed to an aftermarket unit. The displays often fail.
black finish will rub off the AC controls
Wiper linkage is weak

Mine cruised very well and was incredibly comfortable over distance.

[Rovinghawk]

ImDesigner said:

Are new parts plentiful?

Why would the manufacturers stop producing them just because the factory has closed? Much of the suspension is Vauxhall, too.

[loko]

The parts department was a seperate company to Saab motors and is still going strong so no issues at all with spares

[loko]

The parts department was a seperate company to Saab motors and is still going strong so no issues at all with spares

[ImDesigner]

This is all very promising so far. Now I just need to find a good few cars to view.

[parabolica]

ImDesigner said:

How are the interiors? The Aero looks to be really welcoming. Do they rattle/squeak at all?

Yea they do rattle and squeak a bit I'm afarid, but generally it's pretty solid. I bought my fully-loaded 05 Aero for £5k in 2009 and coming from Clios was well happy with the interior (mine had colour sat nav); it stayed in one piece and had soft-touch plastics, but at 9/10 years old some might start looking a little ropey. Someone mentioned drop-links, springs and wiper linkage going; mine did that as well although I put it down to the life of the car. Parts were easily to replace (did them myself barr the springs) and there are plenty of specialist breakers about, especially Neo Brothers just north of London.

FYI I was getting ~30 mpg from my chipped Aero.

[ImDesigner]

parabolica said:

Yea they do rattle and squeak a bit I'm afarid, but generally it's pretty solid. I bought my fully-loaded 05 Aero for £5k in 2009 and coming from Clios was well happy with the interior (mine had colour sat nav); it stayed in one piece and had soft-touch plastics, but at 9/10 years old some might start looking a little ropey. Someone mentioned drop-links, springs and wiper linkage going; mine did that as well although I put it down to the life of the car. Parts were easily to replace (did them myself barr the springs) and there are plenty of specialist breakers about, especially Neo Brothers just north of London.

FYI I was getting ~30 mpg from my chipped Aero.

Those rattles are a bit of a shame but you can't have everything for 2k!

Springs, drop links etc. IMO are just age related items that will need changing on anything you buy.

Overall, I'm very encouraged.

[Rovinghawk]

33-34mpg from mine over the last 18,000 miles.

[ImDesigner]

Rovinghawk said:

33-34mpg from mine over the last 18,000 miles.

What type of driving is that?

Mine/the GF's is mostly mixed of all types of roads although it's likely to become a motorway commute.

[rscott]

loko said:

The parts department was a seperate company to Saab motors and is still going strong so no issues at all with spares

Not entirely true. Springs (especially for the 2.8) are incredibly difficult to get. I nearly had to get an aftermarket lowering set for mine, but eventually found a set in deepest Scotland.

Lights for the SportWagon have been hard to get as well - the local dealer has taken to keeping a stock of damaged ones and swapping bits around to make them work :-)

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

I have a non-Aero 2003 (new shape, without the engine sludge issues) 2.0t Vector and absolutely love it.
They have all the gadgets you'll ever need. One of the best cars I've owned.
To be honest, the non-Aero is fast enough for daily use and you get good MPG (33-35 on average).

The only trouble we've had with ours was a snapped front spring. Otherwise it's faultless.
The interior at night is simply
You won't regret buying a SAAB!

But remember, SAAB's are driven by nice, well educated people who wear turtleneck tops. No BMW common-as-muck riff raff here. We're an exclusive club. Don't let us down.

Edited by Dr Doofenshmirtz on Wednesday 28th August 15:36

[anonymous-user]

From a couple of long standing Saab owners I know it appears the newer cars are not a patch on the older ones. For example one chap spent more on repairs keeping his 2004 1.9 diesel 9-3 running over 30k than his 1996 900 cabriolet over 270,000 miles. I can testify that the 900 was in amazing condition when he moved it on, with no squeaks and rattles. The 9-3 was looking rough and rattled at 30k...