Saab 9-3 VS BMW 3 series

[Nigel78]

Hi everyone,

Can you advice me what car is better in terms of reliability, performance, maintenance. My favorite choices are:

Saab 9-3 2.0 Turbo petrol engine
www.carmaniac.co.uk/overview/saab-9-3-2007-2011-id...

BMW 3 series 2.5 non turbo engine
http://www.carmaniac.co.uk/cars/bmw-3-klase-2005-2...

Will be grateful for your advice!

Nigel

[Martyn76]

Hi,

Not petrol but my dad went from a 08 9-3 TTID to a 09 E90 330D after driving my 06 E91 330D, said it was a much nicer drive and was more comfortable too even though it has RFTs.

Can't expand much on reliability, the 9-3 never gave him any real problems in the 3 years or so that he had it and any issues he did have were covered by his SAAB warranty.

Edited by Martyn76 on Tuesday 23 December 10:57

[5to1]

To my eyes the 3's aged better, still looks like a contemporary model. Although the number of them floating around may be the reason behind that :/ Plus I've always liked BMW's so am likely biased.

[E30M3SE]

No contest, the 3 is the better car in every way, except the Saab has a little more interior room.

[roofer]

It's FWD v RWD, the Vectra uses the fronts, so off my list.

[mike325112]

E30M3SE said:

No contest, the 3 is the better car in every way, except the Saab has a little more interior room.

This, with the addition that the Saab has one of the best climate control systems I've ever used - set it to temperature and I never had to touch it again.

I've had 2 9-3's and we've owned our E46 for about 6 years. I've generally found the beamer to be a much nice place to be and generally more reliable than the Saab's.

[spats]

I don't have experience with the BMW, but the engine in that SAAB is also used in the GM cars. From what I've seen they are ok, seen plenty with high miles on them but like any engine they aren't fool proof. But being used in GM cars as well as Saab means parts shuold be easy to come by.

Shame as the older Saab turbo engines were amazing and not only reliable (2.3 sludging accepted) but the B204L 2ltr engines could be tuned and run HUGE turbos.

[JNW1]

I think it's a real shame Saab no longer exists as at one time they offered a genuine alternative to the more mainstream German stuff. My uncle and cousins have had a number of them over the years and a former colleague had a 9-5 Aero which was actually quite an impressive motorway car (and also had some of the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in for a long journey). Sadly, though, they lost their way and in the end the 9-3 was little more than a re-bodied Vectra; I can remember having a drive in a 9-3 Aero and being seriously disappointed as the chassis was poor and the build quality only so-so. Therefore, to answer the OP's question, 3-Series all the way unless you've got a burning desire to be different....

[bennyboydurham]

I had a 9-3 as a hire car in Ireland. Leaving aside the fact that it was ancient and wore a different brand of ditch finder at every corner, it was probably the worst car I've ever driven:

Leaden steering, fizzy gutless engine, appalling torque steer and build quality that would shame a BL product. My wife pulled the trim around the handbrake clean off and the stereo was embarrassingly tinny.

Avoid. At all costs.