Big, quick, interesting estate... Saab 9.5 Aero?
Discussion
Step into the unknown here so looking for some advice / opinions.
Currently rattling around in a V70 TDi which is no looker but in the last 30,000 miles (or 11 months) has been a superb old workhorse. With a tax and its MoT due at the end of the month and it needing some wee issues addressed I'm now thinking about calling it a day and buying something a bit newer and a little more interesting to drive but that still has all the benefits of my faithful old estate and given it's to be a daily driver/workhorse/crap carrier/brat cart, looking to spend about £1,500.
The obvious choice was a Volvo T5 though at my budget, it'd be either a reasonably 850 or a V70 Classic but finding a nice, tidy one without inter-galactic mileage is proving to be a serious task plus the fact they barely crack 30mpg on a run could prove to be a bit of a fright given I'm used to 50mpg. So, thinking outside the box... I'm now loooking at Saabs and spcifically, 9-5 Aeros. There's numerous cars around the 100,000 mark complete with 250bhp and decent spec that fall within budget. Ie, this kind of thing...
I think they look brilliant, have a decent turn of speed (250bhp) and seem rather well engineered and given alot of it's all GM based, shouldn't prove too difficult to keep on the road. According to the internet, they seem capable of returning 35mpg+ on a run which I can cope with. However, bit of a step into the unknown for me hence, any thoughts / scary stories / words of encouragement? Also, is there any easy way identifying a full blown 250bhp Aero Hot as there's a few cars advertised but as eitehr "2.3 estate" or "2.3 Aero" so I assume these are lower powered and only the "Hot" ones are 250bhp?
Cheers
Currently rattling around in a V70 TDi which is no looker but in the last 30,000 miles (or 11 months) has been a superb old workhorse. With a tax and its MoT due at the end of the month and it needing some wee issues addressed I'm now thinking about calling it a day and buying something a bit newer and a little more interesting to drive but that still has all the benefits of my faithful old estate and given it's to be a daily driver/workhorse/crap carrier/brat cart, looking to spend about £1,500.
The obvious choice was a Volvo T5 though at my budget, it'd be either a reasonably 850 or a V70 Classic but finding a nice, tidy one without inter-galactic mileage is proving to be a serious task plus the fact they barely crack 30mpg on a run could prove to be a bit of a fright given I'm used to 50mpg. So, thinking outside the box... I'm now loooking at Saabs and spcifically, 9-5 Aeros. There's numerous cars around the 100,000 mark complete with 250bhp and decent spec that fall within budget. Ie, this kind of thing...
I think they look brilliant, have a decent turn of speed (250bhp) and seem rather well engineered and given alot of it's all GM based, shouldn't prove too difficult to keep on the road. According to the internet, they seem capable of returning 35mpg+ on a run which I can cope with. However, bit of a step into the unknown for me hence, any thoughts / scary stories / words of encouragement? Also, is there any easy way identifying a full blown 250bhp Aero Hot as there's a few cars advertised but as eitehr "2.3 estate" or "2.3 Aero" so I assume these are lower powered and only the "Hot" ones are 250bhp?
Cheers
Edited by Davie on Saturday 5th May 01:25
Edited by Davie on Saturday 5th May 01:33
2002 to 2006 - 250bhp - brushed aluminum dash
per 2002 230bhp, but you can remap the car easily up to 400bhp
check sump and history for correct oil changes(fully synthetic),and DI can fail
aero has turbo gauge,i dont think the 2.3t 185bhp version does
look at saab part of forum and there are lots of threads about 9.5 aero
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...
per 2002 230bhp, but you can remap the car easily up to 400bhp
check sump and history for correct oil changes(fully synthetic),and DI can fail
aero has turbo gauge,i dont think the 2.3t 185bhp version does
look at saab part of forum and there are lots of threads about 9.5 aero
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Edited by K321 on Saturday 5th May 02:16
Edited by K321 on Saturday 5th May 02:17
Several Buds later (this can't end well!) and I've found a car which is a 2001 on a Y, 100k with full history for £1195 which seems alright to my untrained eye. It didn't state what spec it is in the advert but if Confused.com is to be believed, it's a 250bhp Aero Hot. Not interior shots (yet) so can't confirm if it has a silver dash or boost gauge.
And yes, forgot there was a Saab section until just after I clicked the mouse. If a mod feels this would be better placed there, I won't have a hissy fit. Have been doing a little internet based light reading and so aware of the common issues but not really worried, dropping the sump and checking the pick up pipe for the oil pump would be one of the first things on the list... assuming it made it home without destroying itself!
Very good cars with a good balance of power and economy. Good quality interiors too with plenty of space.
Every now and then Saab would release a 'package' version which would come with a load of extras as standard. Having said that, the standard spec is pretty good on the Aeros but it's worth being aware of what is available.
A weak point is the rear dampers which last about 40k miles. When they go they make the back of the car feel completely detached from the front. When I bought mine it was so bad it was downright dangerous. Easy fix though with a set of Bilsteins for about £100 from Euro Car Parts which transformed the car.
Parts are cheap and easily available from Euro or GSF.
Without doubt one of the better cars I've owned.
Every now and then Saab would release a 'package' version which would come with a load of extras as standard. Having said that, the standard spec is pretty good on the Aeros but it's worth being aware of what is available.
A weak point is the rear dampers which last about 40k miles. When they go they make the back of the car feel completely detached from the front. When I bought mine it was so bad it was downright dangerous. Easy fix though with a set of Bilsteins for about £100 from Euro Car Parts which transformed the car.
Parts are cheap and easily available from Euro or GSF.
Without doubt one of the better cars I've owned.
I would recommend getting one. I think they are great cars. I owned a 2001 (230HP High Output Turbo) for about 3 yrs a few years back. Bought it with 68K on the clock. Took it to about 120K. It was a really enjoyable car to own. No drama. Reasonable power. Did torque steer a bit if you were pulling out of a junction and you put the power down a little too much. I had an auto which was fine for town traffic and mways but not that involving. Don't know if the newer cars have some kind of tiptronic otherwise I would suggest a manual if you wanted to have fun with the turbo.
No real horror on the maintenance front. Fuel gauge stopped working IIRC. And timing chain was getting a bit rattly so perhaps may have needed replacing at some point. Got it serviced at an independent so wasn't expensive to maintain.
The only thing to consider for running costs is that if you are used to 50 mpg then get used to halving that. I averaged about 23-26 mpg over mixed driving. I did have a fuel card at the time so may have been perhaps more spirited
than if I were paying for the fuel myself.
No real horror on the maintenance front. Fuel gauge stopped working IIRC. And timing chain was getting a bit rattly so perhaps may have needed replacing at some point. Got it serviced at an independent so wasn't expensive to maintain.
The only thing to consider for running costs is that if you are used to 50 mpg then get used to halving that. I averaged about 23-26 mpg over mixed driving. I did have a fuel card at the time so may have been perhaps more spirited
than if I were paying for the fuel myself. in terms of telling them apart, its gets quite hard.
Having gone through the process in the last couple of weeks: we are upgrading our 2001 2.0t SE estate for a 2004 2.3HOT Aero
the only external difference is that there is a small Aero badge on the back right corner of the car, where other models have a 9-5 badge.
I went to see a car advertised as a 2.3T ARC (the trim levels after 2002 or so were Linier, Vector, Arc, Aero) which the seller was telling me it was the high pressure version (220bhp) as it had a boost guage, but when running insurance quotes it came out as a 2.3t (low pressure - 185bhp) and 2.0t cars dont have a boost guage.
In terms of the car, ours has been with us for 5 years, and we've covered just under 100,000 miles in her. Initally she earned the name Trouble (catalytic converter failed within 10 miles of buying her and driving her home. gearbox failed due to the garage which we bought her from
up a gearbox oil change by not replacing one of the fill plugs, so the gearbox ran out of oil - replacement 'box covered by the warrenty)
But other than that, its been great. Find your nearest independant SAAB specialist and make friends as they will solve a problem in moments where a normal garage will struggle, as they will have a Tech2 dianostics.
One of the rear shocks has gone again - and we were think 'oh not again! we've only just replaced them!' found the old receipt, and we replaced the rear shocks soon after we bought her at 110,000 miles... and of course we've covered 80,000 miles in that time: mostly with the rear of the car full of camping gear!
for Fuel economy: ours averages around 33mpg on the weekly commute (stop start on the M60 and in town) and on the long runs from Manchester to Belgium or Le Mans we have seen over 40mpg (cruise control set at 70/75ish)
They are big car, with extremely comfortable seats. Look for cars with history, search the saab forums for the cassified: UKsaabs, saabscene etc. All SAAB petrol engines should be serviced with fully synth oil, to avoid a sludging issue that was common with the pre-2002 until SAAB issued a updated oil pipe routing that you could do at home which solved the problems.
When we decided to sell ours and get a new one, we only considered a SAAB. there was nothing that we thought we could live with that would come close.
Having gone through the process in the last couple of weeks: we are upgrading our 2001 2.0t SE estate for a 2004 2.3HOT Aero
the only external difference is that there is a small Aero badge on the back right corner of the car, where other models have a 9-5 badge.
I went to see a car advertised as a 2.3T ARC (the trim levels after 2002 or so were Linier, Vector, Arc, Aero) which the seller was telling me it was the high pressure version (220bhp) as it had a boost guage, but when running insurance quotes it came out as a 2.3t (low pressure - 185bhp) and 2.0t cars dont have a boost guage.
In terms of the car, ours has been with us for 5 years, and we've covered just under 100,000 miles in her. Initally she earned the name Trouble (catalytic converter failed within 10 miles of buying her and driving her home. gearbox failed due to the garage which we bought her from
up a gearbox oil change by not replacing one of the fill plugs, so the gearbox ran out of oil - replacement 'box covered by the warrenty)But other than that, its been great. Find your nearest independant SAAB specialist and make friends as they will solve a problem in moments where a normal garage will struggle, as they will have a Tech2 dianostics.
One of the rear shocks has gone again - and we were think 'oh not again! we've only just replaced them!' found the old receipt, and we replaced the rear shocks soon after we bought her at 110,000 miles... and of course we've covered 80,000 miles in that time: mostly with the rear of the car full of camping gear!
for Fuel economy: ours averages around 33mpg on the weekly commute (stop start on the M60 and in town) and on the long runs from Manchester to Belgium or Le Mans we have seen over 40mpg (cruise control set at 70/75ish)
They are big car, with extremely comfortable seats. Look for cars with history, search the saab forums for the cassified: UKsaabs, saabscene etc. All SAAB petrol engines should be serviced with fully synth oil, to avoid a sludging issue that was common with the pre-2002 until SAAB issued a updated oil pipe routing that you could do at home which solved the problems.
When we decided to sell ours and get a new one, we only considered a SAAB. there was nothing that we thought we could live with that would come close.
Much obliged gents, some really good advice there. With regards to their issues, it's true what they say... news travels but bad news travels fast and whilst there are numerous stories of engines failures and so on, they really don't concern me. It's basic maintenance and as far as I'm concerned, pretty normal for a turbocharged engine. I've got a Cavalier Turbo, it demands oil changes every 6000 miles (I do them every 3k) and yet jump forward a few years, the likes of an Astra VXR is now 20,000 intervals. Same basic engine, same oil, same filters...? No wonder there are issues.
I'm also thinking about a Volvo of some description, probably a clean, low mileage V70 T5 or perhaps an 'honest' V70R but they also have their issues. Every car does. Fuel economy wise, both cars aren't brilliant however this past year I've pretty much used the V70 TDi exclusively and so it's done well over 30,000 miles so economy has been a bit consideration however the othr half is being donated her Dad's old Polo TDi so that will a) give her a car to run and b) mean the 'main' car will be used less and thus, I can live with a drop in economy as the Polo can be used for the school run, Tesco and so on.
With regards to a V70 T5 (or similar spec) compared to a Saab Aero... they seems to offer a very similar package in terms of reliability, comfort, power, practicality and availability. I'd probably say I'm more of a Volvo fan, they seem to have a little more character and having done 30,000 abusive miles in a V70 Classic with minimal cost (£28 in repairs!) I'm still swaying towards the Volvo but the Saab is proving a very tempting alternative, especially as £1500 to £2000 buys a much newer car.
Again, thanks for the input. Time to start window shopping!
I'm also thinking about a Volvo of some description, probably a clean, low mileage V70 T5 or perhaps an 'honest' V70R but they also have their issues. Every car does. Fuel economy wise, both cars aren't brilliant however this past year I've pretty much used the V70 TDi exclusively and so it's done well over 30,000 miles so economy has been a bit consideration however the othr half is being donated her Dad's old Polo TDi so that will a) give her a car to run and b) mean the 'main' car will be used less and thus, I can live with a drop in economy as the Polo can be used for the school run, Tesco and so on.
With regards to a V70 T5 (or similar spec) compared to a Saab Aero... they seems to offer a very similar package in terms of reliability, comfort, power, practicality and availability. I'd probably say I'm more of a Volvo fan, they seem to have a little more character and having done 30,000 abusive miles in a V70 Classic with minimal cost (£28 in repairs!) I'm still swaying towards the Volvo but the Saab is proving a very tempting alternative, especially as £1500 to £2000 buys a much newer car.
Again, thanks for the input. Time to start window shopping!
Hmmm, not too sure on that one... not sure why, just don't really do anything for me.
Going back to the Saab thing and more so, earlier cars being 230bhp rather than 250bhp. Just found a rather nice 2001 on a Y, 2.3 Aero HOT with wood trim pre-facelift styling. So, I assumed 230bhp however according to the insurance database... it's a 250bhp car?
One other observation... they're significantly dearer to insure than a similar age/spec V70 T5 or R.
Going back to the Saab thing and more so, earlier cars being 230bhp rather than 250bhp. Just found a rather nice 2001 on a Y, 2.3 Aero HOT with wood trim pre-facelift styling. So, I assumed 230bhp however according to the insurance database... it's a 250bhp car?
One other observation... they're significantly dearer to insure than a similar age/spec V70 T5 or R.
Quite a few PH'ers acquired 9-5 Aeros as a result of the barge thread. We're among the number.
Big, yes. Takes my mtb with the wheels still on.
Quick, yes - bucket loads of shove but epically long gearing and mass means it's blunted. A motorway weapon with no handling to speak of.
Appears well built, some of the best seats I've ever had (and the previous alfa had momo leather). We've got a dicky parking sensor and had to replace a crank sensor to cure an intermittent starting fault. It's just sailed through the MOT.
Likes super unleaded. If you are doing stop start and have a heavy foot, really likes super unleaded. Mid 30's on sensible cruise is possible.
Heated rear seats are unusual; now all the family can feel like they've pissed themselves.
Big, yes. Takes my mtb with the wheels still on.
Quick, yes - bucket loads of shove but epically long gearing and mass means it's blunted. A motorway weapon with no handling to speak of.
Appears well built, some of the best seats I've ever had (and the previous alfa had momo leather). We've got a dicky parking sensor and had to replace a crank sensor to cure an intermittent starting fault. It's just sailed through the MOT.
Likes super unleaded. If you are doing stop start and have a heavy foot, really likes super unleaded. Mid 30's on sensible cruise is possible.
Heated rear seats are unusual; now all the family can feel like they've pissed themselves.
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