I'm helping someone car shop, and honestly kinda curious for myself.
They are good looking cars and I think I rode in the passenger seat of a base model 9-3 once. That's about the extent of my knowledge.
Advice, anecdotes, general info, or comments on durability/reliability? How do they compare to, say, a Ford Fusion or Mazda 6 from the same era?
Depends on the owner. Is this a normie? If so you probably don't want to recommend it to them, being an orphan brand.
An enthusiast is completely different though.
I've read some stories on here about things like headlights being impossible to find. If it's not a normal service part or common failure assume it's going to take some hunting to find, and you can probably only go used.
I have little experience with them except a few years ago I was looking for some type of seal for one. It was the early turbo GM 2.0 but it's different from the later 2.0s that were widely used. Some researching found they were common in the UK but only used here In the Saab. I never found that seal.
I had a base 9-5 for a few years. It was reasonably well-built, but this is well into the GM era, and the influence is apparent. It was supremely good at covering highway miles at speed, comfortable, and practical. Had some nice touches, like rear seat heaters, plus the nice, clear Saab dash layout. I only wish I had found a wagon, but maybe that's just me. The 9-3 with the hatch should be very practical as well. Not the most exciting car I've ever driven, but perfectly reasonable - it sort of felt like a Euro Camry to me. What I'd be worried about at this point is body panel availability, and maybe some other stuff as well.
2.0l turbo motors had issues with the valves being to soft so they loose seal to the seats around 100k. It has is much more noticeable on cold starts in cold weather.
Ok, in this case if parts availability issues could be a real thing then I'll probably stick to my standard advice for a relatively efficient midsize sedan: "Best 4 cylinder Camry/Accord/Fusion you can find in your budget."
We recently had this conversation.
Ours has pissed me off a few times, but continues to serve us well and my wife still loves it. See my response in that thread for details. I've seen a few references (mostly from one person here on the board) to parts not being available. I've literally never had that experience, and I've driven Saabs for 20 years. I also don't depend on dealerships to keep old cars going.
They are a heavily European-ized GM product, with all the good and bad things that follows from such an arrangement. I like them but I feel like the ship has sailed on getting a really nice one. I wonder what insurance rates are like for them these days given how many body and trim parts are NLA.
I got a really nice 9-5 about 10 years ago for silly cheap from a guy who couldn't afford the running costs. Parts weren't *hard* to find per se, but availability was nothing like a Volvo/BMW/Merc etc. I can't imagine the situation has gotten better since then.
For a car-savvy person who can go in with both eyes open and do their own work, I wouldn't turn down a nice one.
For the average non-car-savvy person who goes to the local mechanic for service...pass. It will be an expensive headache for them.
a few months ago i bought a properly maintained a 2010 9-3 from a GRMer, and it's been great so far. bought at 133k, currently has 137k and still looks / runs / drives nice. insurance cost is similar to my 2010 E92, maybe because i'm old and have a clean driving record?
In reply to Powar :
Thanks for pointing me toward that thread. I probably read it, forgot, and was subconsciously led to think about Saabs, lol.
Speaking of your Saabs...
These guys were out front when I rolled into work today.
Powar said:We recently had this conversation.
Ours has pissed me off a few times, but continues to serve us well and my wife still loves it. See my response in that thread for details. I've seen a few references (mostly from one person here on the board) to parts not being available. I've literally never had that experience, and I've driven Saabs for 20 years. I also don't depend on dealerships to keep old cars going.
I will second this with the exception being either a last gen 9-5 or a 9-4. Anytime I have needed something a couple of mouse clicks and stuff is on the way.
Aw, man. Did the grille not survive the drive home?
Powar said:Aw, man. Did the grille not survive the drive home?
The grille is in the back seat, not sure why. I'm going to help build a new exhaust for it soon as we get a weekend with a lift free in the shop. It's a pretty cool little car.
We've owned a 2004 9-3 "Sport Kombi" with the GM Turbocharged 2.8 V6, and we currently own a 2004 with the Fiat 1.9 TiD and absolutely loved them both. But I would most definitely second the "competent mechanic" statement.
When we moved to Kuwait, Mrs. Hungary stayed behind to handle the "house stuff" and her fuel pump went out. The only place that would touch it was a Cadillac dealership and they charged us $3000 for the job (which failed again one month later).
Had I been home, it would have been a total non-issue and I could have had it done for under a tenth of the price.
Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:We've owned a 2004 9-3 "Sport Kombi" with the GM Turbocharged 2.8 V6...
Yum. I like the idea of a fast-ish wagon and those look really sharp. I'd probably put those on the list if I were shopping for myself.
In college I had a 2003 9-3 2.0t 5 speed for several years. Bought it with 233k miles (engine had ~100k ) and it died at 284k
Like others have said, its a heavily Europeanized early 2000's GM. For someone who doesnt mind turning wrenches its not bad, but for a normal car person i wouldnt recommend it. The electronics were by far and away the worst of the car (mehcanicals were great). These cars burn through headlight bulbs like nobody's business (each one on average lasted 6 months). Ignition coils are fragile for the 4 cyl, OEM's were $100+ each while the aftermarket ones are $100/set but will only last at most a year, my door locks never really fully functioned so had to use the manual key on each door, and the anti-theft alarm would randomly go off while the car sat overnight (thats a fun one). I had intermittent limp-mode while driving for the entire time. What finally killed it was the immobilizer + steering column lock + possibly the body control module all failed simultaneously. Classic GM electronics. Other 9-3 owners I knew also had electronic gremlins.
The mechanical bits were great though, the drivetrain and suspension shared lots of parts with the Cobalt SS so replacement parts were easy to find. Body panels were less abundant and had a premium, I got mine from 9-3's in junkyards. The interiors are pretty nice. It was a fun car in college with it being somewhat rare and unique. I also modified mine with an exhaust, intake, tune and autocrossed it.
I dont recommend the early cars for a trouble free experience, but the later facelift cars (08+) seem to have less electronic issues but still more than the average normal car.
They have their common issues but mine was still running well with 300k miles. It was an 06. The 07 and 08s potentially have issues with the valves. The cup holders are almost always broke. The balance shaft chain guide breaking is a common issue. I replaced mine when it went and honestly didnt think it was too bad to change. Took maybe 4-5 hours I did just change only the guide though. I didnt do the chains. The coil packs go bad. The yellow top coil packs are the older style design. The black top ones are the upgraded style. The ecus can go bad over time from heat. The heat burns out the injectors driver in the ecu. When mine went bad I bought a 35 dollar ecu at pull a part and paid someone through ebay 60 bucks to marry it to the car. The amp under the drivers seat can go bad. There is a simple fix for this having to do with the optic cable. Parts werent very expensive for it and they are common enough at junkyards to get parts that you cant buy at the local auto parts store. The drain for the ac sometimes can get plugged and cause the passenger floor to get wet. Overtime the air intake can brake at the turbo inlet causing a vacuum leak. The coolant tee that feeds the turbo from the radiator hose can become brittle and brake. I was able to find a metal one from a saab at the junkyard. It was the only one i have ever seen. They are all usually plastic. I really loved my saab.
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