Quote:
Originally Posted by
inq89 
but how about the Saab? They have always had a bad reputation for breaking down and expensive maintenance, but my light research from Edmunds and Cars.com shows that the 2003 9-5 wagon is dependable. Thoughts?
I've owned 3 Saabs: a 1999 9-3, a 1999 9-5 wagon and a 2002 9-5 sedan. All have been great cars, but like Volvo you need to find a good indie mechanic as the dealer is a huge rip-off for both parts and service. Saabs, like any other 5+ y/o luxury cars have their little issues. The main things on these is to check for the PVC update (chances are if the PVC hoses in the engine bay have the GM logo, the update has been done) and to see if synthetic oil has been used/changed regularly and to see if the oil pan has been dropped to check for sludge lately. The '99-02 cars had issues with engine sludge, but I'd check on the '03 just to be safe. Drop the oil pan and check the oil filter. It's about a 2 hr job when you're doing it yourself for the first time, or about $200 in labor at a shop. It's basically just for peace of mind. If synthetic oil has been used, your chances of oil sludge as slimmer than if regular oil has been used. Other than that, just look for normal used car stuff (rust, maintenance records, tires/brakes/struts, etc).