Not exactly a flash car but my wife has her heart set on a Land Rover Defender 110 station wagon, which I reckon would be worthwhile taking back to Australia. This being part of the reason why I'm limiting myself to 10k grrrrrrr.
Saab 93
- Thread starter Thrash
- Start date
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
I know, I've driven a few Land Rovers myself and comfortable they are not. Having said that they are great for the outback and she's keen to do some serious off-roading when we get back to Oz, so much so that she's wanting to do some off-roading courses in the UK in preparation. They also hold quite a price premium over here, so the import probably would be worthwhile. I had to bribe her to go back to the UK by getting her the Defender as she was not keen at all (understandably), so my hands are tied.
Soldato
The problems with the engines were addressed during 2001/2002 during the early years of both the 93 & 95. The 93's that you are looking at were introduced in 2003 and were updated end of last year/start of this year. The update was mainly a styling change. If the 93 you are looking at has any hirsch upgrades it ought to be quite good, especially if it is the suspension, as i have heard very positive things about the ride quality with them.
As for my dislike of german cars, it isn't really all german cars but a vast majority of modern cars. I made an error earlier I tried an E36 not E46. It was a 318 owned by a friend, which was probably fairly knackered. But it was the gearshift and the throttle pedal that i hated most of all. I much prefer the E24 and the E30, for looks at least.
Soldato
Have they fixed the firewall cracking problem by the age you're looking at buying?
AFAIK, saab will foot 95% of the bill to repair any cracked bulkhead on a 9-3, but I would't be buying one if this is going to happen. It's a massive job, you're likely to be faced with a poorly fitted dashboard afterwards, and it's a hell of a safety concern.
AFAIK, saab will foot 95% of the bill to repair any cracked bulkhead on a 9-3, but I would't be buying one if this is going to happen. It's a massive job, you're likely to be faced with a poorly fitted dashboard afterwards, and it's a hell of a safety concern.
That's a new one to me, I'll need to have a look into it. Sounds a bit worrying though.
Soldato
http://www.saab9-3bulkhead.com/
Seems to be a blog centred around the issue, with dozens of examples of cars, their age/mileage, and how much of the repair Saab paid for.
Edit: Looks like it's the 1998 to 2002 9-3, and the 1994-1998 900 which are affected. So you probably don't have to worry.
Seems to be a blog centred around the issue, with dozens of examples of cars, their age/mileage, and how much of the repair Saab paid for.
Edit: Looks like it's the 1998 to 2002 9-3, and the 1994-1998 900 which are affected. So you probably don't have to worry.
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Soldato
Yep the bulkhead crack issue is with cars from 1993-2003, and happens to include my own car, but as yet i have not experienced any of the symptoms of a failing bulkhead. The new 93 has a lot less common faults compared to the car it replaced.
Soldato
I drive a 08 9-3 120bhp "sportwagon" with 50k on the clock. It's ok I suppose, woefully underpowered but handles ok on a back road. It costs me £15/week so I don't complain.
Soldato
[TW]Fox;15135718 said:There is absolutely nothing wrong with the ride quality on an SE 3 Series
Agreed with the seats, though. The steering isn't heavy, it's just well weighted and not ridiculously super-light.
Yes you do eventually get accustomed to the steering. Makes for a surprise when you drive something else and almost yank the wheel off though
Soldato
[TW]Fox;15135250 said:
I got a copy of the Saab Magazine through the door the other day. Have to say the new 9-5 looks quite nice - vast improvement over the current one.
Associate
ROTFL.
You've clearly never driven one.
Either that or your previous 'car' was one of these:
http://www.klov.com/images/F/cFerrari_F355_Challenge.jpg
As for the 9-3, it a decent car.
Soldato
Yes you do eventually get accustomed to the steering. Makes for a surprise when you drive something else and almost yank the wheel off though
I prefer a heavy wheel, and a fast one too. The uber light three point something turns in the Corsa I did my test in was horrid, felt like those plastic dashboards kids sit in the back with to pretend to drive. Wheel just turns forever and doesn't actually seem to do anything.
The Alfa has a firm weight and 2 turns. Easy to park as I can go lock to lock in about half a second. And it's connected to the front wheels.
Man of Honour
Because this point has nnothing to dow ith the engine itself I think I can poke my ass in this thread and post my view of SE<>Sport suspension/ride comfort having had both.
SE is smooth as silk over most road conditions, my passengers never once complained of a harsh ride, perhaps the lacking SE seats but never the suspension.
Sport on the other hand is something else, it's comfortable on motorway cruises but around town road it is bumpy but it handles much better and the steering is way better with nice weight - it's a welcome change having driven small Japanese cars before with ultra light steering and unpredictable car handling if pushed.
As for the wheel being too heavy...I have thin arms and have no trouble flicking the wheel or manoeuvring - what are you, a pussy?
The gearbox is not notchy at all either, maybe the one you drove was not looked after but both my gearboxes had swift throws and were easily engaged with 2 fingers.
Soldato
Are we talking BMWs? My 525D SE was notchy as is my current 320D SE. The 320D is an 06 with 49k and the 5 was a 55 but almost brand new at the time. Its not that bad and i find it works better when driven hard