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      10-30-2019, 10:22 AM   #1
Alfisti
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Ditch or keep 10 yr old Saab 9-3 wagon?

Hear me out.

Current DD is a 2008 9-3 wagon, it's been pretty solid and is in good shape as i do all of 10,000KM (6500 miles) per year.

Over the last couple of years the repair bills are beginning to tally up. No single large failures or even unreasonable problems for a 10 year old car but a set of shocks here and a battery there and boom it's cost about $3500 or so in repairs outside of regular maintenance in the past 2 years.

I am in the market for a sports car so I am willing to go on the cheap for my DD given the low miles I do. Even at $2K a year in repairs, which sounds like stupid money, a newish car, even a basic stripper model Corolla or Rogue on leasebusters is still $4K year. I could go used but there's no guarantee i'd save much over the Saab anyway.

The Saab is very handy in wagon form, good power, good on gas, safe for a 10 yr old ride etc but if I could save some dough i'd be up for ditching it.

Where has your tipping point been in these situations?
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      10-30-2019, 11:20 AM   #2
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If you keep it you are a gambling man. Those 3500 you spent might be all you need for another 3 years or....they might not. Next thing you know your AC is not blowing cold because your hoses are leaking. Who knows?!?!

I believe it is very feasible for DIYers but if you have no mechanical skills or time to do the work ditch it.
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      10-30-2019, 11:25 AM   #3
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I'd rather have the cared for 9-3 over a econo-penalty box.
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      10-30-2019, 11:34 AM   #4
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can't go wrong with a well cared for civic / corolla / accord / camry. They will run forever and cost almost nothing in maintenance.
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      10-30-2019, 11:37 AM   #5
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You are the best person to assess the 9-3 future repairs. Shocks and batteries are normal wear items. Same with brakes and tires. All cars have these costs.

I drew the line when my previous vehicle transmission started shifting hard and slipping. I had no intention of doing a $4k+ transmission replacement, so bought a new vehicle.

Another recent vehicle I sold had over 200k miles and lots of life left. I sold it for a great price. The only reason for selling it is that I didn’t need it. It needed nearly nothing done to it.

Brakes, battery and shocks are not reasons to sell a vehicle in my view. Expensive engine or transmission repairs are reasons to dispose of the vehicle. “Engine repair” includes for me pistons, rings, cams and valves. Everything else can be replaced relatively easily and cost effectively, ie water pump, cam cover gasket, head gasket, ignition system, etc.
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      10-30-2019, 11:54 AM   #6
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I sold my M Coupe after 14 years. M Coupe specific parts we're getting increasingly hard to find, even from Germany. Then it overheated. Sold it the next month. No fun dealing with straight sixes that have overheated.

Doesn't sound like you're dealing with any real issues, keep it, it's more fun than a shitbox and still reasonably safe.
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      10-30-2019, 11:55 AM   #7
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Yeah that's the thing, body is in great shape, engine and tranny feel like new. She has 115,000 KM on her (74,000 miles) and it's been things like a headlight going out, shocks, control arm .... nothing major on it's own but shit starts to tally.
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      10-30-2019, 11:56 AM   #8
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From living there for a couple of years, my largest concern on a car of that age in Toronto would be rust and corrosion. Whenever any work is needed on that car, it will involve extra time to disassemble, extra parts to replace broken bolts etc, not to mention the possibility for frame damage, on top of premature wear on items such as brakes.
Just due to the fact that Saab is no longer in business, some of the more odd parts are going to slowly become very hard to find, so that as well might be a good argument for a well maintained budget vehicle from a car manufacturer that is still selling new cars.
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      10-30-2019, 11:56 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Humdizzle View Post
can't go wrong with a well cared for civic / corolla / accord / camry. They will run forever and cost almost nothing in maintenance.
Thing is i'd need to buy one and they are not cheap but i hear ya, i really do.
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      10-30-2019, 02:42 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alfisti View Post
Thing is i'd need to buy one and they are not cheap but i hear ya, i really do.
I bought mine last summer for 6500. 2009 with 55000 miles.

I'm now at 80,000 miles and have done nothing but regular maintenance at the dealership. Checking prices on autotrader I could probably sell for about the same price I bought it.
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      10-30-2019, 02:58 PM   #11
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Need about 10K here, mine is worth maybe $5k so i'd be $5k in the hole before I even start.
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      10-30-2019, 03:09 PM   #12
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Generally costs tend to pile up around the 60K, 120K and certainly at the 10 year ownership mark. A healthy dose of parts and maintenance then will likely leave the car trouble free for a few more years. As you mentioned, that is often the point when it makes sense to decide to keep or sell.

Decision is up to you! Seems like a great enthusiast car, I would keep it until the repair costs start to trickle in more often. Life is too short to make huge compromises on a DD.
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      10-30-2019, 03:21 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Zed View Post
Generally costs tend to pile up around the 60K, 120K and certainly at the 10 year ownership mark. A healthy dose of parts and maintenance then will likely leave the car trouble free for a few more years. As you mentioned, that is often the point when it makes sense to decide to keep or sell.

Decision is up to you! Seems like a great enthusiast car, I would keep it until the repair costs start to trickle in more often. Life is too short to make huge compromises on a DD.
I drive so little that it doesn't bother me what i drive if i was seriously saving dough. Another used car, out of warranty, too much of a risk so it'd have to be a cheap lease.

I am just over the 60k mile mark so maybe that's why i am seeing costs escalate.

This is all making me consider my sports car option. It's about $4K a year to keep this car on the road (plus gas) so my head says ditch the 3rd car idea and get a M2 or Mustang DD instead.
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      10-30-2019, 03:36 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alfisti View Post
This is all making me consider my sports car option. It's about $4K a year to keep this car on the road (plus gas) so my head says ditch the 3rd car idea and get a M2 or Mustang DD instead.
Indeed - more cars is always a hit on registration, insurance, space, etc. Go out and drive a few cars, tremendous time to be an enthusiast with offerings like the Camaro 1LE, Mustang, Veloster N, Golf R that all represent fantastic DD and track/canyon cars.

If the Saab is indeed only worth $5K on the used market then certainly it might be time to step into something with a warranty or proven reliability. Everyone has their own tolerance for trips to a mechanic (or DIY).
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      10-30-2019, 03:40 PM   #15
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2010 135i Coupe  [5.26]
Having owned a 10yr old Saab myself, my informed opinion is that you should CUT AND RUN!!! GET THE HELL OUT AND NEVER LOOK BACK!!!!!!!
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      10-30-2019, 03:48 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Zed View Post
Indeed - more cars is always a hit on registration, insurance, space, etc. Go out and drive a few cars, tremendous time to be an enthusiast with offerings like the Camaro 1LE, Mustang, Veloster N, Golf R that all represent fantastic DD and track/canyon cars.

If the Saab is indeed only worth $5K on the used market then certainly it might be time to step into something with a warranty or proven reliability. Everyone has their own tolerance for trips to a mechanic (or DIY).
My issue is has to be vert and has to be NA. No Camaro, i just don't like it. Has to have 4 seats too as the kids LOVE getting about in an open top noisy car.
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      10-30-2019, 03:52 PM   #17
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Saab 9-3 SportCombis are cool!
Unless you can math it out. Let facts do the talking, but we all know it's the heart that does the decision making.

I haven't had car payments for so long I can't ever imagine what life is like with one.
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      10-30-2019, 03:59 PM   #18
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Saab’s are beautiful.
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      10-30-2019, 08:23 PM   #19
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74k miles is nothing.
6500 miles per year is close to nothing.

Body is good
Engine is good
Transmission is good

Keep the car. For kicks and giggles install an aftermarket nav touch screen Kenwood or similar from Crutchfield.
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      10-30-2019, 09:10 PM   #20
Alfisti
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chassis View Post
74k miles is nothing.
6500 miles per year is close to nothing.

Body is good
Engine is good
Transmission is good
This is my gut reaction. Then I tally up and see it's been quite a few $$$ these past 12 to 18 months for work that would be covered under a new car warranty. But then new car prices, even on lease busters which has crazy good deals, still add to way more than the car is costing me.

I quite like driving it and it's brilliant for home depot runs, xmas tree carrying and all that kinda crap the X3 is terrible at.

I guess I want to keep it but is the math telling me not to, i can't figure that out.
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      10-30-2019, 09:22 PM   #21
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74k miles is nothing but 3.5k on repairs for a 74k miles/10year old car is a lot imho.
I daily a volvo xc70 (that other swedish brand ), now 7 years old but now about 155k miles and all it had done on repairs (outside regular maintenance like brakes, tyres, filters and a timing belt) was a $40 air pressure sensor (on the intercooler, fitted it myself) and a new front windshield (it started to leak somehow through the gluestrip) that I could put on my insurance for $150 once there was a crack in it.

Still I wouldn't trade the saab for a corolla...
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      10-30-2019, 09:51 PM   #22
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While I can't speak to the SAAB, I can speak to dailying an older vehicle with lots of miles that needed some parts. Had my 2003 G35 Coupe for 5 years now, put 45,000(ish) miles on it (has 138k on the clock), and the only MAJOR set back was a new radiator. Nissan uses a rad with plastic end tanks on it, and after 15 years of use it cracked and developed a leak. $200 spent on all aluminum one and a few hours in the garage, she was back to new. After that, front wheel bearings were starting to go, as well as the front ball joints. This cost me ~$900 for 4 ball joints, 2 lower control arms, and 2 wheel bearings, as well as an entire day replacing it all. It then sat for a year and I put maybe 500 miles on while I drove my Grand Cherokee. The GC was sold to make room for the M2C, and I'm glad I have a cheap and reliable daily for the bad days when I don't want to take the M2 out. I am just using my 16 year old shitbox as an example to how (relatively) cheap a car's maintenance can be. Other than oil changes, my "maintenance" bill is a little above $1000. If the issues were larger and required more money, I would most likely get rid of it. You haven't even crossed 100k miles on the SAAB yet and you have spent over triple the cost. Just trying to put it into perspective.
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