1994 SAAB 900 900S review from North America

Valve cover gasket leak - slow weep.

Thermostat housing gasket, heater core hoses and radiator hoses replaced.

Needed upgraded linkage to cure shifting problem (would pop out of reverse, hard shifting)

Upper idler pulley replaced as PM.

Serpentine belt replaced.

This has been my first foray into owning a Saab and I have to say that I'm impressed. I'm a DIYer and have done all of the upgrades and maintenance myself on this car - otherwise, I probably wouldn't be able to afford it. Funny thing is - most people think I spent about 4 times more on this car than I actually did - it has that prestige look to it (which I have to admit was a factor in my purchase)

Parts are slightly more expensive then domestic US, but the build quality is so much better. I've been impressed by how well the car is built - almost on par with my roommate's BMW 325is (he ends up working on it far more than I work on my Saab).

Handles great - with great road feel - almost too sensitive actually. Great thing about these cars is that you can find a decent example for very little money relative to comparable makes and models.

If you end up looking at one of these cars - make sure you check out the suspension for steering drift or vibration at higher speeds (60-70mph), noticeably stiff shifting and occasionally popping out of reverse, head gasket and/or valve cover leaks.

I also like the simplicity of the design - the turbo models have a direct ignition cassette that often goes out and cost about $300 to replace, while my car, being naturally aspirated, doesn't have that problem. Also, stay away from the V6 models of this car - in my opinion every one of them is a complete design failure (you must replace the timing belt every 30k miles otherwise you'll fubar the engine). Not so with the 2.3L inline four - it has a nice little timing chain that should last the life of the car with diligent maintenance.