1997 SAAB 9000 LPT review from UK and Ireland
"Excellent"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
New battery.
Alternator (own fault due to reverse polarity on radio during D.I.Y. install).
Front pads.
Exhaust back-box.
Passenger central locking actuator.
Interior temperature sensor.
Light switch.
General comments?
Very sturdy, very well made, solid paintwork.
Handling was atrocious, have fitted poly bushes which are popular upgrade but don't do the front drop link bushes. Bring a certain harshness over small bumps, but the ride is altogether more cohesive now as opposed to the sloppiness that was there.
Previous owner wasn't servicing obsessed, so first thing was to service paying particular attention to oil (Saab synthetic turbo oil), & filter & flushed the engine as pipes can sludge up.
A lot can be done on these cars to improve performance. Do the research on buying via any Saab owners forum (Saab scene), get your initial purchase right and you will be laughing with regular maintenance. Parts all readily available second hand - like C/L actuator was 30.00 and not 130.00 via main dealer. Loads of good independent specialists about anyhow.
If your gut instinct is right you'll do well. Very comfortable well equipped cruiser that doubles up as a mini van. Feels slightly old school but a true motorway muncher.
Oh and they don't make them like this any more. Not even new Benz has this quality feel - truly hewn from granite. Around town it does 27-30 mpg. Best was 700 mile journey on highway at 80mph returned 44mpg.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 LP turbo Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 52000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 65000 miles |
| Previous car | BMW 5 Series |
| Date of Entry | 7th October, 2008 |