Newbie here and I am currently looking to add a car to the stables. My wife currently has a 99 328iC convertible 5 speed, but the wife drives a lot of miles in traffic. She wants an automatic. Everything we have is a stick. So we are going to add another car. We started off just looking at BMWs because we love the ones we have had. Her 328 has the sport suspension like an M3 so it handles great and has enough grunt for her.



A little history first. We have owned or currently own many BMW convertibles including 2 M3s and absolutely love the reliability and overall performance. We bought a 01 Volvo C70 HPT convertible with relatively low miles about a year and a half ago and it was a total peice of junk. It was slow, handled horribly and broke down constantly causing a trip to the dealer because even independant Volvo shops dont have the proper equipment. I dont what another junk heap like that.



SO we decided to consider a Saab 9-3. We have narrowed it down to either a 99-01 convertible or a 03ish Linear(because we dont want to spend what a convertible that new costs) , or a 97-99 328IC convertible. All automatic, all around 60k. On a BMW we have to go a bit older in our price range, so the Saab has that on its side.



What are your thoughts? Anything I should look out for? Is the Saab going to be good for us? The wife has loved the shape and look of the Saab for years. We just got way too good of a deal on the BMW and I know them inside and out.



Thanks in advance

John in Florida

 

Hi John,

I guess i would go for Saab instead of the BMW. Dun get me wrong that im being biased over the ride i drove. Although i may not have own a BMW before, or even driven one convert, i guess the ride is just different once you sat into the 93SS.

Test drove the BMW 325i & 328i initially when i was deciding which car to buy, In my humble opinion, i would say that the interior of the BMW is great, but the power is just isn't there whenever you hit the accerelator. Whereas, when i jump into the 93SS. The ride is so different than a BMW. The power is so linear that you could hardly feel that its already flying within seconds that you have actually did 170km/h....

Overall, you have to decide what's best for you and your wife. But there might be flaws in the interior of Saab... The problem of peeling and poor quality and material the swedes had used. Talking of performance, there's no compromise in it

Just my 1cent worth opinion.

 

Thanks for the info. From what I have gathered from this and other posts, it is probably going to be a matter of whether we like the way a front drive car feels over the rear drive BMW. It sounds like comfort, power and reliability are about the same. We have yet to drive a Saab, and were looking at a couple long distance on ebay. I guess we better go shop locally before making the decision.

Thanks again
JOhn

 

Go saab, Saab can't be beat for overall comfort.

 

Hey John, I think I would be quite prepared to give my two cents. I just finished owning a 1994 BMW 318iS automatic, some guy hit me and I got an insurance settlement so I bought a 1999 Saab 9-3 with a 5 speed. So far the only reasons I like the saab better are 1. Less problems because it is newer with less mileage 2. More power because of the turbo 3. 5 speed is funner to drive. Now I liked the feel of the BMW better because it was lower to the ground and it did handle a little better although the saab still handles very well. I also liked the looks of the bimmer better (you can't resist those e 36 lines especially with polished aluminum rims and shiny black paint and a spoiler).The Saab doesn't get as good of gas mileage than my 318iS did, I don't understand why it would be so different considering they are similar in engine size (2.0 Saab Turbo, 1.9 BMW). But to sum it up, you can't really go wrong with either a saab or bmw. They are both fine cars, but one thing I can say is that you will more than likely get more bang for your buck out of a saab than a bimmer but the bimmer definately has an irreplaceable feel about it. Hope I was able to help. Good luck!

 

Hi John,
I too am new to Saab, I just bought my first 2003 9-3 Vector. Based on what I know about the two cars (from research and word of mouth... i.e. friends who have own beamers) the Saab is the way to go. My reasoning is, it sounds like you don't want to spend an arm and a leg and you want reliability. Saab offers a 6 year 100k mile warranty (Saab Certified) which covers everything except tires, rims and the battery. Second now that Saab is owned by GM repairs will be so much cheaper (American parts, no importation fees) as opposed to the BMW which requires foreign parts. Third, Saab is great for saving money... does 1.8% financing sound good? I from new england, put 7,000 down and am paying 400 a month the next 3 years. Personally I hate convertibles would much rather have a sporty sedan with nice sunroof. The sport sedan also allows for the option of a thule rack for the top... that would allow you to strap your surf board on to the roof and head down to Naples or whereever you head to the beach.

New England perspective and advice.

 

This is the exact same dilema I had about 7 months ago. I loved the look of the BMW, but I also wanted something different since everyone in DC has a Beamer.

If money was no issue, I probably would have bought a 2001,2002 BMW. Because I had a budget, I found Saab to beat BMW hands down for the vaule.

I found that for around 10k, the BMW's I was looking had all had high mileage, rather plan on the inside, plastic headlight covers that will turn yellow, and in most cases the top was electric(not hydralic like Saab) or even a manual top. BMW beat Saab in exterior styling(IMO) and handling, again in my opinion.

For the same price, Saab gave me lower miles, a lot more bells and whistles(Night Panel!) and the used Saab selection was just in a lot better condition that BMW. The BMW's(98-00) were all beat to hell. The leather was cracked, the paint was faded and they just looked like that had seen to much time. The Saab's on the other hand were looked like they were treated well, although they were 2-3 years younger. I know that's just the luck of the draw.

Either way, make sure you are buying a good vehicle from a quality dealer. You have to know where your car has been. I was willing to pay a few hundred dollars more because I could see where my car had been, serviced, etc since it got off the boat. I love my Saab and I don't get jealous when I see another BMW on the road.

Funny you mention the C70. I almost bought one but the dealer wanted to close early. I guess I look like I don't have any money. Good thing. I found out that they are pieces of junk. Saab should be much more reliable and fun. The C70 has the turning radius of a Mac truck.

 

Dont get a saab if its more than a few years old and out of warranty, too many electrical problems which can be difficult to trace and expensive.
People say they are comfy cars, it must be me but I drive 40k a year, sometimes in a mondeo sometimes in a Saab, out of just these two theres no contest, Mondeo every time.
Sorry Saab owners.