Question about Saab 9-3 SportCombi(wagon)?

Jun 09, 2008 by Michael K | Posted in Saab

Im interested in purchasing a used Saab 9-3 wagon, probably around 2006-2008, i just had some questions directed towards owners of the same model.
What is your fuel mileage like
Do you use premium or regular
How reliable is it
How satisfied are you with it
What are the costs of repair like
Driving experience

Thanks!

Between myself (sedan 9-3) and three neighbors who all have 2006 9-3s I have gathered their thoughts.

For the two neighbors who have the SportCombi (2006), between them and about 60,000 miles total there has been one problem - the emblem came off the hood on one of the cars. Fixed under warranty, that was it.

One neighbor has a 2006 9-3 convertible. No problems as of yet. My 2006 9-3 has also not had any problems after 21,000 miles.

Consumer Reports for three years ownership gives it an average rating, as reliability has been improving as of late.

Although Premimum is recommended it is not required. I have run almost exclusively on regular and although there is a slight acceleration loss, there is more than enough pickup for any kind of driving. Fuel mileage for me has been as low as 18 in city driving, although more often than not I get about 22 in the city. On the highway it ranges from 30 to 36.

All four of us are satisified with our Saabs. One neighbor plans to buy a second Saab soon.

Costs are not for the faint of heart for repairs. These cars can be expensive to fix if something goes wrong. Maintenance is covered for 36,000 miles and the warranty is for the same mileage, so no repairs have been paid for yet by any of us (and like I said, only the emblem came off one of the four cars).

Lastly, they are a lot of fun to drive as for front wheel drive cars they have very good handling and little torque steer. Good luck in making your choice.

In answer to the other persion who says I do not know what I am talking about, any car that requires preimum fuel will place it on the fuel cap or on the fuel entry point. Saab's do not have that on the fuel cap because it is NOT required, just recommended. It is recommended for better performance, it will not cause the engine to self destruct early, have problems, or anything else as long as the user pays attention to engine knocking. If there is any engine knocking then yes, you should switch to premium. Saab's minium in the owners manual is 87 octane so this is within the recommend grade if you are using regular fuel.

Many reputable magazines agree with the above. Try Consumer Reports, Click & Click on PBS, and Scientific American (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-premium-g) and other sources. I am writing this from experience and I am not making it up.

Anothe note:
We apparently agree to disagree. It depends on the model year, plain and simple, and it depends on the engine. To be more specific: the V6 engine has always required premium. The four cylinder depending on the model year does not. For 2006, my model year, it is 87 octane. For 2003 using an older engine design, that is not GM based it required 90 octane.

There is a lot of dispute over this. See another message board where the answers all over the place, depending on the model year and the quality of the gasoline used:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0d048a/6

I should have been more exact in my previous answer, and here it is: If the car's owner's manual says Preimum required, you must get it. If it says recommended (and usually has a note that 87 is acceptable), then it is not. For my Saab in 2006, it is not (and it is the exact four cylinder engine described below). So to say Preimum is a necessity for all Saabs is completely incorrect.

Finally, here is the service bulletin from Saab that states exactly when and where 87 octane can be used in the 9-3 four cylinder. Basically, everywhere except at high altitudes where the engine has to work harder and higher octane is needed.

http://www.genuinesaab.com/psi/files/octane.htm

So yes, I disagree with the other individual because while some Saab's DO require the octane, many do not. I was wrong to be general about this, but now I am being very specific. If you want to waste money, you can follow his suggestion and put high octane in every single saab you own. Even in his note the 91 octane is RECOMMENDED NOT REQUIRED. My logic, check the owner's manual if in doubt.

As is pointed out below, the last link is for an earlier Saab. So I am lastly going to list four websites where people, newspapers, and magazines point out that the owner's manual states that 87 octane is fine in new Saab cars.

http://telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=638353 - owner named skipowpow reads out of his owners manual that 87 octane for his 2007 is fine

http://www.thesaabsite.com/93/93faqs03on.htm#Fuel+Octane+and+Saabs - saab website that generalizes (like me) that most saabs can run on 87 octane, not 85

http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB121146450169714089.html - Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds writes in the Wall Strreet Journal that the 2008 Saab 9-3 can run fine on 87 octane fuel with some performance loss

http://www.smartmoney.com/deal-of-the-day/index.cfm?story=20080521-save-on-gas - Same article in WSJ in SmartMoney magazine

So in the end while I agree to check the owners manual, many sources support me that the current Saab 9-3 four cylinder can under almost all conditions run on 87 octane - this is from the owners manual (and confirmed by a number of current sources on the web).

What is the best car for South-east Florida life?

May 15, 2006 by CuriousUser | Posted in Buying & Selling

I move to Florida, Miami area. I am thinking of buying car for daily commute (20-30 mi) and occasional family travel with enough room to carry, say, a bike. DO NOT want to buy an SUV. Is crossover 4WD (like Subaru Outback or Forester) would be of use or a wagon (like Saab 9-3 SportCombi, Volvo V70, Audi A4) woud do for all my purposes.

Go with a Dodge Grand Caravan or a BMW X5.

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