New or Used: No More SAAB Stories On The Bus

TTAC Commentator Astigmatism writes:

Dear TTAC: After six months of commuting by bus from New Jersey to Manhattan, I’ve decided to treat myself by buying myself a car (my wife commutes with our 10-year-old RX300), getting a monthly parking space through my company and driving into work every day. Please don’t try to talk me out of this decision: the buses are routinely late, stop at every corner between my house and the highway, take me to the wrong part of town, and generally take at least twice as long all-in as driving in the few, blessed days when I’ve driven to the office.

Criteria: mid-sized (smaller than the RX, larger than, say, a Jetta), comfortable and quiet on frequent highway runs to see family in New Hampshire, either front- or all-wheel-drive (New Hampshire again), and of course decent mileage. No manual transmission given the commute, and I won’t be carving up back roads, but after slogging around in the RX I would love something less floaty and at least a bit more engaging to drive. Price: my plan was to spend about $10-12k in cash up front, and I could stomach either a small financing charge or occasional maintenance after that, but probably not both (I can afford it, just would feel irresponsible spending over $20k all-in over the next few years). I actually don’t need it to be the most reliable thing in the world, as we have a mechanic in the family who’s managed to keep the RX ticking happily at 270,000 miles, and if my car breaks I can always take the bus again while it’s in the shop.

Unfortunately used TSX’s seem to be holding their value a little too well, or I would have settled on one long ago, and leasing a new one won’t work because I’ll blow the mileage limits. I’ve considered a 2004-5 Saab 95 Arc or Aero (probably the current front-runner; my first car was a 9000, I love the seats, I think they’re a steal once they’ve depreciated) and a new Mazda6 (I’m shying away from the Sonata because of its ubiquity, and because I’m not convinced it won’t tank in the resale market). But I feel like I must be forgetting something. Am I? Or am I just being unrealistic? Please help!

Sajeev Answers:

As the part-time caretaker of a 2003 9-3 Vector, I’ve learned the unique pitfalls of buying a pre-2007 model with little to no service history. The later models have more reliable GM electronics, but look far less SAAB-y. Even some local gurus grudgingly admit that SAAB cut far too many corners on the older Epsilon-SAABs: the fragile plastic holding the parking brake assembly to the chassis is but one concern I learned during our last cold spell.

So go for a 2007+ SAAB 9-3, if you must. I love and completely mistrust these sassy Swedes, but I’m terrified by the lack of underhood access with turbo V6. For the sake of that “mechanic in the family” stick with a more basic I-4. With my rudimental understanding of the Epsilon-based SAABs in mind, they are still on the bottom of my short list.

Check out a nicely loaded Mazda 6, Honda Accord EX or Nissan Altima: these give better long term bang for your buck. If you need more style, an older Infiniti G35 (Jersey Shore references notwithstanding) or Lexus IS300 is a smarter move than the SAAB in terms of money and performance. Plus, rear wheel drive for more fun. And if it really snows that bad, you can always take the…ahem…bus.

Steve Answers:

Front wheel drive cars with excellent tires would be perfectly fine. I spent a lot of time in upstate New York and most folks get along perfectly well with this combination. The options for a good 10k to 12k vehicle with only front wheel drive are practically limitless. So I’ll just recommend that you find out what the actual owners have to say about a given vehicle instead of focusing on new car reviews.

As for AWD cars, there’s a lot out there and much of it is not nearly as popular as the conventional FWD models. I would toss in the 2006 Ford Fusion AWD as a potential commuter car. The Mercury Milan was also available with AWD and that may have a lower cost in the marketplace. Given your orientation towards the TSX, the Milan may be a bit too conservative for you. There is also the Subaru Legacy AWD which is a pretty good all around vehicle although it is also a bit pricey.

Among my top choices, the 2006 Saab 9-2X AWD and its Impreza kissing cousin are taut drivers but are probably closest to the TSX. Then there is also the 2006 Volvo S40 AWD (and the V50 sibling) which would be a bit more luxurious. If I were looking for AWD consider and didn’t have to worry so much about maintenance, I probably would opt for the Volvo’s first and foremost. They have the best seats and interiors of the group. Along with a sporting character and a fairly quiet ride compared with the others.

Need help with a car buying conundrum? Email your particulars to mehta@ttac.com, and let TTAC’s collective wisdom make the decision easier… or possibly much, much harder.