Unfitgeezer – while 9-3 Sportwagons are lovely when everything works, too often it doesn’t. They are the final Saabs and it shows. General Motors are responsible for destroying Saab – asset stripping the Swedish company and donating their own dodgy parts, each one of which has its own collapse-by date.
On the 1.9 TiDs, in addition to the cambelt and water pump (why no timing chain, as all older Saabs had?), there are also inlet manifold and EGR valve issues. And the electrics are crap. Plus suspension is no longer robust like older Saabs, and the leather on the seats is of such poor quality and so thin that it quickly cracks and splits.
I had one (also 55 reg like oldbloke) and by 174K miles I had to sell it for scrap, despite replacing many major parts during the 2 years and 50K miles that I had it. The electrics had become so unreliable that everything (traction control, mileometer etc) started packing up.
Go instead for a 9-5 estate. Much better build quality (the rearguard action of Saab workers and managers) and so much more robust in every way. Remarkably fun to drive and capacious too – will swallow 3 bikes whole with no wheels taken off! Mainly chain driven as well, apart from the later Dame Edna 1.9 TiDs.
