Owners or knowledgable petrol head only: Saab 9-3 2.0T or Volvo S40 2.4?

[davidstone28]

Owners or knowledgable petrol heads only please: Saab 9-3 2.0T (2002 onwards model) or Volvo S40 2.4 (2005 model)?

Have read all the road tests etc. The Volvo is probably fractionally the better car (only just), but the Saab is slightly more individualistic.

So which one? And more importantly why?

[5lab]

i'd personally say the volvo is more individual.. you dont see any of em around in this country.. it probably has better seats and a better stereo (it has better them than most cars) but i dont know if it woul have the umph of a saab..

take a drive in eash, and see how it does.

[Fox]

The Volvo, becuase the Saab is a badge engineered Vauxhall Vectra. 3 Series better than both in every single way, but I guess it has a BMW badge..

[Grey M@a]

I would say the Volvo myself, but there is only one real way to test it and its to get behind the wheel and play with the car, see which one you prefer best. Out of the Saab and the Volvo, the volvo will be more reliable, the Saab's are a nice ride but everyone I know who has one wishes they never bought it, seems to suffer a lot of problems

[5lab]

i dont think you'll get a bimmer as powerful for the price..

the volvo has floorplan/chassis from the latest focus, so it apparently handles quite nicely. the engine (5pot) sounds lovely too

[davidstone28]

Does anyone know anything about the reliability and running costs of each?

In terms of reliability, from what I can gather both cars are a world away from their predecessors so it probably wouldn't be appropriate to compare them to the older models. Unless of course, people have different/specific experiences of the new models?

Also does anyone know what service costs / costs of parts are like in the dealership network? Expensive?

[5lab]

volvo costs on teh dealer network are stupid

but..

they had a mini-style after care package - 3 years servicing etc for something like £100..

after that just go to a specialist - prices are reasonable.

i may be coming across as very volvo-bias - but thats simply cos i know the pros and cons of volvo ownership - i've no nothign of saabs (you need zak for that)

[Fox]

Tbh unless you plan to keep it over its warranty expiration, provided it isn't unreliable Alfa-style to the extent you become on first name terms with your local dealer, it doesnt really matter.

Neither car is 'unreliable' as such.

[Zak33]

Saab 9-3 new shape rocks.

S40 is dull, but has bette rear leg room.

9-3 prettier.

Volvo says Volvo.

Saab now says Sports Saloon.

And yup...I am biased. Big Time

I'd also like to point out that the new Vectra chassis is fantastic and is a PLUS POINT, not a minus point.

In fact the latest incarnation of the Vectra chassis is fractionaly better for high speed turn in than the 9-3.

None of the above is from a magazine. All is from my own driving of them.

The 2.0 T Saab unit is very nice. There HAVE BEEN TURBO FAILURES, so if you're looking for a used one, make sure its got good service history.

[dave87]

If the 2.4 is the same unit as is used in the v70, then your car should fly, as the v40 is much lighter, and will have a better power to weight ratio. The Saab is a nice car, but doesn't really do it for me., where as the new volvo looks pretty sweet. Again, don't really have to stick to the main dealers anymore, just needs a competant mechanic, as it doesn't make much difference anymore when you come to sell it, and volvos are about the most reliable car on the planet (read massive generalisation, but has been true in my experience) Pretty darn safe aswell.....

BTW, not a petrol head, but parents have a v70

[davidstone28]

Thanks for replies everyone.

Did some more research and the long and the short of it is that the Volvo is the better car - slightly smaller than the Saab but slightly better in most departments. Reading the Saab forums, there seems to be some build quality / reliabilty issues - nothing major but far more squeaks/rattles/minor electrical problems/trim falling off that you'd expect for a car in that class.

But like Zak33, I prefer to the looks of the Saab (its more butch - particularly the Aero) over the looks of the S40, which I think looks a bit bland Mondeo/Vectra(ish) unless you have the bodykit and spoiler. Throw in the fact that I can buy the Saab 2nd hand starting from about £10k compared to about £14k for the Volvo (with its high servicing costs), and the Saab just gets the nod for me. Autotrader here I come....

[Fox]

There is an interesting comparison of Saab 9-3 v BMW 3 Series v Merc C Class in this months Top Gear, its this months full, detailed road test.

Verdict - Saab sucks, BMW is the best, Merc is the most inoffensive. No idea how relevant this is but it's surely worth a read.

[schmunk]

There is an interesting comparison of Saab 9-3 v BMW 3 Series v Merc C Class in this months Top Gear, its this months full, detailed road test.

Verdict - Saab sucks, BMW is the best, Merc is the most inoffensive. No idea how relevant this is but it's surely worth a read.

Which is interesting, because in a Top Gear 'What to buy' mag I saw a few months ago, they rated the 9-3 as better than the BMW and the Merc...

[mattyp]

Out of interest have you considered the Audi A4 2000+ model ? Very good cars

[davidstone28]

Which is interesting, because in a Top Gear 'What to buy' mag I saw a few months ago, they rated the 9-3 as better than the BMW and the Merc...

Which is definitely interesting because in last week's Sunday Times (Driving Section), Clarkson was raving about the 9-3, albeit a 2.8 V6 version:-

"It’s good this. I really did fear when Saab was bought by the huge pensions and healthcare company called General Motors that some of the turbo individuality would be lost. And I was really scared when I found they were putting the 9-3 on a Vauxhall Vectra platform, but I’m happy to report that silent forced-induction kick in the back is still there. And some. Speed, however, is only part of the Saab’s appeal. Style’s another and I have to say this is a good-looking car, in the same way that Benicio Del Toro is a good-looking man. It’s an especially nice place to sit. The seats are stunning, the dash works like a dream, especially if you know your way around the cockpit of an F-15, and the steering wheel’s half silver. The only real drawback is the most dim-witted, slothful and complicated sat nav system I’ve ever lost my temper with.....The Saab has no cockometer because it doesn’t need one. You’ve deliberately gone your own way, deliberately bought something that isn’t a BMW or a Merc or an Audi. And in the process you’ve ended up with something that’s not only a little bit different, but also rather good. "

Most of the reviews tend to the put 3 series at the top and the C-class at the bottom. But there's no way I'm buying a 3 series - I can't stand the image of the 3 series / 3 series driver. And they're also expensive and out of my price range - a 2nd hand Saab is expensive enough already.

Out of interest have you considered the Audi A4 2000+ model ? Very good cars

A Mercedes is a bit too flash for me personally as I'm looking for something individualistic but also discreet and less "look at me". Audis are okay - a possibility - but they're also acquiring a certain time of 'image'. I prefer the discreetness of the Saab/Volvo range of cars. Having said that, if I had the cash, I choose one of these over any BMW/Merc/Audi

[dave87]

You're right to go with the volvo tbh. My family has had a string of bmws & a volvo - the one that gets the most respect on the road? the volvo. Its also been keyed the least times. Oh and one particular car got us stopped at customs everytime we took it abroad - 525tds - was lowered due to the sport bit so they thought we were smuggling stuff in. Happened both to us and the friends we sold it to - sooo funny. Volvo whisks straight through