1998 Saab 900 Review

Awesome car! Remember your maintanance!

Written by: koolcat on 08/10/2009

Vehicle

1998 Saab 900 4 Dr SE Turbo Hatchback

Review

These are great , fun cars to own. The marriage between Saab and GM did wonders for the brand. As with any luxury/sport vehicle maintenance is key. These cars require it. Let's face it if you wanted low maintenance get a Kia/Honda/Toyota and blend with the crowd. The fun factor plus the awesome aftermarket support makes owning a Saab fun. I have 180,000 miles on mine, but I change the oil 3000 or less and keep meticulous service records. I spend about 500-1000 a year just to keep mine purring like a kitten!

Favorite Features

Styling, speed.

Suggested Improvements

Too much plastic. More metal please!

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Reliable, fun and even practical

Written by: GoDucks on 07/02/2009

Vehicle

1998 Saab 900 2 Dr SE Turbo Convertible

Review

I've never had any engine and/or related mechanical problems. The car, even though it's a convertible, has a quieter interior than my Chevy Blazer. I like the four seats, and the back even folds-down to expose a cargo hole into the truck. Much more practical than a miata, S2000, etc. I have carried skis, and 8' pieces of lumber inside my convertible! The bad: the automatic climate control system uses a little fan to sense the inside temperature; that little fan frequently rattles, which can be annoying. The mechanics of the convertible top can be touchy -- $500 in repairs over the last 5 years. Overall good car. EXCELLENT value for money.

Favorite Features

Heated seats, great sound system, fold down back seat.

Suggested Improvements

Headlight burn out every 6 months, regardless of the "quality" of bulb I buy.

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Some good, some bad

Written by: bakerjf on 05/18/2009

Vehicle

1998 Saab 900 2 Dr S Convertible

Review

I purchased this car with 50,000 miles on it back in 01' - it now has almost 140,000. The good - great engine, plenty of pep, nowhere near needing a rebuild. The bad - I recently had to replace the muffler, as well as having the abs module rebuilt (only $140), apparently a common weak point on these cars. Generally repairs do not come cheap and get increasingly hard to justify as the car gets older. The ugly - the top. Have had it in 4 or 5 times to get fixed since I owned it - never the motor though, always some goofy part that causes the whole thing not to work. These cars are a joy to drive and style-wise have held up rather very well. I won't be getting rid of mine anytime soon.

Favorite Features

Engine - have heard they have a reputation for sludge, but I've always had the oil replaced every 3k - no problems, very peppy, never needed repairs.

Suggested Improvements

The top stinks. I have heard Saab fixed many of the problems in later models.

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If you like JUNK buy a SAAB

Written by: Ed on 04/30/2009

Vehicle

1998 Saab 900 4 Dr SE Turbo Hatchback

Review

I bought this car in June 2008 with 106350 miles on it. It is now April 2009 and it has 107200 miles on it. The car hasn't run longer than a week since I purchased it used from a dealer last year. The cars ignition coil pack has been replaced 3 times and the new one is starting to go bad now. It is a money pit. When it runs it's a nice car, but that only lasts a very short time. If you really want one do a ton of research on it or else you're going to find out how awful these cars really are. Every part is expensive to replace and even after replacing them it still doesn't mean the car is going to continue to run, it's Pure JUNK. Buy American!!!! Much easier to work on and parts are cheaper.

Favorite Features

Gas mileage when it runs.

Suggested Improvements

Get rid of the direct ignition system. Fire the engineers that came up with this junk.

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5th Saab

Written by: Rudog on 02/18/2009

Vehicle

1998 Saab 900 2 Dr S Turbo Hatchback

Review

A great find at local Saab dealer, while not a classic it looks like new and handles like it too. The interior and exterior does not show its 11 years. No carpet wear or stains. Previous owner garaged the car--the paint finish is like new! Did I mention the low mileage? 50,849 miles.

Favorite Features

2.0L turbo and 2dr hatchback.

Suggested Improvements

None

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