9-3 TTID

[dema]

Looking for a new car in January, I was considering Jag or BMW but, by chance I’ve come across this..

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205045...

Don’t see many about which I like, but I don’t know anything about Saabs:
What are the like to drive? obviously not a sporty ride but, are they ok? I can do anything between a couple of miles a day to hundreds in one go.
What sort of mpg people see on a mix drive?
I’ve seen in other posts about EGR issues, is there a fix for this? Same for the oil pump.
What is servicing like from non specialists (I don’t think there are any around the Bucks area)
Is there much difference between a TID and a TTID?
Can the head unit by swapped for a new unit to support apple car play?
Anything else to consider ?

So many questions….. seem a good car for the money!

Thanks

[paulmakin]

no knowledge of the model but i think we still have specialists in berks so reasonably local ?

i know that BPV in Slough are still operating, was in there a couple of weeks back
DCA in Theale(ish) still running the website so presumably still in business

Mixed reviews on both the above but i've used them on and off down the years and been happy enough

Saab Mobile (based in Wraysbury but covering Bucks) seems to be still going as well. Used once for a diagnostic appointment - arrived on time, thorough, identified the problem and advised on remedies (DIY mostly, which probably took work away from him?)

[dema]

Thank you!

[dema]

Thank you!

[Mopey]

I have a 9-3 twin turbo. EGR did go early doors but they did some stuff with tech 2 and it’s all sorted now. Getting parts can sometimes be a pain in the arse and in my experience uence going to a specialist is just better than some garage that bodge it because they haven’t worked on a Saab in years.

Been happy with mine nearly 160k miles now. Get about 50-60mpg on motorway runs.

[986S_1]

The headunit can be changed for double din headunit with an aftermarket Fascia. Older models were fibreoptic and much harder to do this to.

EGR issue can be completely eradicated with an EGR delete, might as well get it remapped at the same time, better performance and MPG - Win Win.

[AMC243]

I've got a sample of one, having owned it for nearly 18 months now - it's a TiD auto, which returns about 43mpg on a mixed drive - a manual would likely give slightly better economy but with the price of diesel now being considerably more than petrol, you might have to crunch your own numbers to see whether or not it's 'worth it' for you.

As far as the driving experience goes, mine isn't that refined or sophisticated - a fair bit of road and wind noise compared to something like an XF but it's not like you have to shout to be heard. Ride isn't like a magic carpet, you do feel a lot of surface imperfections but bear in mind it's mostly a Vectra underneath and was already 10 years old when the last one came off the line. Handling is sharper than you'd imagine but it's no driver's car.

Servicing, if it's just basic oil and filters stuff then any reputable garage should be able to do it no trouble and the parts are generally available - although I was waiting about a month when it needed a new bumper courtesy of the woman who drove into it. More specialist stuff tends to warrant a friendly enthusiast with Tech 2 - there's plenty of them around, you'll find a few facebook groups who can help direct you to the right person.

I probably wouldn't have another, although to its credit it's been reliable and the seats are pretty decent. Reasonably practical if that matters to you and the mid-range shove isn't to be sniffed at for an ordinary car. Interior quality is not great, admittedly - mine's a bit creaky inside with less than 60k on the clock. Lots of cheap plastics which are quite far behind the quality of a 3 series from the same era but definitely a step above something like a Vectra. One thing to note with the manuals is that the gearknobs do pop off on some examples - but a bit of glue will fix that.