pcarphanatik

Please give me some advice on an upcoming purchase!

I've been a vw owner for a few years and a long-time lurker on rennlist so the logical upgrade for me is a porsche 951. I've found one that is fairly low miles (for an 86'), nice color, clean carfax, all records, all original etc. etc...

Then I found a 99' Saab 9-3 Viggen. The car is also low miles, nice color, single owner, clean carfax, all records.

I've compared the specs and I'll be test driving both cars soon, but right now I'm at a total loss.

Can any of you offer some opinions on which car I should buy?


p.s. don't tell me to watch the 04Mach1_vs_me.MPG because I already did....it made me feel all funny inside

theedge

Welcome to Rennlist.

What is it youre looking for in a car? Cheap ownership, ultra reliable, etc or fast, more expensive to own, but way more fun? Seeing as youve watched the movie, maybe read the thread called "2004 Espenses". The higher costs listed in there are not a baseline for 951 ownership, they are more a basline for ownership of a 951 that puts 15 carlengths on a Junkstang without breaking a sweat, or for cars that are on their way to that point or even well beyond bothering with Junkstangs.

Theres two sides to every shiny coin...

sweanders

Just drive the two cars.

The engine in the Saab is amazing for being a 2 liter engine. And you can fit a lot of stuff in the trunk.

However, handling wise it needs a lot of work to even com close to a stock 944. And it will never get close enough to match it.

CanyonBlaster

The viggen is a cool Saab. But it is not, nor will it ever be, nearly as thrilling to DRIVE as a 951. The 951 is a true sports car in the best sense of the word. If you need a daily driver, the Saab is a decent choice. I will add that my good pal had a late model 9-3 Saab turbo with alll the trimmings and it was a POS!! Since GM built the 9-3 it has NEVER been anywhere near the quality of the ol' 900 T. My 951 has been very well care for, has 117K miles and still smells/drives/looks/feels like a new car - if not better. The Porsche quality is waaaay up there. Be careful with the late model 9-3. A MUCH better daily driver (IMHO) wuold be an A4.

cheers.

pcarphanatik

Thanks Jay! That is exactly the kind of opinionated feedback I am looking for.

I like the Saab because it is a newer mid-size coupe with a good amount of power, some luxury features, good safety features and it is fwd so it would be fairly decent in most weather. I guess I'm just doing th ol' "weelll its moore practical" bs.


The porsche I like because it is mature sports car that continues to stand the test of time. There seems to be a great community surrounding these cars and a ALOT of aftermarket support. For the most part they seem to be reliable, I like the looks, and they are fairly lush for a car in this class. I have a daily, a good job and no strings attached so I really have nothing holding me back.

Here's the p-car in question, and to be fair to anyone else looking for a new-used 951, its up for grabs on autotrader

rhesus

I saw that in autotrader, but it was a tad too far for me to visit.
Looks like a beaut in the picture tho!

Jfrahm

I have driven a Viggen. I thought it was better around town than a 951 (less laggy, maybe bigger gears.) Stock for stock the Viggen seemed faster, but I'm not sure. The Viggen is about the same weight as a 951 and is (under)rated at 230 HP (it's a 2.3 liter 16v motor.) The torque steer on the FWD Viggen is pretty irritating though. The 9-3 Sports Sedan has the 2.0l Chevy motor with 175 or 210 HP. They have cured the torque steer somehow on the 9-3 SS. It's a pretty neat car but I do not know how reliable they are in the real world.

-Joel

rhesus

what's torque steer?

pcarphanatik

If I do get the viggen then you're right; the torque steer will have to be "fixed" immediatley.

There a couple of companies that overcome this suspension shortcoming by offering a "Viggen Rescue Kit".


I came across this guy's site and it is certainly making my head turn in the direction of the viggen

http://www.trolltuner.com/viggen/index.htm

sweanders

When a fwd car pulls the steering wheel back and forth during acceleration.

Sami951

My old neighbour has a 9-3 Viggen and we'd always talk cars when I saw him... he does enjoy the car, but apparently it's got serious traction issues (no wonder though, with lots of power and FWD) - he's got chips, exhaust and some other small modifications on it, can't remember the dyno numbers but it was something pretty similar to my 951. The difference is, he says he can't punch it in 1st, 2nd or even 3rd gear without breaking the fronts loose, whereas the 951 has absolutely no such problems (in a way I'd love to be able to do rolling burnouts but there's just too much traction...)

I'm confident the Viggen would have serious trouble trying to keep up with a 951 on anything else than a highway. Doesn't mean it's a bad car by any means, of course! It's just not a sleek, sexy sports car...

Darius Juca

Just look how beautyfull the 951 is.....and it does deliver......sure sacrafices must be made...soooo...... wellcome to Rennlist!!!

hosrom_951

Sacrifices such as a hole burning in your wallet especially when it comes down to attrractive upgrades!!!!

Darius Juca

Hey......but it's fast!!!!!!and they can take 125F +all day.....love them!

ebs

A couple of points. The only thing that even makes the Saab remotely attractive as a possible purchase ( I know I considered many cars before my 928 purchase earlier this year) is how new these cars are given how much they have already depreciated (in my part of the world anyway). ie, fairly new and cheap given the age. I would say it would still be costly to run, and despite the fact these people can put a fighter jet in the sky, I am aware of numerous electrical problems with Saabs. They are quirky cars (eg, placement of ignition key hole), and you have to like that about them. I think GMs ownership will remove the quirks, as they become ~ Subarus. In summary, get the Porsche! The car in the picture does it for me.