What make to defect to

[Norfolk Jim]

So I went for Volvo for less than 6 months and if you liked the turning circle of super tanker etc then fine. Having said that my wife's V50 2005 2.0 diesel has been superb and she averages 48mpg very comfortable and 138hp goes very well with 6 speed - 62 on run. But the new V70 2.0 diesel seems amazing. It's very quick and averages over 50mpg!!!!! Even the reviewer in local paper said he got mixed driving 54 and found it was quick so perhaps Volvo has the edge with all gadgets and reasonable style ?? Until Saab bring out a new estate......................

[mikeloadsasaabs]

Nothing really floats my boat after SAAB - well nothing in my price range at any rate! But the Volvo does look attractive.

I know how you feel. It's hard to justify my 9-5 on environmental grounds, but even harder to find the money to replace it! 

I'm planning to keep it running as long as it remains economically viable, but I had a nasty shock a few weeks ago. The Austrian government must be short of money, as they've recently put various taxes up, including road tax, and they are penalising more powerful cars with a non-linear increase in tax. As a result, the tax on my 9-5 is going up by €25 per month - that means I'm now paying just under €200 per month for tax and insurance  . Even so, it's difficult to make the figures for a smaller more economical car with decreased fuel, tax and insurance costs balance against the purchase cost of a newer car.

[sgould]

If you want to be environmentally friendly, keep your current car and run I into the ground, doing repairs on the way.

Some years ago the head of the Green Party was criticised for driving an ancient smoky Austin Maxi.  He declared that it was far more environmentally friendly than buying a new car.  It made a complete nonsense of Gordon Brown's car scrapping bounty scheme.

[dw]

Oh dear - I am in a period of mourning, the 1996 900 Turbo in Red with just less than 80000 miles but a manual gearbox is being cleaned to be moved on. Reason - we need both cars to have auto boxes.
Candidate replacement car is a VW Polo auto  - so definitely to be the second car.

I am currently lusting after a Volvo XC60 as a candidate to replace the 2006 95 Aero, not an economic choice but a "you only live once " choice. Not really needed to swap but if I am going to get any interesting drives in with a new car then I have to start very soon.

The 900 would be an excellent car for a SAAB enthusiast - I will put an advert in the For Sale section shortly.

Only conciliation is that both potential replacement vehicles would have lower fuel consumption and a cheaper road tax.

My preferred option of swapping the 900 Turbo for a Volvo and keeping the Aero is not too popular 

As an aside some of mikeloadsasaabs comments the other day about the items he is planning to replace or have a spare did give me concern. 

[mikeloadsasaabs]

As an aside some of mikeloadsasaabs comments the other day about the items he is planning to replace or have a spare did give me concern.

....I was quite happy to replace just the exhaust until Audax kindly pointed out all the other expensive things that might go belly up! 

[Audax]

As an aside some of mikeloadsasaabs comments the other day about the items he is planning to replace or have a spare did give me concern.

....I was quite happy to replace just the exhaust until Audax kindly pointed out all the other expensive things that might go belly up! 

I don't see why any of those items would give concern, if the car has done 209k then it's allowed to have some work done! Compare it to many other cars and there would have been many other items needing to be replaced by now. I bet the interior is still in good condition and all the switches still work for example, you wouldn't find that on many other cars...

[mikeloadsasaabs]

I don't see why any of those items would give concern, if the car has done 209k then it's allowed to have some work done! Compare it to many other cars and there would have been many other items needing to be replaced by now. I bet the interior is still in good condition and all the switches still work for example, you wouldn't find that on many other cars...

Absolutely. The only electrical gizmo that doesn't work is the passenger side folding door mirror, which refuses to fold any more. I might get round to looking at it now summer is coming. And the ventilated leather seats, as you say, still look good, although they have lost a bit of colour in places. They are still more comfortable than most newer cars which for some reason all seem to have excessively hard seats. I really must wash and wax the poor thing!

[Norfolk Jim]

I don't see why any of those items would give concern, if the car has done 209k then it's allowed to have some work done! Compare it to many other cars and there would have been many other items needing to be replaced by now. I bet the interior is still in good condition and all the switches still work for example, you wouldn't find that on many other cars...

I really must wash and wax the poor thing!

For pete's sake Mike wash her and she'll do another 100k Make her shine and she'll be happy Mine is promised a nice long drive up to Skye in 2 weeks today so she'll be lovely and shiny no matter what Skye throws at us....................

[sgould]

I tracked the non-folding in my mirror to the small black box on the back of the casting.  It seems to be a voltage current sensor that senses when the mirror has stopped moving and switches off the power.  They seem to go wrong, but they aren't available as a spare part.  I got a secondhand folding mirror and found that a replacement had been patched in with connectors.

I'm wondering if you could just remove it and keep the wire connected, but you would have to be quick on the switch when the mirror stops moving.

[collywobble]

Mine is promised a nice long drive up to Skye in 2 weeks today so she'll be lovely and shiny no matter what Skye throws at us....................

Stocking up on Talisker, Jim?

[mikeloadsasaabs]

For pete's sake Mike wash her and she'll do another 100k Make her shine and she'll be happy Mine is promised a nice long drive up to Skye in 2 weeks today so she'll be lovely and shiny no matter what Skye throws at us....................

Lol, I bought some Meguars (sp?) wax and a polishing bar about 5 years ago, but haven't yet got round to doing it  . Steel grey metallic is a good colour for not showing the dirt 

There's a little rust round the passenger side rear wheel arch beginning to bubble up under the paint, and the front bumper & spoiler have taken a hammering. We seem to acquire streaks of yellow paint on the side of the bumper, as though we've scraped against something painted yellow, but we've never tracked down what it is. TBH, she'd look good if I replaced it, but I'm not prepared to buy a new one, and I can't see it being easy to track down a decent second-hand one.

[mikeloadsasaabs]

I tracked the non-folding in my mirror to the small black box on the back of the casting.  It seems to be a voltage current sensor that senses when the mirror has stopped moving and switches off the power.  They seem to go wrong, but they aren't available as a spare part.  I got a secondhand folding mirror and found that a replacement had been patched in with connectors.

I'm wondering if you could just remove it and keep the wire connected, but you would have to be quick on the switch when the mirror stops moving.

For a while it was just slow and a bit erratic, but it's failed completely now. It's doesn't really matter tbh, I lived with manual folding mirrors for years, but it's the annoyance factor that it's the only the electrical item that has packed up after 10 years & 209k  If it was a Renault, it would probably be the only thing left working by some bizarre fluke 

[MikeIOW]

I've been pontificating on the next car for about a year......and have now placed an order on a Volvo XC60 D4 FWD: I don't *need* AWD, the comfort is up with my Ltd Edition estate & it has plenty of bells & whistles.  Went for the new 8-speed auto, which still has very low emissions and pretty fair performance by all accounts.
Final decision was based on some pretty good discounts and 0% finance over 2 years on 50%.
A part of me aways had me next in the new 9-5 estate but it wasn't to be :-(   
I still hold hopes that NEVS will get things back on track, & maybe in a few years I can move back to the marque....

Clearly a major decision for me, after almost 14 years in Saabs....& I will be very sad to see ours go.   Already have a forum member interested, but if for any reason he decides not to go for it I will pop it up here first (2009 estate, manual).

[Norfolk Jim]

Mine is promised a nice long drive up to Skye in 2 weeks today so she'll be lovely and shiny no matter what Skye throws at us....................

Stocking up on Talisker, Jim?

I would say yes if I was a whisky lover but may have a wee tour as my older son loves decent whisky's. We'll be over the other side further north at Staffin but walks already planned Trotternish Ridge looks brill but my main pleasure will be down in the Cuillins . SWIMBO will wave me off as I disappear into the yonder; she'll read her book etc - yes it's a good book!..................... spent last night packing and checking my gear and re-checking it; most important and then I can think of holiday clothes etc Ha ha

[dw]

MikeIOW - which engine are you going for in the Volvo?

I have been doing some brochure reading and it looks as if the classic 9-5 Estate load bay is slightly larger than the Volvo.

Another instance of where the 9-5 provide so much over the competition (apart from not being available)