Thetownend.com

OK TEF, I need some wisdom from those of you who know your big end from your camshaft. My old car's given up the ghost, so this could be an opportunity for me to get a car I've always dreamed of - a 2008 third-generation Saab 9.3 petrol/bioethanol hybrid with 53k miles on the clock. I know that parts and servicing would cost rather more than a current production make and model, but I figure I'd be compensating by making a good saving on using biofuel. Does anyone have any insights as to why this might be a bad, or even a good, idea?

Just a few points, can you get bioethanol easily close to where you live? if not then the cost of going a distance to top the car up could negate any financial gain of cheaper fuel.

How much cheaper is bioethanol where you live? will it make THAT much difference to your running costs?

Often with biofuels you have to run on a mixture of petrol/bioethanol, some can run purely on bio but some you have to mix, will that be feasible?

Insurance costs for biofuel cars are often higher because if you make a claim then if the injector system gets damaged  it is often pricey to replace.

If its purely fuel costs then maybe get a 2nd hand diesel which would be a lot cheaper to run but are being phased out and with some cities not allowing them on the roads could be an issue.

I must confess to being a bit of a Saab nerd, my step brother lives in Trollhatten and worked in the factory (having been head hunted from Cowley in the 80's), he actually designed part of the rear light set up on the 9-3. If you ever find yourself over there the Saab museum is brilliant!

The one issue with the 9-3 is that whilst it is basically based on a Vectra platform, Saab buggered about with it a lot more than GM wanted them to do meaning that its a bit of a hybrid with limited interchangeability. They are still pretty bomb proof, albeit nowhere near the league of the earlier 900's, maintenance shouldn't be a fortune compared with modern dealer stuff as diagnostic machines are pretty cheap on Ebay etc.

Still dream of a 96 personally.  

Saab don't exist anymore do they? Parts might be an issue.

I had 2 96's from about 81 to 91, one yellow, and one green. Although no petrolhead I did like those cars.... I was thinking t'other day that the nearest oficial Saab garage in the area was out at West Hanney, or was it East, so bit a of a trek, for specific items... of course the engine was a Ford Taunus so easier to source.

I got rid as they weren't the best for a young family, in terms of spece etc, but gave the green one to mate swapping it for some old OS maps.

He kept it running for some years, so could at least enjoy seeing it out and about on occasions.  Haven't seen one for a while now.

That is an unusual swap.

Not if walking is your vehicle of choice.

Thanks all, especially Venks and Horlock, who've done more to reassure me than to scare me off. The engine can run on any mix of E85/E95/E98, there are plenty of ethanol pumps round Paris and not bad coverage around the country, and I'm hoping the low mileage means I can still get a lot of use out of a relatively old but sturdily built machine. I'll make a bid. Wish me luck.  :headhurts:

No matter what 2nd hand car you buy its a lottery mate. Could have a cracker that was little used or you could be a lemon that was off road which was why the mileage is low. Totally pot luck, good luck though!

I currently drive an Ioniq Hybrid and won't ever get another car isn't a hybrid from now on, round town economy is amazing and on a run I can easily get 80+ if I toddle along at the speed limit. Probably averaging 78mpg over the 16,000 miles I have put on since I got the car 17 months ago.

The only thing I would change is the Hyundai's build quality is pretty shit comparied to the other new cars I have had, this being my 5th brand new car in a row.

SAAB's have a great reliability record but when they fuck up they fuck up big time and cost a lot to repair, my mate had 2 SAAB 900's in a row and bot the gearbox went in and had to scrap them. Otherwise though fantastic build quality for a Vectra with some new parts, FWIW I liked driving the Vectra :)

Hope you buy a cracker RF.

Agree with all you say, but just to pick up on the above (which is what I think you are actually saying), low mileage can also be a curse, we bought my mum a Metro years back that had only done about 15k miles in 7 years, turned out to be a stinker as it had basically never been run hard or for any length of time, cars are designed to be got up to operating temp regularly and if not they can be a ball ache.

Not sure why someone is scrapping a 900 after the gearbox goes (they are notoriously a whiny weak spot), there are plenty of scrappers knocking about.

Yeah that is the point I was making exactly.

The 2nd hand gearboxes he was quouted £500 for the manual one and £800 for the auto, at the time they were scrapped there was just 2 available in the whole county and the cars value was around £600-800 each at the time so uneconomical repair.

So, don't offer advice if you are uncomfortable with the prospect that the recipient of that advice might rely on what you have told them.

what do you mean? who said I was uncomfortable with the prospect, its not my car hes/shes buying and people hardly ever take my advice anyway so what does it matter?

It doesn't matter.  It just appeared that you emphasised that it was their choice when there was some suggestion that your helpful advice may have impacted on the decision to buy the vehicle.   

Thanks for your input, it was needed.

That's kind, thanks.

It's OK. I can pick my own way through the advice I'm given. I just wanted one or two model- and fuel-specific insights. Which I got.