Looking to put major miles on the car and need it to be cheap to maintain...what do you think?

I'd have to go with the Volvo. l am a tech at a Saab dealer and not to fond of the 9-3 sport sedans.It is more of a gm than a classic Saab.old 900 is and early 9-3 is were good for 200 plus thousand miles if properly maintained.The 03 and 04 models are just starting to get up the 100,000 mile mark( on average)and are falling apart.Not all of them,but enough to see the difference between them and the real Saab's.
That is my opinion,and l work on them every day.good luck

l work on SAAB is & Volvo is for a living, & the Volvo is a much better choice over the Sport 9-3.

Volvo has a few issues, but nothing like the Sport 9-3.

l have had customers that have owned SAAB is for 30 plus years & after owning the Sport 9-3, they said they would never own another SAAB.

The 9-5 is r a good car, l would put it in up against the S60. They r very comparable for reliability.

l think the '05-'06-'07 Sport 9-3 is better than the '03 & '04 Sport 9-3.

Either way u go, have it checked out buy a SAAB tech & a Volvo tech that knows what to look for, for common problems.