Im buying my first car and im looking at a 2005 saab 9-3. Im just wondering if theyre reliable and if its a good choice. Are they known for having problems?

beware of high repair costs, of all the cars l see nothing brings dollar signs as well as tears to my eyes as a saab, if you got cash go for it, if you know what budget means then stay away

Saabs r known for their endurance. They can last a long time & drive forever. The most important thing is as with any complex machinery or equipment, u should definitely get a professional to look after it. Best advise is to first find a repair facility that ONLY works on Saabs & is familiar with this type of Saab. Then have 'em do a pre-buy inspection of this vehicle. They will be able to save u lot of hassle. And u will get the scope on the true condition of this car. Only a Good Saab repair shop will invest $7000-$10000 on the tools & documentation necessary to be able to work on this type of Saab. By the way, the prices r dropping so much on few years old Saabs that u will get an extremely safe, comfortable, fast & very nice car for fraction of the cost of new. Ca not beat that.

That year will still be under warranty, which is a huge bonus. As long as u do regular maintenance, they will last forever. l had a 2003 9-3 (first year of the redesign) & had zero issues, when there was a recall on something small, the dealer took care of it no problem. Best car I've ever had, l miss it immensely.

Get the Saab, u will love it. Once a Saab driver, always a Saab driver (also the only car owners I've ever met that wave at each other when driving).

Although somewhat reliable new they get expensive fast. Even faster is their drop in value. l would not get anything but 3 year lease under full warranty. Specially since parts will be copied and sold at a high price by Delco and such.

Bear in mind that first, you are NOT buying a SAAB,, sadly. You are buying an Opel / Vauxhall chassis, good, powered by a Saturn engine. The B207(L)(R) engine is not really a bad motor. It is just a motor. With the '05 model of the 9-3 SAAB corrected their horrible software problems in the '03 and early '04 years so that is a plus. As previously recommended, have it checked by a SAAB shop, not the dealer. Keep the maintenance up and it will serve you well.