Saab 9000 2.0 CSE

I have had (in 2003-2005) a fairly high mileage early model CDE (the one with a boot not the hatch) 2 litre LPT on a G plate and whilst it had a few problems it proved to be the breath of fresh air I needed after having 3 boring brand new cars on the trot. OK the fuel consumption wasn't as great as my other car but I was no longer paying several hundred £ a month on HP and I paid a whopping £205 for it! I had it for around 2 years and only got rid of it as I was going away with "work" for 6 months to a desert type place and whilst my G/F of the time would happily drive my MkII Golf, she refused to put fuel into the SAAB as it did about 10mpg less than her jap wonder car....What she failed to realise was that the ratty revvy 1600cc Automatic Golf was a lot more thirsty than the long legged luxury SAAB!

I returned sadly with a spinal injury and on my "retirement" from said government "job" due to my injury I decided it was now or never and set about hunting down a good 9000. I found & bought in 2008 a one (British Diplomat) owner 2.0 LPT Anniversary.

He bought the car whilst on Diplomatic Duty in Sweden and brought it back to the UK on his return. He finally sold the car on his retirement and downsized to a BMW Mini.

This Anniversary came with 107k on the clock and a wonderful full service history. It is a wonderful car that drives like a new car (in fact better than quite a few new cars I have driven)and I drove it happily with a huge smile as I occasionally watched befuddled BMW drivers in my rear view mirror and melting young Chavs in their so called performance enhanced "rice burners" for about 2 years at which point the fun had to end.. Sadly it was I, not the car that failed to proceed as my spinal injury which cases a constant high level of pain got the better of me and has had me pretty beat and bed bound for the majority of the past 2 years (Be careful what you wish for...I remember being so exhausted after some Oversea's government sponsored "holiday" or exercise in some cold and wet corner in the back of beyond here in this wonderful green land that I would say "I could go to bed and never get up"....It's nearly bloomin happened I should have learned my lesson after all my Mother did warn me repeatedly about pulling faces and the wind changing....but no I knew better and now I scare kids away from dangerous places with just a smile!!

Anyway I wander from the 9000, I am hoping to put it back on the road as it has been laid up for almost 2 years due to my injury. (It has never failed to start when I've turned the key & run it up and down the driveway) But the "smiles" per hour are huge and I think I could do with the boost to my happy gene as I am still is as much pain today as I was back in 2005 when I was injured :(....

I think I will go down the 6months OTR and 6 SORN as I will never use my Diesel Peugeot 3008 whilst it is there tempting me!!

If your looking for a great luxury motor they are still out there and available at silly (little) money...they will soon start to become scarce as people let them get chopped and banger raced so save yourself a fast paced super model!!

Charlie

Brilliant. Reliable.

High safety build.

Feels like a car not a toy.

comfortable. High interior spec.

I think that the Performance is amazing and leaves BMW's standing etc.. standing.

I would recommend that you read the Saab community forums before buying one then take an FTP for a test drive, it will blow you away. No car under £1500 has this performance!

Excellent community support is available on forums.

The after market mods are plenty full and allow huge HP increases and styling options.

When things do go wrong it can be expensive for parts.

My best advise is don't use main dealers - go to the specialists. I drive 80 miles to get mine serviced because I trust Abbott Racing to do a good job!

Last of the real Saab's - truly great understated cars with far more class than BMW or Merc - Aero is a wolf in sheeps clothing.

I liked the car, took the car from mate who was selling it cheap, needed a motor, I wouldn't buy if it was the price. I'll sell the seats if it breaks down!

Actually, mine is a 9000 CS auto (same engine).

Drives very well on light throttle, however you need to use gear holds on hills to maintain acceleration.

Have owned it only 4 months previously - only 2000 miles in 5 years, but no body rust because of this. It doesn't look a big car, but is bigger than you think (only 4" shorter than my 1985 735 BMW).

I have modified my Saab slightly to give it a unique look and sound. I have a standard 9000 and I have attached an Aero bodykit, BSA 210 17"alloys with toyo proxes T1 S tyres,a JR Induction kit and air filter and a saab 9000 carlsson spoiler. It looks and sounds the dogs'. I will hopefully be fitting a full sports exhaust system this year the 3inch system. Bootiful

The Saab 9000 2.0 CSE is a striking looking car, and I know a few people who swear by Saab's, not especially this model but ALL models which says a lot about the marque. Now my mint 1991 car has NEVER let me down (ok I've not had it long but it's had a good going over and done a lot of miles in a very short time), starts first time every time and after 157k still drives like a new car. Buy one if you want the other option, I've had the BMW, driven the Golf, Focus etc and this is in a class of it's own.

Having had 3 Saab 9000 2.0 CSE, I know them fairly well. Had a C-plate Turbo 16, (175bhp) an H-plate 9000S (no turbo, (130bhp) and finally a 93 CSE with LPT engine. The T16 was a firey number, great fun, the 9000s was a slow stately sort of car, but the CSE with its flexible low pressure turbo engine was the best of the lot.

Ultra comfortable, a continent-crosser. Could keep up with sporty hatches if pressed. I averaged around 33mpg with this car throughout its life, this never fell even at over 160000 miles. Tyres aren't cheap; they're big.

If I could find another in good order, I'd buy it. At present making do with a 406HDI saloon, poorer in every way than the CSE except the consumption, averaging 53mpg. Impressive.

What a pity Saab dropped the 9000 for the 9-5, a retro-move in my opinion. The 9000 has character by the shedload, and is one of the most beautiful cars on the road.

Anyone got one for sale?

Saabs reliable ? , I think not, this Saab 9000 2 Litre CSE is without doubt the worst car I have ever owned.

Everything went wrong , I assumed I would recover the cost of repairs by being able to put a few miles on the car as they are supposed to be long lived, what a joke, after spending £1000 in 6 months on repairs, I gave up when the clutch master cylinder failed, and threw the car away