Other Saab 900 (1993 - 1998) models:

Saab 900 Hatchback (1993 - 1998) 2.0i S 5d Owner Review

2.0i S 5d
Saab 900 Hatchback 1993-

In their own words

So I paid £100 for this 1998 Saab 900 S 2.0i in Cayenne Red with half a tank of petrol in it! I have always liked saabs and that's why I bought it as it was such a bargain even with 156,200 miles it has stacks of history and has been very well cared for. It's a good car and has lots of extra equipment - electric windows, comfy seats, good sound system, old school on board computer - generally inside it's a lovely place to be. Mechanically these cars are sound and after spending £180 on a full service and throttle body clean it runs a dream and no check engine light is on .. yet! I would recommend this car but only if you don't think you will be using it too regularly since the MPG is a little off putting. It's not as bad as I thought but it does require some careful driving. In my opinion it's great for longer trips and motorway miles but I wouldn't recommend for town driving (heavier clutch cable and awful mpg) and it isn't the most fun car to have. I don't think I will hold on for much longer - I'd say the 9-3 TID represents better value for money especially since the prices have bottomed out over the last few years.

How reliable do you find the car?

Like any Saab of this generation it seems very well built. The doors close nicely and the engine always starts and sounds good. I have given it a 4* though because small things like the interior heater dials have fallen apart and my "check engine" light appears to have a mind of its own! That being said it has held up very well for its age and mileage.

Does the car do everything you expected it to do?

It exceeded my expectations of comfort - literally I have driven this car for 4+ hours on longer trips and I am always comfortable. Nothing is quieter and smoother to have while on the motorway. I was expecting the MPG to be about 31 - however you can squeeze more out of it if you really drive it like a posh limousine - that gets me about 36 tops on longer runs. I was however a little disappointed in the power - I know it's a non turbo and it's a big car but for a 2 litre engine I was expecting a bit more ooomph especially when accelerating from 50-80mph it just lacks this completely. The ride can be a little bouncy and the steering / handling doesn't make you want to swing it round corners - but instead encourages you to take your time and pretend it's a Bentley instead. All in all not the most fun you can have slightly disappointed especially since Saab insisted on those jet ads which make these cars seem more fun than Mercs and Audis of this era... but then again maybe it was back in 1998.
  • How they rated it

  • Reliability: 4 out of 5 4.0
  • Meets Expectations: 3 out of 5 3.0
  • Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 3.0
  • Andrew Zacharia recommends this car

About their car

  • Fuel type Petrol
  • When purchased October 2016
  • Condition when bought Used
  • Current Mileage 156,000 miles
  • Average MPG 31 mpg