SWMBO convinced me to go up to $6,000 for a reliable appliance/commuter (she's a great wife btw!)
This budget gets me thinking about a Scion Xb, manual. Been ruminating about Saabs, 2.0 manual. Aside from sludge/PVC stuff, good dailies? Reliable?
I see Javelin is contemplating a Saab wagon. I see tons up my way in my budget. Wife asked "why are there so many, is that a bad thing?". Good question...
You can get a LOT of Saab for $6k. A LOT of Saab.
1st gen xBs also seem to be ridiculously reliable.
There are so many because people are panicking because Saab went under. Truth of the matter is parts are still plenty available. Nice thing is, they're tanking on the used car market because of it, offering some of the best value possible if you're willing to take a risk. And since this is GRM the home of thinking DD'ing a Biturbo is a fine idea (sorry M4ffew) you're clearly willing to take a risk. Plus some of the latest model ones look frickin' FANTASTIC.
Well you can do what I did and go 1st gen Honda Insight, for 6k you can get a nicer one with a new battery. You'll get 55-60mpg. I was going to get another SAAB to replace the totaled one, but my practical side came out after too many MrMoneyMoustach articles and I got the Insight. I'm filling up about once every 3 weeks now and with the money I am saving in gas over a car that gets 30mpg, the car will pay for itself in 5 years. It's definitely an appliance car, but it's so light I can sling it into corners with abandon.
If you're in Massachusetts and considering a Saab, you might want to take a ride down to Valenti Motors in Watertown, CT. They used to sell Saabs, along with several other Euro brands. No affiliation, but the last time I was there (admittedly a while back), they had a bunch of filthy, brand new 2011 Saabs parked out back. I'm not sure if they are for sale or what one would cost, but it's an interesting prospect.
My GF just bought a Toyota Matrix, an AWD XR with a slushbox but it's a great car. I think that the Matrix XRS with the 180hp 2zz and a 6 speed would be awesome.
Speaking of dead brands. I think $6k puts you in the ballpark of a Saturn Astra. I recall reviews saying they were a nice car. CL shows them for $6k in my area.
I picked up a 2004 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon (5MT) for $5k about 18 months ago. It's been reliable, but it did need quite a bit of work to get it up to snuff. The suspension is a bit fragile on these things - I replaced all the shocks and put spacers in the rear springs since they sag pretty badly in the wagon. I also need to replace the subframe bushings when the weather warms up.
By 2004 the sludge issues had been sorted so if you get that year or later you'll be fine. Don't worry too much about getting the Aero model - you're going to have to replace the shocks anyway so you'll no doubt be upgrading the suspension, and a cheap ECU tune can get up up to the Aero 250HP pretty easily.
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