I've been a dub fan since owning a bunch of A2 VW's in the 90's. My last good one was an '02 Jetta GLI VR6, which I loved. But I've owned a few old school Saabs as well, and love their quirky style, and I've had a fetish for the '01-'02 9-3 hatch since I tried one many years ago. I've been working on my shortlist for a daily commuter car and right now I'm looking a Mk4 Jetta VR6, and an '02 Saab 9-3. Both cars are in decent, original shape with similar, low miles.
I know they're completely different cars - the Saab has more in common with a Passat than a Mk4 Jetta - but power and weight is about the same, with the VR6 delivering maybe a bit earlier in the revs. A consideration is that I spend about 1/2 my commute on the highway doing 70-75 The other 1/2 is split between a country drive and the city "final approach". So maybe a larger, more substantial car like the Saab might make a better highway cruiser. I'm replacing my Ford Ranger so mpg is important, and the Saab gets slightly better mpg (on paper anyway).
Anything else I should consider about either car? Any red flags or bad experiences concerning either car?