I'm looking at a car for my wife. Is there any downside to a saabaru vs a subaru? Are parts harder to get? Are all the mechanical parts subaru or are there some gm parts thrown in? Any major issues to look out for?
Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Saabaru ?'s
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May 28, 2009 9:01 a.m. mw Reader
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May 28, 2009 9:04 a.m. John Brown SuperDork
Both are winners.
Saabarus will have a harder time in 10 years getting used body parts.
Dodge Stratus, Dodge Grand Caravan, VW Beetle... The trifecta of body roll.
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May 28, 2009 9:19 a.m. carguy123 Dork
What model Saab is that? I remember they had a Saabaru, but can't remember it's name. It's the exact same in mechanicals but just a different body right?
Now does anyone know if it comes with a LSD front unit. I've been searching CL for Subies but forgot I can add Saab to the list. Maybe that will let me get lucky.
"mobilito ergo sum" I drive therefore I am!
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May 28, 2009 9:26 a.m. Rusty_Rabbit84 Reader
think it was the 92x
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May 28, 2009 9:30 a.m. mw Reader
yup 9.2x linear has the 2.5 NA ARC has the 2.0 T a la WRX
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May 28, 2009 9:46 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork
and IMHO it is prettier than the suby
Has anybody seen where I left my wits?
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May 28, 2009 11:03 a.m. Nashco SuperDork
In my opinion, the only downside to owning a Saabaru is finding a Saab dealership that wants to service it. Since most of them have now dropped out of the full vehicle warranty period, that doesn't really apply anymore. Subaru dealership are cool working on them and 99% of the parts are the same as the Subaru so parts are cheaper at the Subie dealership. There are a few things that are Saab specific, mostly cosmetic items like bumper covers, seats, lights, hood, fenders, wheels, etc. There were also nice things that were Saab specific but wouldn't matter for long term service like better sound insulation, revised dampers, revised engine mounts, some STI suspension parts, etc. The Saab specific cosmetic parts are currently available with very reasonable prices, I think the bumper covers are ~$300-400 each for new ones if yours got damaged and weren't repairable. There weren't many Saabarus made, so as John Brown pointed out, in a decade it will probably get tough to find new cosmetic parts for. For the time being, it's not an issue...if you plan on owning the car for a decade, might be worth getting some new bumper covers and some used headlight assemblies and tossing them in the attic.
I never expected that we would own ours for a decade...but as time goes on, Jessica becomes more and more attached to the car. She really, really likes it. All the performance, simplicity, and common parts with the Subaru with a bit more refined (less boy racer) looking design. It's a shame they didn't last very long in the dealerships, but we are happy to have got one while we could. Something to note if you're shopping, the '05 9-2X Aero is the 2.0 turbo, while the '06 Aero is the 2.5 turbo, so you'll see that the '06 goes for a premium compared to the '05. The Linear is the NA 2.5 and they're pretty much the same between both years.
There aren't any major issues to look for, same as with the Subies they're rock solid cars. Subies are known to have thin paint, so if the previous owner is a tailgater it'll have a lot of freckles on the front end, but that's pretty obvious even to the untrained eye. The biggest thing to watch for is to look for signs of the car getting mods (exhaust, suspension, tuner, etc.) as that will indicate the car has probably been thrashed a bit harder than the average car. Subie owners are big on "returning to stock" before they sell, but there should still be telltale signs if you look for dirt marks, marred fasteners, odd wear marks, etc. Oh yeah, and if you look at one used, for some reason all of the hood badges have delaminated pretty badly. No worries, the dealership has replacements for cheap or free in some cases.
Bryce
Portland, OR | '69 Bug | '05 Saabaru | '95 Impreza | '06 Ulysses | '67 122S | '07 Sky Redline | $2009 West Coast - AWD Fiero Hybrid
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May 28, 2009 1:16 p.m. carguy123 Dork
I'm just looking for the drivetrain for a couple of project cars, is there a difference mechanically between the 2?
Does one have more options than the other?
So far it seems that only the JDM subies have LSD in the front diff, but is that also true for the SAABs?
So I can do a CL search for a 9.2x, a Linear, and an ARC. The Aero is the same thing as an ARC?
"mobilito ergo sum" I drive therefore I am!
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May 28, 2009 1:24 p.m. mw Reader
Sorry, I got ARC and AERO confused. There is only the Linear and AERO as far as I know.
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May 28, 2009 2:05 p.m. Woody Dork
The Saab has the quicker steering ratio of the STi.
And a new champion walks among us.
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May 28, 2009 2:07 p.m. carguy123 Dork
Now that's a plus.
I've found a couple of Saabarus around and they don't seem to hold values as well as their Subie cousins which is good for me. They do seem to have a nicer interior, which I know shouldn't matter to me since all I want are the guts, but I might find one of these in the garage for the wife.
"mobilito ergo sum" I drive therefore I am!
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May 28, 2009 2:16 p.m. Nashco SuperDork
Woody wrote: The Saab has the quicker steering ratio of the STi.
As I mentioned, there are a few STI bits. In addition to the steering rack, it also has the aluminum control arms that came on the STi.
I'm totally shocked that they have depreciated faster than their Subie cousins, but then again I was shocked that they sold cheaper than the Subies when GM had their fire sale, too. They're a WRX with some STI bits, lots of nice standard features the WRX didn't get, and a more refined look (IMO). If you don't mind owning a bastard child it's a great value, IMO.
Bryce
Portland, OR | '69 Bug | '05 Saabaru | '95 Impreza | '06 Ulysses | '67 122S | '07 Sky Redline | $2009 West Coast - AWD Fiero Hybrid
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May 28, 2009 2:58 p.m. sachilles Reader
You sure about the aluminum control arms? It's a wagon so it should be the narrower setup.
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May 28, 2009 3:51 p.m. Nashco SuperDork
sachilles wrote: You sure about the aluminum control arms? It's a wagon so it should be the narrower setup.
I suppose I should clarify. Technically, it's the forward lateral link on the rear suspension that's aluminum (compared to aluminum bits on the WRX). Minor difference, but still a difference. Perhaps it's not an STI part, I guess I just had it stuck in my head wrong.
Bryce
Portland, OR | '69 Bug | '05 Saabaru | '95 Impreza | '06 Ulysses | '67 122S | '07 Sky Redline | $2009 West Coast - AWD Fiero Hybrid
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May 28, 2009 4:52 p.m. EricM HalfDork
weird, it is like they know what we are talking about.
http://chambana.craigslist.org/cto/1193793916.html
http://ericsvlog.blogspot.com <br> http://las-go-around.blogspot.com
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May 28, 2009 4:53 p.m. Woody Dork
I think that they depreciated quicker because people tend to forget about them, so they probably linger on the lot longer than a WRX.
They didn't make many. I may be wrong but for some reason the number 7500 sticks in my head.
And a new champion walks among us.
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May 28, 2009 4:54 p.m. Woody Dork
EricM wrote: weird, it is like they know what we are talking about. http://chambana.craigslist.org/cto/1193793916.html
Nope, different animal all together.
And a new champion walks among us.
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May 28, 2009 9:37 p.m. carguy123 Dork
I've searched and can't find it, does anyone know if it has an LSD front diff?
"mobilito ergo sum" I drive therefore I am!
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May 29, 2009 8:36 a.m. sachilles Reader
no it doesn't have a front lsd.
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May 29, 2009 8:40 a.m. pinchvalve SuperDork
The Subaru parts will hold up well, the GM parts may be stuck in legal proceedings for a while.
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May 29, 2009 10:00 a.m. carguy123 Dork
pinchvalve wrote: The Subaru parts will hold up well, the GM parts may be stuck in legal proceedings for a while.
But they're the same thing?
"mobilito ergo sum" I drive therefore I am!
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May 29, 2009 10:25 a.m. Stargazer HalfDork
carguy123 wrote:
pinchvalve wrote: The Subaru parts will hold up well, the GM parts may be stuck in legal proceedings for a while.
But they're the same thing?
Not the parts specific to the Saab - exterior pieces, interior, etc...
All of the drivetrain parts have Subaru stamped on them and will be easy to replace despite the fate of GM.
Only the Aero has a rear LSD; the Linear is open.
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May 29, 2009 10:50 a.m. carguy123 Dork
Dang it. I'm already set up to go look at a Linear this afternoon.
I could care less about the body, I'm only interested in the drivetrain.
"mobilito ergo sum" I drive therefore I am!
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May 29, 2009 11:18 a.m. carguy123 Dork
Stargazer wrote: Only the Aero has a rear LSD; the Linear is open.
Even the Linear Turbo?
The car I'm scheduled to look at is a 2.3 turbo (according to the owner & yes I know there was never a 2.3)
I can't locate anything for sale that bills itself as an Aero. All I find is a NA Linear and a Turbo Linear
"mobilito ergo sum" I drive therefore I am!
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May 29, 2009 11:31 a.m. Stargazer HalfDork
carguy123 wrote:
Stargazer wrote: Only the Aero has a rear LSD; the Linear is open.
Even the Linear Turbo?
The car I'm scheduled to look at is a 2.3 turbo (according to the owner & yes I know there was never a 2.3)
I can't locate anything for sale that bills itself as an Aero. All I find is a NA Linear and a Turbo Linear
There's no such thing as a Linear Turbo, all Linears are NA.
Linear = 2.5RS EJ25,
Aero = WRX
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