I was thinking maybe I could buy a used Saab 9-2x or Impreza for cheap while keeping my TSX, since the 9-2x and Impreza are both AWD. I know that the Saab 9-2x is an Impreza too, but I just wanted to question more about which one would be more costly in these areas:

1. maintenance, more expensive at a Subaru or Saab dealer?
2. insurance you think would be the same?

In the end what would you choose and why even if both are the same car, just sold under different brands?

 

Impreza.

Saab maintenance is going to be more expensive than Subaru.

 

Which version are you considering? Hopefully it's the 9-2x Aero with the Turbo instead of the n/a 2.5. I prefer the looks of the Saab and if I had one, I'd build it into a nice sleeper car. I mean, it practically shares all the internals of the Subaru and can easily be interchanged which is why it's often called the "Saabaru". My only concern would be warranty work, especially if you don't have a good mechanic that knows Saabs and Subarus. It's then I would get the Impreza instead, due to a larger amount of dealerships for service. I don't know about you, but there aren't too many Saab dealers around where I live.

 

prez will be relatively cheaper and easier to find but the parts are still from japan



oh and Subaru paint sucks

 

Subaru FTW.....

Because SAAB is

S omething
A n
A sshole
B uys

:wink:

 

if the internals are identical, i would have to judge the discrepancies in the looks department. personally, i would have to say saab. leaps and bounds more attractive, esp. the front end.

plus at the age of 29, idk if i would want to be driving around in an impreza (no offense to any impreza owners on the board)

guess is boils down to a question of dealer for dealer locations and the $$ of maintenence.

 

It's the same car with a different grill, you could have it repaired at a Subaru dealer.

The only difference really is that the Saab had leather and a 4x50 warranty and the Subie had a 3x36 so depending on the miles of the cars you look at you may want to factor that in.

You know Saab had absolutely nothing to do with the making of this car if you can turn it off and remove the key without putting it in reverse.

 

Meh. I just took my mom to look at Subarus over the weekend and she liked the Outback Sport which is an Impreza hatchback body. Anyway, I rather like the exterior of the Impreza hatchback, but not the sedan. What I didn't like about the Impreza is the interior materials seem a little cheap, and it doesn't come with leather even as an option, so you have to get aftermarket leather. That means no heated seats, either. Just seems like you lose a lot of features, but the good side is that it's fairly cheap. I don't know what the 9 2-x looks like but I know I'm not into Saab's looks so that wouldn't be the car for me.

 

My buddy has a 9-2 aero, nice car, basically a more refined looking wrx. I like the looks of the Saab better than the Subaru. Not sure what the maitenance costs are on the Saab, but being a Suby owner myself(Legacy GT) I know Subaru isn't exactly the cheapest either. I think the Acura dealer was a little cheaper than the Subaru is.

I am sure they will try and get more for the Saab pricewise, so that may be something that tips the scales in favor of the WRX, especially considering it is not going to be your main car. But if all things were equal in price, I'd go with the Saab just for a little nicer look.

 

Good post.

 

Is the reliability good in the Saab/Subaru? I think I may invest in this because some are going between $12-16K right now. I just don't really trust the TSX in snow and prefer AWD.

 

I wouldn't get rid of the TSX just because of snow. MY CL was great in the snow with a set of blizzaks on. Sure its heavier than a TSX but I'd bet that you could get around just fine. My CL with blizzaks was better in the snow than my Legacy GT with the oem all season tires. Now the Legacy with snow tires on is a whole step up, but like I said, I wouldn't dump your car just for fear of snow.

 

^^ I agree. Try your car with snow tires this winter and see how it does. If it isn't to your liking, then maybe try AWD. But go with the cheaper alternative first and see how it works out before starting another car loan.

 

I know he'll see a huge difference. My first two winters with the CL-S way back I had no clue about tires, I used to get stuck everywhere and almost slid into a couple accidents, I just figured my car sucked in snow. Once I got the blizzaks on there it was a whole new car in the snow. You can hear the tires crunching into the snow and it feels nice to actually be able to stop in it as well.

OP, get some 16 in wheels and tires on there, or just buy the tires for the oem wheels. You can even decrease the width and increase the profile, they will be so cheap in that size and handle quite well.

 

I notice a big difference with snow tires, even though we get less snow here in the NY/NJ/PA area than Chicago. I think they're totally worth it.

 

alright snow tires may be my best bet