It’s amazing how much of a chilling effect a brand’s retirement can have on future values of cars made when the company was in its prime. Saab has deep roots in the enthusiast community, manufacturing a variety of sedans, hatchbacks, and convertible models that utilized funky cockpits, turbocharged drivetrains, and responsive handling – not to mention impressive reliability when maintained – to earn the favor and support of generations of brand evangelists. These days, Saabs are fairly cheap to buy unless extremely low mileage and in pristine condition (or a rare model like the Monte Carlo Yellow SE-trim convertibles), so this 1997 Saab 9000 CSE Turbo listed here on eBay for $2,950 or best offer seems like a great deal.
I actually had this Saab on my watch list on eBay, and the seller sent me an offer for $2,665 – so if you’re interested, I’d add it to your watch list and get the better offer. The seller notes that this Saab was a bit of a barn find when they got it, so after the requisite fuel system refresh and other repairs, it was ready for the road once more. The 9000 was offer in a few different trim levels, with the Aero being the top banana (and subsequently made the most horsepower), but the CSE was no slouch: it made 200 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 238 lb-ft of torque.
The interior of the 9000 is one of the best driver’s cockpits you can get for safely under $5,000, with terrific seats, a driver-focused center stack (that looks even better at night), and of course, the iconic console-mounted ignition switch. For a very brief moment, I owned a 9000 Aero that turned out to be a much bigger project than expected, and the Recaros that came standard on the top-spec model were even better than these – and frankly, some of the best factory buckets ever put in a car. This one could use some new leather on the front buckets, but I’d honestly just try and find a set of Recaros from an Aero model to swap in.
In addition to flushing out the fuel system, the seller notes he also did the following: “….changed all the fluids, engine oil, power steering, brake, coolant, trans. Brand new battery and new set of tires with less than 100 miles on them.” This takes care of most of the immediate issues a car like this needs, and obviously, there are numerous options for upgrading ECUs, turbochargers, intercoolers, and a full suspension refresh. For an enthusiast vehicle you can drive everyday that provides access to one of the most enthusiastic owners groups on the planet, it’s hard to beat an old Saab.
Swift Swede. With all the cold weather amenities for a skier ⛷️. Makes the drive to the hill half the fun 😀 👍🏁
My dad had a 9000 hatchback which I didn’t particularly like; the bootlid was very high and the C-pillars were very thick, both of which reduced rear vision. It was quite quick, though; I also had the amusing task of demonstrating what a turbo dump valve sounded like as he’d never planted his foot that hard so didn’t know.
The big difference between the CSE and the Aero was the turbocharger and the ECU tune. This one has the desired 5-speed over the automatic so for the asking price it might not be too bad. When I worked on these at the dealer we did a number of head gaskets and timing/balance chains and guides. Everything else was pretty robust. ASR is a pain in these cars and parts are probably non existent by now so look for a conventional throttle cable. ASR was standard on all Aero models at first but later became an option 94 and newer sticks in my head but I may be a year off. I had 2 9000 Aero models and loved them both and I agree with the seats being one of the most comfortable I have ever sat in.
these cars did not have a console ,ounted ignition switch.
These are GREAT cars. I had a ’94 9000 Aero manual, and it was one of the best cars I have ever owned. Should have kept it, but sold it with 280K on the clock and no the head had never been off. Car was my daily driver. Comfortable, fast and safe with excellent build quality. I would buy the right one again in a heartbeat, but in the meantime I have a 9-3 Aero, 2.8, 6 speed manual convertible that is fun as well.