Good morning! Today is November 2nd, el Día de los Muertos in Mexico and elsewhere, a day when families pay their respects to departed loved ones and celebrate their lives. I thought it fitting, therefore, that we pay our respects to two gone-but-not-forgotten automotive brands. (It is also All Souls Day, but I really didn’t feel like talking about Korean subcompacts.) Continuing with our Interstate theme for the week, today’s choices are both within shouting distance of the ends of Interstate 80.
But before we pay a visit to the dearly departed, let’s finish up with yesterday’s V8s. I had a feeling this one might be close, and I was right.
Just ten votes separating them as of this writing. I’m on Team Mustang, for what it’s worth. A BMW sedan would have to be a good ten or fifteen years older than that before I’d touch it.
Now then: GM’s money troubles, bankruptcy, and subsequent restructuring in the 2000s left a trail of dead nameplates. Oldsmobile went first, then Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn, and Saab all got the axe, though Saab was sold off to Spyker and died a slow death. Opel and Vauxhall were later sold off to PSA (now Stellantis). And poor Holden staggered along, mortally wounded, for another decade, giving GM’s American customers some of its coolest cars in a long time before calling it quits.
Between these marques, there were some great cars, far more interesting than whatever Chevy or Buick crossover dreck GM is churning out now, and nearly all of them better looking than those appalling current-generation full-size pickups. Today, we’re going to take a look at two of them, a Saab and a Pontiac.
2001 Saab 9-5 Aero – $3,750
Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.3 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Fairfield, CA
Odometer reading: 140,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep!
Let’s just finally admit it: GM had no business owning Saab. The Swedish automaker not only marched to its own drummer; it invented its own percussion instruments, and sometimes even made up its own time signatures. GM had its wild moments – the Corvair and the Toronado come to mind – but most of the time it put out a steady back-beat you could dance to. To further torture the metaphor: If GM was Phil Collins, Saab was some mutant offspring of Gene Krupa and Neil Peart, on some serious mind-altering substances. GM was out of its depth. A rebadged Subaru and a Chevy SUV with its ignition switch in a weird spot were just no substitute for the twisted genius of the 99 Turbo and the Sonett.
The 9-5 is about halfway along Saab’s transition from “roadgoing jet” to “weird Chevy.”
[Ed note: Oops, Mark got the Saab 9-3 and the Saab 9-5 confused, partially because the seller of the car also seems confused about what this is. It does indeed have the 2.3-turbo engine which, in this form, probably has the 227 horsepower version of the B235R engine. The platform is shared with Saab 9-3 and Saab 900 Next Gen. We regret the error. – MH]
Saab interiors were always a nice place to be, and this one looks like no exception. It’s driver-focused, and distraction-free, especially when you switch the instrument panel to “Night” mode, an idea that should have caught on. The leather is in decent condition, and the weird fragile cupholder that folds out from the dash appears to be intact. It’s a sign that someone was careful with this car.
Outside, it’s pretty clean, except for a decent dent in the right rear door. Ordinarily, I might bemoan the choice of silver when actual colors were available, but Saabs look good in silver. And I love the many varieties of three-spoke wheels Saabs wore over the years, and these are especially cool.
2003 Pontiac Vibe – $3,900
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Totowa, NJ
Odometer reading: 93,000 miles
Runs/drives? I assume so, but the ad is a little terse
The Pontiac Vibe traces its roots back to the early 1980s, when GM and Toyota joined forces to form New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. This joint venture built Toyota Corolla-based vehicles in GM’s Fremont, California factory, which were sold as Chevy Novas and later Geo Prizms. After 2002, when the Prizm was discontinued, the NUMMI factory switched to Toyota’s new Matrix wagon, GM switched their version from Chevy to Pontiac, and the Vibe was born.
This base-model Vibe is powered by Toyota’s 1.8 liter 1ZZ-FE engine, coupled to a four-speed automatic. It’s a sturdy enough drivetrain, if not the most inspiring. A higher-horsepower engine, five- and six-speed manuals, and all wheel drive were all options the original buyer of this car didn’t spring for. This is another one of those very terse ads, and we get virtually no information about the car, but I assume that if they mention that it has been equipped with remote start, it must run and drive. Besides, at only 93,000 miles, it should barely be broken in.
The low mileage explains the car’s condition inside and out. It looks practically new. I really wish we had some more information about its history and condition. Too many sellers forget that Craigslist doesn’t charge by the word like the printed classifieds did – you can be as verbose as you like. Give us something to work with!
I really like the Vibe, and I came close to buying a Matrix once. It’s a good size, with lots of room inside and tidy proportions outside. And like the Chevy Nova and Geo Prizm before it, the Vibe flies a bit under the radar in the used car market, and largely avoids the dreaded “Toyota tax.” A Matrix with this few miles, in this condition, would probably cost a grand or two more.
Thousands of car companies have come and gone, of course, and not a few of them were bought, and later axed, by General Motors. Pontiac and Saab are just two of the more recent ones. Neither of these are brilliant cars, but they both have their place in the history books, and either of them would make a better-than-average cheap used car, I think. Which one is for you?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
This one was very difficult…I’ll take the Saab based on body style, comfort & a little more of an enthusiast car, to me at least. I love Pontiac and miss it a lot…this is an amazing deal for a Vibe w/ lower miles & I’ve heard great things about…but had to go w/ the Saab
A friend had a Matrix with the Yamaha motor and a six speed MT. It was a fun car, although she did say they she found the seating uncomfortable and could never get the driving position quite right. She wasn’t anatomically unusual, so there must have been something odd about it. I think I recall it being mentioned in reviews of the day too. Otherwise, it was a great package. I wish we could have more alternatives in this shape to today’s ‘trucky’ CUVs.
I don’t think the Matrix seats are uncomfortable at all, but there’s a sweet spot for personal adjustment. After my wife drives, I’ve got to readjust the seat slide, pivot, back, steering tilt & mirror. It always takes me 2-3 weeks before I get everything just right again.
And the low-mileage Vibe gets my vote. That’s going to last somebody a while.
I DD a 2007 Vibe. I find the seats incredibly uncomfortable and have never even noticed seats before in my cars. My wife thinks the seats are great. It might be a body type thing, as I’m thin, tall, and all limbs (arms and legs).
I addition, the steering wheel isn’t adjustable and many reviewers have mentioned that it’s placed awkwardly for some drivers. Could be a combination.
The Vibe is a great car though. Good on gas, nimble in parking and traffic because of its size, swallows almost any amount of cargo because every seat (except driver) folds flat, not to mention it has a hatch with glass you can open (on this/my model anyway, the later redesign lost that ability apparently).
Vibe all day. My mom had one nearly identical, same color with the painted cladding. She was literally the first person in town to get one, they had just been released. These are great little cars, practical, comfortable, pretty efficient. I’ve actually been thinking of these as a commuter car, I’m sick of putting so many miles on my 4Runner just driving to work and back (20k/yr).
I’m only a few states away, I should snatch this up.
That’s a 9-5 my friend, not a 9-3
Vibe. I’ll take the Corolla Matrix over the Swedish Vectra.
My wife (then girl friend) had a vibe, it was a good reliable car for us at the time (just out of school). . .but the Saab is just cooler.
My mom had a 2009 Vibe for a while, my sister now drives it. I’m not sure if it was previous neglect (she bought it used) or what but it was ironically one of the most unreliable cars she’s ever owned. Numerous unplanned repairs including water pump, O2 sensors and exhaust issues among other things. The car even left her stranded a couple of times. She’s now got a 2020 Honda Fit she bought new that she loves
I own my Yaris because the previous owner inherited his grandmother’s even-lower-mileage Vibe after she hung up the keys. Good enough for him, good enough for me. That one was white.
I speak from experience, having, as I’ve mentioned before, driven my ex-girlfriend’s a fair bit before, unfortunately, ramming it up someone else’s ass. That one was blue.
It’s about the slowest car I’d want to daily-drive, but it’s a Corolla wagon. It’ll just… keep… going.
I love the wheels on that Saab, though.
One of my friends got a Matrix with nearly 100k on it for his first car when we were in high school. In 2010. He still drives it. One of my favorite things about it is the all-plastic cargo area. It looks cheaper, sure, but it’s far more practical. I’ve got a weathertech liner in my Sportwagen, but I’d love it if there wasn’t any carpet at all.
I chose the Saab though, because I like weird and different things and it looks like that one was well cared for.
I’m always in favor of a good Peart reference, but Phil Collins wasn’t particularly mundane either, especially when he was in Genesis. I believe Turn It On Again is in 13/4.
13/4? – I guess that’s why me trying to follow that song is like Navin Johnson trying to dance to the blues.
https://youtu.be/QeDgOUoDTsY
Bought my daughter a 2007 Vibe for her first car. So used it for high school, college, and a year afterwards. Mileage when bought was just shy of 100k and donated it 7 years later (at 170k zero things wrong). Her college was adjacent to coastline and her car was regularly splashed with salt water and rough weather. Despite some paint fade (the beginning of clear coat failure)the exterior was unaffected. I replaced one battery. alternator. Spark plugs , tires and filters in the 6 years she had it. It has Corolla goodness and a small wagon utility. Excellent car that I would buy again in a heartbeat
If the car was for me – Saab all the way. It would be closer if the Vibe had the hot engine and manual.
If I were buying it for a teenager going off to college – the Ponyota would be a no-brainer.
A low-mileage Vibe for less than $4K is an incredible value. Fun fact: the Vibe’s odometer gets stuck at 299,999 miles, and people know this because those cars regularly last that long.
The Vibe is a Toyota with 93k miles. It’s practically a brand new car. I have the exact same powertrain in my ’99 Corolla. It’s perfectly fine for bombing around town. For $4 grand you can get another 20 years of daily driving out of that car, easy.
I can’t believe the vibe is winning right now. I didn’t even read the paragraphs about it. No way it’s a better choice than that Saab.
Some of us prefer cars we can get parts for.
Also some of us prefer cars that we know will continue running for a long time to come.
Also, yes.
Um…. that’s a Saab 9-5 not a 9-3.
Good catch
I was wondering. My saabs were 96V4, 99 NA, 900, 9-3. The 2002 (9-3 at a mere 145,000miles) turbo still retained a good % of saab genes. Several months ago it succumbed to rust down below. The 96v4 was pretty weird. In early 70’s, as one of the few fwd, it was great fun to crawl past Americian mega-cars mired on snowy hills. A great car done in by the MBA’s squeezing $$$ from rocks.
Man, I was all-in on the Saab til I saw it was a Vibe. Gotta go with my head here, it’s the better buy.
I still grieve the death of Saab. But I drove a Vibe for 9 years and it is still my favorite car owned. I refuse to choose a favorite child!
Thanks for brining up the day of the dead (dia de muertos) a beautiful tradition from my country. Gimme the vibe today that I need it for this day
Actually a tough call this time. If you just need the car for A-B then the Vibe all day. If the Vibe was a stick it’d probably win on fun too but since it isn’t I’d probably go with the 9-5, I actually owned one of these and it was a bit fun in its way even with the auto.
The Vibe will be running after we’re all dead.
Klingon wheels for the win!
I was just thinking the other day that there are still a ton of Vibes running around. They appear to be reliable and rust resistant. A better beater than the SAAB in my book.
When a relative needed a car remote programmed about a year ago, I was very surprised to see the locksmith arrive in a Vibe.
With little other information I’d probably default to that one. I don’t even know if I’ve ever seen a Saab in person.
never saw a Saab? Just curious where do you live? There is a small dealership still operating 20 min from my house. I guess that’s why the are not uncommon here.
Dealership? How? I thought they were a dead brand.
I’m from Pennsylvania. Not like I’ll claim to have been looking for them, especially since I’ve probably only learned of Saab in the last few years, but I do pay attention to car makes and models more than I used to and for the occasional rarer makes I see (Maseratis, Ferraris, Lambos, Alfa Romeos…) I just don’t ever recall seeing a Saab.
They sell parts and have a few used cars. Google, brewers saab, Hagerstown Md
That’s a 9-5, not a 9-3. I’ve owned two 9-5 wagons and I’d happily have another! This one is overpriced though, probably because it’s an aero.