Bit of a quandary Saab v Insignia

[davidjpowell]

Help - I really don't know what to do. Heart is ruling over head, but they both keep changing their mind...

Last year I took an Insignia on long term rental. It costs £480 with no mileage cap, and no maintenance liability. When it gets a bit leggy (15k or so) they change it for another.

It's quiet, quick, diesel and does 45 to the gallon with a phone kit.

The intention was to sell the Saab. This is a 2001 2.3 LPT. It's done 130k, but had the sump dropped at 50k, and fully synthetic oil changes every 6k since. WEMorgan knows the car well. It has an ipod kit, and a hands free kit (although struggles a bit with volume, I can adjust that). It does anything between 32 and 40mpg on a run, depending on my determination to get home.

Because of the snow, and then Christmas, the Saab has been siting sad and neglected on the driveway. Last driven in November.

Just got in the car to clean it up ready for sale. Started, first time. Bloody amazing.

As a long term keeper, it will need sometime a Turbo (£400 or so), and some bushes (£150?). Otherwise good to go. But it's still an old lady that would need to be doing 20k pa on the motorway...

So it does less mpg, but some of that is offset by the difference in Petrol v Diesel. For work miles, for some clients I charge 25p per mile also. Money is reasonably tight and £480 a month might be useful.

Also image is an issue, as I self employed. But a private plate would deal with some of it, and perhaps its less of an issue than i think anyway. Most clients were amazed at the cost of the car in the year that I did use it.

So in two minds... so advice?

 

[crockers]

So you're looking at the thick end of £6000 a year to run the Insignia.
Questions you have ask yourself. Will the Saab be reliable enough for your work? If it's off the road say 5 days in the year what will that cost you? Is your rental tax deductible? Which do you prefer to drive? How much for a years maintainence and extra fuel (plus some repairs) for the year? Are they both auto or manuals? Which system do you prefer? Saab based on old Vectra chassis - Insignia new. Which one do you look forward to driving the most? I had a 9-5 loved the seats but ate ECUs.

 

[davidjpowell]

So you're looking at the thick end of £6000 a year to run the Insignia.
Questions you have ask yourself.
1. Will the Saab be reliable enough for your work? If it's off the road say 5 days in the year what will that cost you?
2. Is your rental tax deductible?
3. Which do you prefer to drive?
4. How much for a years maintainence and extra fuel (plus some repairs) for the year?
5. Are they both auto or manuals? Which system do you prefer?
6. Saab based on old Vectra chassis - Insignia new. Which one do you look forward to driving the most? I had a 9-5 loved the seats but ate ECUs.

1. To date has been. As long as it does not just stop I can work around odd days.
2. Yes - although not at full rate I think.
3. Both! Both have their strengths. Saab is like greeting an old friend.
4. Will crunch some numbers on this.
5, Manuals both
6. Has not lunched an ECU, yet...

hmmmm

 

[Meldrew2]

Maybe it's also worth looking at the NCAP safety figures......

If the Insignia protects you better, that has to have a value too...






.

 

[Ade B]

If the main motivation is financial then I'd get rid of both & look at financing a similar nearly new car for a lower monthly outlay. Even factoring in maintenance & depreciation it should cost less.

Either that or just park the Saab round the cornet when meeting clients.

Ade

 

[renault12ts]

Keep the Saab, pocket the money.

When it comes to image =, there are two schools of thought.

1) I need a good car, my clients expect it.
2) I can't have too good a car my clients will ask who is paying for it.

In my experience neither is right nor wrong. It's mostly in your head. You use which ever you like to justify the car you have.

I'm also self employed, I don't care what I drive, and I don't care what the client thinks. In my job I deal with people who are on modest incomes and those who are very well off.

I have found that if you are up front then it does not matter. I remember the conversation I had the day before I bought my first Mercedes in 1999. The car was £30k, the guy I was speaking to earned £10k...was he annoyed..not a bit, (just couldn't understand why I wasn't getting a Porsche), and he wanted to see it as soon as I got it. He's still a client.

Other wealthier clients are like you and me, they don't care either.

So drive what you like, and let the rest worry about other things.

On the other hand, I'd rather see someone in an old Saab, than a new Insignia.

 

[Bellow]

Try the Saab for a year and see how it pans out?
For all you will get for it, and we tend towards 'use what you've got', a £6k better bank balance one year on from now will give you greater freedom to decide where from there. Possibly another year in the Saab, or another older 'appreciating classic'.Or an Insignia type deal.
Re image. Won't hurt. A bit of belt tightening will gain respect as much as criticism. These are tough times - your clients/customers know it too.

None of this disputes what has been said in favour of the Insignia.

 

[crockers]

What's wrong with the C320 cdi? Let your wife enjoy the Saab as you put up with the Merc.

 

[davidjpowell]

No or few work miles allowed on the c class!

 

[abecketts]

I'd ditch the insignia, your clients won't be negative towards a 10 year old car, they might be more negative to see you in something new thinking "i'm paying for that". Friend in the village has a Saab like yours, it has eaten 3 ecu's but he loves it and won't swap.

 

[Charles Morgan]

One can over-think all this, but I think the most pertinent question is what image do you think your clients would like you to project. My business partner in Switzerland is a very wealthy man and among many other cars has a CLS, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, a Jaguar XJS Le Mans and an ML55, yet he visits all his clients (who are mostly not short of cash) in his old 320 CLK convertible from 1998, which is in good nick. His rationalisation is simple - he sells products designed to last a long time, from Germany, and he doesn't want to impress them with his wealth, he'd rather it were not an issue.

I took his rationale when buying the W124 principally as a business tool, and it has occasioned only good feedback. I also note that two of the people with whom I shoot who are wealthy in a way that few can hope to be drive an old BMW 318 and an old ML320 respectively.

A SAAB is one of those sorts of cars that doesn't quite stereotype you, but you can pass it off as a passion. No one ever passed off driving an Insignia as a passion! and most corporate types will pinhole it straightaway.

However, what Ade B said is a very good point and renault12ts couldn't have put it better!

 

[davidjpowell]

Well I have washed the car hoping that would help me make my mind. Lots of rust etc. Nope bodywork I suspect if far better than the equivalent aged MB. Note of things to do - once license plate bulb. Two new license plates that have taken a beating in the snow.

vs

 

[grober]

Just buy one of the last of the old 9-5s -should be many bargains about, now the new one [ insignia floorpan based] is out. Make it petrol or diesel altho I suspect you're more likely to get a nice low mileage example by going petrol-- you can always "Hirsch up" one of the lowlier engined cars if that's all that's available? Hirsch Performance - Saab performance upgrades and accessories

 

[flango]

David

Saab is a class car much more so than the Insignia (which personally I hate with a passion, not a patch on the Vectra it replaced) but my main reason would be £480 /month is an expensive lease and if you could get out of it I would and go back to the Saab. If there is an Image problem then as you say a private plate on the Saab would sort that and nobody would ever guess what year it was. With regular servicing and keeping on top of it the Saab will last another 5+ years easy>

So I would bin the Insignia and get back in the Saab

 

[renault12ts]

Well I have washed the car hoping that would help me make my mind. Lots of rust etc. Nope bodywork I suspect if far better than the equivalent aged MB. Note of things to do - once license plate bulb. Two new license plates that have taken a beating in the snow.

vs

An unfair comparison. How could the Vauxhall compete against that classic Saab.

 

[Bellow]

Just buy one of the last of the old 9-5s -should be many bargains about,[/url]

I almost suggested this as I know of one in Edinburgh that is for sale. I'd have to check on the spec, but it is top line with leather and bi-xenons at least, and has been well cared for by self employed colleague who used it as his business car prior to the XF.
It would be competitively priced - he doesn't need two cars...

I'll find the rest of the details if you are interested. It is a good presentable car.

 

[wemorgan]

A year or so ago a friend bought a fully loaded 18month old 95 Aero estate with 10k miles for £13k. Excellent value I thought.

But returning to David's OP, I'd say what he expects me to say and that's keep the 95 for another year. If cash flow is an important factor I suspect that over the year the 95 will be many thousands cheaper than the Insignia. By the end of 2011 you will hopefully be in a more comfortable position and then a newer Saab or whatever might be on the cards.

 

[Cabe]

That Saab is nothing to be ashamed of, as you say a bit of tidying up and a monthly scrub will keep it looking shiny. I bet the insurance is lower on the Saab too.

As a previous self employed IT consultant, I can tell you I wouldn't have wanted too many 500 quid a month commitments in the lean times.

Pro Tip - You can charge up to 40p per mile to clients (the new ones anyway, old ones will just moan). When I was charging around the country it stopped daft clients from asking me to change toner in the photocopier (an example, they even had a service contract on it!).

 

[davidjpowell]

I almost suggested this as I know of one in Edinburgh that is for sale. I'd have to check on the spec, but it is top line with leather and bi-xenons at least, and has been well cared for by self employed colleague who used it as his business car prior to the XF.
It would be competitively priced - he doesn't need two cars...

I'll find the rest of the details if you are interested. It is a good presentable car.

Thanks for the offer, but on this one it's a straight either or... I am reluctant to take out loans or anything else at this time. Insignia part attraction is it's an unusual deal - straightforward long term rental that I can terminate at anytime...

 

[davidjpowell]

A year or so ago a friend bought a fully loaded 18month old 95 Aero estate with 10k miles for £13k. Excellent value I thought.

But returning to David's OP, I'd say what he expects me to say and that's keep the 95 for another year. If cash flow is an important factor I suspect that over the year the 95 will be many thousands cheaper than the Insignia. By the end of 2011 you will hopefully be in a more comfortable position and then a newer Saab or whatever might be on the cards.

Cheers' Will - no surprise there! I'm guessing the Saab Aero owner is my cars previous owner....