# 2002 passat 95k vs 2004 saab 95 123k **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2015, 7:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016 "2015-08-28T07:47:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thelz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thelz/32/5868_2.png) [@Thelz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Thelz)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 7:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/1 "2015-08-28T07:47:05Z")
I am a student loking to buy a car asap.i have found two that i think are my best so far but do not know what to pick. I would like something cheap to maintain, reliable and safe. What do yo think? ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 8:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/2 "2015-08-28T08:14:12Z")
The cars are both too old and have too many miles on them to meet your criteria; "cheap to maintain, reliable, and safe. ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/3 "2015-08-28T15:04:17Z")
The Passat should be good if it is a V6 (I owned a 2003 model, sold it last year). But budget $1000 per year for maintenance. Saab is not known for reliability. Get them checked by a good independent mechanic before purchase, about $100. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/4 "2015-08-28T16:30:56Z")
Neither. What’s your budget? ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/5 "2015-08-28T17:16:42Z")
**“I would like something cheap to maintain, reliable and safe.”** Keep looking…those vehicles are miles outside the ballpark. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/6 "2015-08-28T18:12:38Z")
Stay away from the Saab, the factory is closed, parts are hard to get, service is hard to find, the car is at a point it will require several expensive things. I own one, I love it, however, it is not for you. It is not cheap or reliable at 125,000 miles. The Passat is a better choice between the 2 but I’d stay away from that as well. There are better choices for the same money. Think Camry. Corolla, Mazda 3 or 6, Civic or Accord. ---
**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/7 "2015-08-28T18:19:47Z")
Keep looking, neither of these cars are going to be cheap to maintain. A Toyota or Honda would be a better brand to look at ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/8 "2015-08-28T18:21:04Z")
General rule - avoid European cars when shopping the low priced market. ---
**Author:** ![irlandes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@irlandes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/irlandes)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/9 "2015-08-28T21:21:34Z")
Ford Crown Vic??? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/10 "2015-08-28T22:54:03Z")
I saw a license plate the other day, UFFDA\_. That about says it all on these choices. Back to the library for more research. Neither would be reliable and cheap to own in my view. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 8:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/11 "2015-08-29T08:00:09Z")
:grimace: ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 8:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/12 "2015-08-29T08:44:44Z")
They’re both aged cars and reliability on any aged car is a coin flip. My suggestion is that you look for something a “little less exotic”. Think bland; Buick Century, Crown Vic, etc. Student, no knowledge of cars, thinking sporty, and ASAP is a combination that can lead to an even broker student with an even broker car. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 11:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/13 "2015-08-29T11:45:34Z")
Oh geeze another story. There’ll be time in the future for neat cars. Now you just need a good plain one. I was home from school one weekend (1968 and 200 miles one way) and got T boned in my blue 59 VW bug with a sun roof. It was wrecked. I borrowed my dad’s Falcon to take to school for the week, and during the week he found me another car. I don’t know how he did it that fast but it was a big old 59 Pontiac for $125. I wasn’t too impressed at first but I grew to really like that car and wish I still had it. It served me well for the last two years of school and through basic training when I could afford to get a better one. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/14 "2015-08-29T19:35:08Z")
A salvage yard west of me has a dozen or so old complete cars stashed out there and one of them is a 1959 Pontiac 4 door hardtop with the overhang roof. That thing is a beast of a land yacht. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/15 "2015-08-30T01:49:03Z")
Is it Canyon Copper with a white top? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 4:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-passat-95k-vs-2004-saab-95-123k/91016/16 "2015-08-30T04:59:54Z")
I haven’t been out there in about 3 or 4 years so my memory is very hazy. I walked up to the fence for a few moments where the cars are parked and eyeballed them a bit. I seem to remember that Pontiac is a copper color but can’t remember the roof color. It may have surface rust all over it. They have, or had, several other keepers there also. One is a '65 Riviera and a real beauty was a cranberry colored, straight '62 Buick convertible. The appalling part was that the convertible is sitting there with the top down and no tarp on it. It may look good on the outside but the floors and trunk may be rotted out by now. I used to go out there (60 miles one way…) to rummage through a Merkur XR4Ti they had for spare parts along with buying tires, engines, or transmissions. Eventually the hulk was crushed and I just haven’t made it back that way in a while. Next time I’m in the area I’ll swing by and take a look at that Pontiac just out of curiosity.