Lease to Saab 9-3 iconic convertible ends . 34k miles good to excellent shape. No problems at all.
Love the car [ great color]
should I keep or go new?
Drive around town [ Realtor]. Live in Mid Atlantic state, cold winters, car is convertible.
Do not see much I like that I want to pay the price for. All cars are starting to look alike to me…
If you like it, keep it. But I don’t think it makes good sense as a business car. If you carry clients to show them houses, one of them has to sit in the back. And if there are more than 3 of them, you can’t take them at all; the Saab convertible only seats 4. I suggest that you think about what your clients would like to be driven in, then narrow the list to what you like. It should be a 4-door sedan with enough room in the back for 2 or 3 adults. Or maybe a minivan. It’s all about your client’s comfort.
Just make sure the selling price at the end of lease is reasonable. Negotiate too. Saab’s plummet really free fall from sticker price in a short time.
Take a look at Edmunds.com for average selling prices.
You aren’t giving any info on the price of the car so it is hard to say if it is a good deal form you or not.
Saab convertibles hold value a bit better than Saab’s in general. That is on the plus side. Saab’s often need more frequent and more expensive repairs than average and that is on the minus side.
If you buy it you need to look at the monthly payment if you take a loan for the purchase. You will also need to budget more for repairs, and maintenance than you have spent so far. Things like tires and brakes are going to need replacing, perhaps fairly soon.
If you really like the car, it good be fine - but a lot depends on the price the leasing company is going to want for the car.
I have a lease end buyout of 22900 give or take. Rough retail is about 18k
Have put new tires and new brakes on it already…I do a LOT of stop and go driving.
Don’t carry clients alot
Was told I could not negotiate by my Saab Dealer. GMAC held the lease…now Aly.
Have almost 34k in miles and in pretty good shape.
Does that help? Its the Lime Yellow model and I went to look at cars today and I think they all look alike!
Edmunds.com (which I find a pretty close) puts the dealer price for your car at about $19,500. The car gets some extra value for the low miles, about $600. I also guessed you had some options and it isn’t a bare bones car, the convertibles usually have decent optional packages. The bare bones price with more miles is right where you state, $18K.
Still, GMAC is not going to get anything close to $22,900 for the car, if you decline the buyout. You can try to negotiate, but they might not budge, hoping you’ll cave. What you could do is contact the dealer where you turn the car in. They might keep it and put it on their lot, or a used car lot in the area. With the low miles and decent condition it might not be sent out to an auction.
If you can track the car, you might be able to buy from a used car dealer at a price closer to $18,500 or $19K. If you want to offer GMAC your best deal, I’d go about $500 to $1,000 over what it would get at auction. This gives GMAC more than they would get letting go to a dealer, or auction.
I don’t think a Saab convertible heading into winter is going to be get a big price at an auction today. You can never tell with auctions, but I’d guess $15K would be ballpark. So your $18K might look pretty good to GMAC.
You don’t know if the frog will jump unless you poke it. But $23K isn’t a good deal for you for this car, but $18K could be.
thanks,
I understand the Lease holders have gap insurence to protect the risk…so they don’t negotiate as a result.
Then I think you have to let it go unless the car is worth $23K to you. You like the color, you know the service history, and it all works for you. Do some car shopping and compare new leases vs the monthly payment and maintenance costs. No one can fault you if you decide to keep the car.
If you get something else and don’t “bond” with it; you’ll be driving it wishing you had the Saab back. My guess is just about everyone has sold a car that they wish they had back. Mine was a '67 Mustang. So, if that is the way this car makes you feel then the money spent will be worth it. You’ll have the car you really want for however long you want it.
Perhaps in a few years you’ll keep it as your fun car and get something else for the everyday business car. I have a '04 T’bird convertible and I plan to have it as long as it or I last. If I sold it, I know on at least some beautiful days every year I’d want it back.