Audi A4 MU vs Volvo S60T vs Saab 9-3 2.0T

[Flexer]

Hi all,

 

Would like comments on the above in terms of:

 

1. Build quality and stability

 

2. Comfort and spaciousness

 

3. Ease and $$$ of maintenance (3rd party workshops) esp after agent warranty is over

 

4. Features and gadgets (those that come standard and not optional)

 

5. Resell Value

 

Thanks

[Santa]

Following just my own opinion pls do not zap me if i express wrongly

 

1) built quality and stability should be almost comparable

 

2) comfort should saab and volvo due to the space. audi a4 mu is simply too small. if u

are 1.88m - u will have problem fitting into the driver seat not to mention back

seat. toyota altis and new honda civic is more spacious than audi a4 mu

 

3) equally expensive - main issue is the 'parts pricing' - labour charge at outside

workshop is pretty standard.

 

4) saab and volvo

 

5) audi and volvo

(saab not much of re-sale value)

[Yang62]

1. In terms of build quality, I think Audi wins out on this one. In almost every comparo run by magazines, Audi wins out in interior build even against other brands like BMW and mercedes. Prestigewise, it also completes very often with the German marquees as well. In terms of reliability, i would say Volvo and Audi are neck and neck, though Saab build quality has improved a lot over the years too.

 

2. In terms of space, all three are very small and tight, with Audi being the smallest.

 

3. I'm not 100% sure about the local parts and service, but judging from the size of Volvo's showroom, i would think that their service is more reliable and comprehensive. They sell more cars than Audi/Saab too i would think.

 

4. Value for money wise, i think Saab is the best deal for now. For less than 110k sing before rebate, you get 195 bhp (upgraded turbo), all the usual niceties like leather trim and steering wheel, steptronic, plus you can choose your own interior trim (wood or aluminum or black). The Volvo S60 is the oldest and i think it will be changed soon, and its at least 10t more expensive than the saab. The Audi is the best choice for resale but its not as good value for money. Its around 117k, and you only get 130+ bhp which translates to a slow car. I guess its the "German" premium!

 

Hope this helps!

Edited October 11, 2006 by Yang62

[Santa]

but importanly if u want a car for image to show to your business associate, then volvo still is the best out of the three.

 

u drive volvo - even kopitiam uncle and auntie know this car, but not saab or audi...

[Inxs]

In my opinion Volvo and Audi have nice interiors. Saab doesnt.

 

Saab has an awful resale value, but take it as your advantage and buy it at 2nd hand. Its LPT is a delight.

[Sgsw0skl]

sorry, u have to compare the Audi 1.8T / 2.0TFSi , else it is a very bias comparison.But then, it will price it out of the budget numbers.

[Saabretooth]

1. Build quality and stability:

Build Quality, hmm thats depends one which area. In the cars that I've come across, the Volvo is the one with the least issues. Audi has got its bugs, and so does Saab. Stability, I believe that they are all quite close. The Saab has an edge in the handling department, since its all FWD and no S60R or Audi Quattro, as the 93SS has got passive rear steering and is rather planted for a car that heavy.

 

2. Comfort and spaciousness: The 93SS is very comfortable. I've fit 6 people in the car before and it was a decent squeeze ;). Try driving 3 hours non-stop and the seats still feel good. No backaches...etc. not sure about the other two. Audi is a little cramped in my opinion. Volvo is not too bad.

 

3. Ease and $$$ of maintenance (3rd party workshops) esp after agent warranty is over: I think the Audi has the largest base of aftermarket parts and workshops. I know of at least 3 or 4 that do the Saabs quite decently. Not so sure about the Volvo.

 

4. Features and gadgets (those that come standard and not optional). Gadgets! Saab, hands down. just look at the cup holder. SID displays. In its attempts to look like a pilot's cockpit, its got dozens of buttons and so many features. The Audi is simple and classy. Volvo is just a distant third

 

5. Resell Value. I think Saab has got a pretty poor resale value. Audi should be pretty alright, but there are many Audi's on the resale market. Volvo, not too sure, but I don't think that there's much of a market even though it holds its value better than the Saab.

[Antisocial]

hi bro, my dad just sold off his S80 recently and i really miss his old ride... it's so good that i told myself i will get a Volvo next time, not a BMW or an Audi..

 

but one man's meat is another man's poison... so it's still really up to you...

 

one thing i don't like is the servicing, the cheapest servicing my dad went for is $700+... more ex is 1.6k.. but that one change a lot of things, like brake pad and etc.. but the customer service is excellent la...

 

some more no need to be scared of people knocking into you... once a civic reversed into my dad's open car door and the taillight everything gone... my dad's door cannot close properly only, go and do some knocking back then ok liao...

 

do consider the Volvo! but Audi A4 looks evil...

[Comnao]

Following just my own opinion pls do not zap me if i express wrongly

 

1) built quality and stability should be almost comparable

 

2) comfort should saab and volvo due to the space. audi a4 mu is simply too small. if u

are 1.88m - u will have problem fitting into the driver seat not to mention back

seat. toyota altis and new honda civic is more spacious than audi a4 mu

 

3) equally expensive - main issue is the 'parts pricing' - labour charge at outside

workshop is pretty standard.

 

4) saab and volvo

 

5) audi and volvo

(saab not much of re-sale value)

 

saab 93 also very small

 

volvo build quality not as good compared to SAAB / Audi

 

if let me choose

Volv S60 < Saab 95 < Audi A 6

 

if boh pian want max space per $$

93 < A4 < S60

 

performance 0-100

A4 2.0 < S60 < 93

 

ease of mods

about the same

 

depreciation = all equally Lao Sai ... expect to lose up to 20K a year for the first 2 years

[Santa]

wonder whether it is true that some ever told me that for volvo s60 and above, servicing is not able to do it outside as need computerised program to debug if any problems arise.

while some clearly swear by volvo crash quality, recent mercedes accident that kill the lady passenger should also rise some concern that how come a conti car like mercede cannot withstand side impact crash from a motorcycle (what if it is a bigger vehicle).

 

any conti franatics can comments among all these 3 brands, which one has the least hitches since day 1. been reading bmw forum, it seem the 3 and 5'series has their fair share of problems. only negative comments i heard on volvo is the gear box, i.e 'up lorry' very fast and stalled problems. Audi is the cvt transmission 'up lorry' around 60k km mileage and replacement cost is close to 5 digits'. for saab - the older batch has the smelly aircon problems wonder whether has they resolved this issue.

[Saabretooth]

The Saab is a good car, but when you come down to the itsy bitsy stuff, it can get an unknowning owner a bit riled up. Fortunately, my ride has very few hitches. Just one or two things to settle due to time and age.

 

The latest batch of 93SS are much better, no more rattling interiors...etc. Its a solidly built car that packs quite a punch from a rolling start. Its so easy to pull smoothly that its very deceiving to the driver that its slow. The torque curve is smooth.

 

Most of the servicing can be done outside. Tech II is the computer system that is needed to read the codes from the car if there are any electronic errors. General changes are still ok. Most of the people go back to agent only for the major repairs or problems.

 

If you check the NCAP rating, the 93SS has got the 5 star safety standards, and has its own standards to meet, much higher than NCAP. Has got side impact beams and airbags too.

[Hatch_lover]

hi,

 

I'm currently driving a B6 A4 MU. This is the model before the current single frame front nose. As I have only test driven the other 2 models, ie never own them before, I cant really comment much on some of your query. Just a qn, r u choosing the S60 instead of S40 becoz of the lower capacity and TC engine?

 

 

Would like comments on the above in terms of:

 

1. Build quality and stability

 

Personally I feel the Audi gives the best impression of `quality' and solidity. Even though the Audi feels better, nevertheless the Saab also feels solidly build and certainly justify the conti premium. The Volvo, being in the market for some time now, does feel a bit plasticky and dated. However if its the S40, I definitely prefer this over the Audi interior.

 

As for stability, the A4 is well planted on the straight at 3 figure speeds but when it comes to bends, i think the 93 corners the best in terms of the 3 cars. The A4 rolls slightly and an upgrade to the SLine suspension may do the trick but that means spending $2k more.

 

2. Comfort and spaciousness

 

This is definitely the trump card of the S60, both the front and rear seats. The 93 and the A4 cant touch the S60 at all. Between 93 and A4, I think the 93 feels more spacious, especially at the back. the A4 is very cramp at the back

 

3. Ease and $$$ of maintenance (3rd party workshops) esp after agent warranty is over

 

I can only comment on the A4. Havent really tried outside workshops but there r certainly at least 3 rather famous independent workshops that can service VW (incl Audi) cars. Not sure if u're into mods. Word of caution, the A4 MU cant really do much, but the 1.8T A4 has mods aplenty, and its even available at the official agent, thus warranty is mostly intact. I heard the saab is also easily moddable, also at the agent So just by spending a couple of $$, BHP and NM can be up significantly

 

4. Features and gadgets (those that come standard and not optional)

 

The A4 has the standard features and gadgets which I think the Saab and Volvo also have but both the Swedes has more features than the A4. For eg the S60 has built in phones speakers in the drivers headrest i think, correct me if i'm wrong for those who drives a S60. While the 93 has a cool feature that turns off most dash and centre consol lites

 

5. Resell Value

 

I think all 3 cars has similar depreciation, ie at least $20k pa. The difference is the ease of finding a buyer. Generally I think the A4 and S60 should be easier to find a buyer than the Saab.

 

And btw, last week Audi has a promotion for the A4 and the net price after all the usual rebates and stuff is $109k but must take 10 yr loan. If its 7 yr loan, I think its around $111k so the px has certainly come down a bit.

 

Happy hunting and do let us know what is your outcome. And oh yes, if u're not in a hurry, y not wait for the new Mondeo to be launched in Sg? Even though its a different class segment from the A4-93-S60, i think its certainly worth taking a look and u may also save a fair bit of cash.

 

cheers!

[Santa]

mate - you have any ideas on the lastest batch of saab 9-5 ? is the performance on par with 9-3 or it is better (am talking on the base model). so far how much do AUTOEUROKARS charge for most of your servicing ?

[Hatch_lover]

The latest batch of 93SS are much better, no more rattling interiors...etc. Its a solidly built car that packs quite a punch from a rolling start. Its so easy to pull smoothly that its very deceiving to the driver that its slow. The torque curve is smooth.

 

Indeed, and I only tested the base 150hp 93 and the straight line acceleration is phenoneme. I had to check with the SE is it the Troll or Aero that I was test driving. Personally, if i have the $, I will go for the Combi 93, very nice.

[Saabretooth]

Performance should be relatively on par, but its a bigger machine. The 93 is more manoevrable. The 95 is a facelifted version with several touch ups to keep it current. Its probably going to be phased out by 2008.

TransEurocars provide free servicing for first 3 years. There is a 5 year warranty as well. if not its going to be in the $150-250 range, depending on the type of servicing.

[Santa]

it is always very misleading to say free servicing 'what does it actually means as in the case of saab' ? everything u have to pay except the labour charge of $40 or $80 is free...or everything is free including the wear and tear and oil ?

 

why they phasing out the 9-5 ? is a nice size..9-3 is more for bachelor or young couple and not so family orientated. 9-3 is base on opel platform right which is more inferior to 9-5 ???

Edited October 12, 2006 by Santa

[Saabretooth]

Haha, sorry for the lack of information. I was typing on the move.

 

There are A, B and C servicing

 

Service A 10k

Service B 20k

Service A 30k

Service C 40k

 

at the cycle repeats.

 

All includes oil (Shell), oil filter, air filter, 1,000,000 point checks and various fluids...etc

 

I know that C includes replacing sparkies and ATF.

B replaces Sparkies ...etc

 

All these things come in the 3 year package.

 

The 95 is almost a 10 year old model. All the bugs have been ironed out and its a very stable platform. Fast and stable. Plush seats, think of the comfy leather chair back home. The 95 is a monster in a straight line, but once you start doing B-roads, the 93SS can easily out manoevre most cars save BMs and Alfas ;)

 

The 93 is good for a young couple, or even young family up to 2 kids. but once you want to squeeze in the maid and the in-laws on a regular basis, look for the sport combi or 95 Estate. The 93SS platform is known as Epsilon. The Opel Vectra and Alfa 159 share the same chasis. There are some differences in the suspensions... small stuff. The chasis is NCAP 5 Star rated for safety.

 

If the 93SS owner is up to it, it could give quite a few performance cars a run for the money. But they are mostly a safe lot, and license revoking speeds are only meant for out of Singapore and at the tracks ;)

 

 

Tire rotation not covered...etc

[Saabest]

In the case of SAAB, free servicing includes labour, oil, parts like filters. Within the warranty period, you have to pay for your wear & tear parts like brake pads, tyres. Is this not clear enough? talk to a sales executive in SAAB, they are nice people who does not perform hard selling tactics to clarify your queries.