i would fully support a G20t purchase. Courtney and I were talking this morning about how much we loved that car. BE SURE to get the Touring model. you WILL WANT the limited slip differential. it makes a world of difference in wet and snow. it also rides better than a non-touring G20. her brother has a non-touring G20 and the suspension is too soft for the ride height. it bottoms out on speed bumps and driveways. ours never did that. ours was a 2001 G20t with the winter package and it was a very solid car. we only traded it because i wanted the MX5 so badly.
as for Saab 9000s, mine has 109k miles on it and it drives great. some minor issues (the windsheild washer tank was replaced, needed brakes, has some squeaks), but repairs aren't any more expensive than my Contour was. try to find a manual transmission on a 9000, the autos are a little weaker. a 1998 9000 Aero 5-speed in the $9k range would be a SWEET deal. 225 HP, FWD, stealth, lots of space, hatchback, etc, etc...
and stay away from the GM-era 900's. they had a lot of problems. the 9-3 model designation solved a lot of that. you can get a 5-door, 5-speed 9-3 Viggen (1999-2000) for roughly $14k these days. a sweet deal too, and very reliable.
here are some links:
http://www.g20.nethttp://www.saabcentral.com 
