Sorry, just saw this now, but - most of you - are wrong !!!
First of all, from my experience, and my brother on his 3rd Saab - they have low running costs. That does not mean it does 50mpg or anything, but TCO - Total Cost of Ownership - over, say, 3 years, is very low. Especially with a high mileage one, due to v.cheap purchase price.
My brother is on his 3rd 9-5, all s/hand, and his current, a 3.0turbo, is the lowest mileage one he's bought - 65k miles. His last 2.0lpt went to a new home in immaculate condition, with 127k miles, for 4750. And I expect it to trundle on for another 100k without much grief, either. And he bought it with 100k miles on it !!
Ditto his previous 9-5. TCO on the car after 2.5 years........Eur1800. Now that's cheap. Averaged about 28mpg (automatic, btw..........), but had no appetite to speak of for tyres, exhaust, etc etc. Car used to commute 30-40 miles each day. Works out cheaper than a 1.4 Corolla, at that rate. That's why he's now running a 3.0t - even fewer buyers out there for those, so they're even better value - and the car is astonishing.
Me, I've dumped my 2.0 petrol car, and gone to a 3.0 too. Car is trundling around at about 25mpg, but is in a class of it's own, quality-wise, and depreciation is negligible. Insurance cheap, but car tax a pain - 1291 - you can't win them all - but still cheaper to run than our 02 Mazda diesel !
It's not price of the car, and if you're doing small miles, the fuel is the least of your expenses, so I'd actually nearly discount it, it's the whole package.