Paul,
The 4-cylinder, non-turbo S engine is also good, and may get slightly better fuel economy than the turbo. Both get pretty good highway mileage, but suffer a bit in town (see fueleconomy.gov in the US). It's the 6-cylinder in the non-turbo SE that has a bad reputation around here.
But it sounds like you're just looking for a good car and found the Saab, so you may not care about getting an exact feature set (which is good: with Saab's limited production volumes, you could be looking a long time).
There were a few upgrades in the early years of the NG900 (different steering, bigger brakes) that you'll benefit from with a 1997 model. The
1997 is the last year of the cable clutch, and clutch cables can pop at any time...fortunately, it's a pretty simple and straightforward repair (maybe $100, I think). I don't think anyone can predict cable failure (except if it's been done recently, you're probably OK).
It's generally a good idea to pay a mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection, regardless of the make of car (or plane). If you're in the US, you might look at the list of recommended mechanics over at saabnet.com to find a knowledgeable shop in your area.