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Date: 25 Feb 1999 09:34:27 -0500
From: lparkernopsamy.edu (Lloyd R. Parker)
Subject: Re: SAAB 9-5 or Charysler 300M ?


r600nopsamejanews.com wrote: : In article <7aubl6$lmv$1nopsamdin.cc.emory.edu>, : lparkernopsamy.edu (Lloyd R. Parker) wrote: : > r600nopsamejanews.com wrote: : > : In article <7arklh$m36$1nopsamdin.cc.emory.edu>, : > : lparkernopsamy.edu (Lloyd R. Parker) wrote: : > : > r600nopsamejanews.com wrote: : > : > : I've driven it; no doubt it's a nice car. However, autostick just : doesn't : > : > : match the responsiveness of a real manual. By the way, Saab was the : first : > : to : > : > : market with a "tiptronic/autostick" type trans. The shifter worked like : the : > : > : regular 5- speed, but there was no clutch, so responsiveness was great : (C&D : > : > : road tested it 0-60 in 6.5 in '95; it was a regular 900SE Turbo 185hp). : The : > : > : trans option sold as a test in the UK; consumers ended up preferring the : > : real : > : > : thing. : > : > : > : > No. It would not shift automatically; you just didn't have to use a : > : > clutch. C/D panned it really badly and Saab never offered it in the US. : > : > : > : > I believe Porsche had their Tiptronic before this anyway. : > : > : > : : > : C&D did the opposite! -- re-read the article and you'll see that they sais : > : that they wished Saab USA had offered it. I drove one of these cars in the : > : U.K. It was pretty fun. Just like a real 5-speed without the clutch. : > : > They also griped about how hard it was to launch the car, and managed to : > break the transmission in their testing. : : Yes, they did... Although they did test a pre-production version. How's the : 300M autostick to drive? My car is a 99 Intrepid; I had a 96 before this, both with AutoStick. It's a ball to drive -- great fun. Leave it in "D" if you're in city traffic, tired, or whatever. Shift for yourself if you want. Great for being in a lower gear if a car in front of you has slowed to turn (you don't have to wait for the trans to downshift when you get back on the gas), for going around corners or turns, accelerating onto a freeway, etc. The only cars I considered were ones with this sort of trans. VW didn't offer the GLX model here for 99. Audi was too expensive, too small (A4), and the dealer too far away. Acura TL wasn't out then, plus no close dealer either. That left the 300M and Intrepid ES. I drove both. I felt the Intrepid was just about as good as the 300, for $5k less, so I got it.

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