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Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:19:17 -0500
From: Notes_shortnamenopsambm.com
Subject: Re: Saab 9-5 purchase


Congradulations! I am saving up so I can buy my 1st SAAB. Just wondering why you didn't go with the 9-3? I love the look, curious as to why it was dismissed so quickly. Sincerely, Jeff Schloeter David Nedde wrote: > I bought a Saab 9-5 this weekend, and thought others might be interested > in the thought process behind the decision. > > I has previously owned Honda Civics, and an Accord, but wanted to get > into something a little more luxurious, and still sporty, but without > spending much over $30,000. I am also 6'5" tall, and needed a car that > I could fit in. I looked at the Audi A4 and A6, BMW 323i, and Saab 9-3 > and 9-5. Other featured I wanted was power seats. After using heated > seats, I was sold on this feature. I also wanted split rear seats with > the ski pass-through. > > The Audi A6 was eliminated, because it only came in an automatic, and I > didn't like the way it shifted. The shifting felt too "soft" and I > wanted a sportier feel. The triptonic manual shifting of the automatic > didn't really work for me either. > > The Audi A4 was a good car and in the right price range. I liked the > interior trim and design. I didn't feel as though I really needed the > quattro, although I also felt I would have to get it to preserve any > resale value in the car since they are apparently all sold with > quattro. A disadvantage of the A4 was that there was not much room in > the rear seats. I like the one-touch-up-window feature, which the Saab > did not have. The outside look of the car was good, although a little > generic. > > The BMW new 3-series have increased head room so that I fit comfortably > without banging my head. I test drove the 323i to keep the price down > and because engine power is not critical - plus, the 323 seemed plenty > powerful enought to me anywat. I liked the way it drove and handled, > but the rear seats didn't have enough room. The driver's seat had > enough room, but it wasn't roomy. I liked the one-touch up windows. > Things that annoyed me about the BMW was that you had to pay extra for > metallic paint and their emphasis on how buying this car will give you a > big status boost. Also, there are so many BMW's around - I didn't just > want to be another one in the crowd. > > I test drove a Saab 9-3, although I don't remember much, because the > salesman suggested I try a 9-5 (4 cylender), which I did and test drove > several times, wiping out my impressions of the 9-3. I liked the > roominess of the 9-5, and the design and layout of the controls. I > tries an automatic on the dealer's suggestion, and really liked the feel > of it - it shift felt similar to a manual. > > I had to think a while about which car to get. They were all priced > similarly - within a few thousand dollars of each other, all had similar > features, all drove and handled really well, and all had a good layout > of controls inside. I finally decided on the Saab 9-5 for the following > reasons: > - roomier interior - basically the 9-5 is competing against the Audi A6 > and BMW 5 series, even thought it is much cheaper. > - I got the impression that the Saab had more storage space in the > trunk > - more computer features than the BMW > - Separate climate control unlike the Audi > - BMW is rear wheel drive - not too great in N.H. winters > - a little nicer interior than BMW and Audi > - has both CD and tape player > - Like the turbo feel of the Saab > - Front and rear reading lights > - Rear heated seats > > I ended up getting the 9-5 SE with heated and ventilated seats with > memory and automatic transmission. I wasn't planning on getting the > ventilated and memory seats (or the SE for that matter, with the better > stereo and wheels), but I ended up getting the car for below invoice > from the sales manager John Giasullo at Patrick Motors in Auburn, MA, > and couldn't pass it up. > > My first impressions after driving a few days is that it is a little > less sporty than I was expecting, but I still don't regret the > purchase. I really like the car and my son likes the headlight washers, > and the extra compartment in the rear seat armrest. > > Well, that is enough rambling for now. I hope this information can help > someone else make their decision. I only hope I am not plagued with > maintenance problems, although, in reading the newsgroups, these seem to > have been cleared up in the past few years. > > Dave

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