Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 23:40:59 -0400 From: "Kevin Brewer" <kwbrewernopsams.com> Subject: Re: saab 9-5?
The 9.5 is larger than a Honda Accord and the engine is very different than a Catera engine. The old V6 engine in the 900 is similar to the catera engine. Just my ramblings........ tee <teeganopsamell.net> wrote in message news:3974EA18.1E01873Enopsamell.net... > i read the following review of a 9-5. i heard that it's based on opel > parts which are notorious for being as unreliable as parts > get but i didn't know that it's basically a cadillac catera engine. > consumer reports doesn't think much of the catera yet it rates the > 9-5 highly. something seems fishy in sweden as well as general motors. > > Similar in size to a Honda Accord sedan, > the 9-5's new > chassis employs a fair collection of > pieces from the > Opel Vectra parts bin. > > Saab's new 9-5 offers space, > power and price > > BY TONY SWAN > Detroit Free Press Auto Critic > > As a person of Scandinavian extraction > with a taste > for brisk performance and distinctive > interpretations, > I have long had a soft spot in my heart > for Saabs. > In fact, I'm a former Saab owner, and > recall my old > 900 Turbo three-door -- one of the cult > cars of the > 1980s -- with genuine affection. > > Similar in size to a Honda Accord sedan, > the 9-5's > new chassis employs a fair collection of > pieces from > the Opel Vectra parts bin, incorporated > in a body > shell clearly designed to remind the Saab > faithful that > this offbeat Swedish company is alive and > kicking. > > Perhaps you're wondering how a Saab can > be > wrought from Opel parts? > > The answer > is that Opel is a longtime General > Motors Corp. subsidiary. So, more > recently, is > Saab. While these global amalgamations > don't > always produce happy results for the > small > companies swallowed up, in this case it > appears that > GM is doing its best to help preserve > Saab's > distinctive character. > > The 3.0-liter V6, borrowed from Opel, is > essentially > the same engine used in the Cadillac > Catera, with the > addition of turbocharging. > > While turbocharging doesn't do anything > for peak > horsepower -- the Catera and 9-5 both are > rated at > 200 horsepower -- it does yield > considerably more > torque, which is the essential power > commodity for > good stoplight getaways and brisk > passing. > >
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
