Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 16:36:58 -0700 From: tee <teeganopsamell.net> Subject: saab 9-5?
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.
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