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Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 13:01:08 -0700
From: Londo Molari <centurionnopsamlon.com>
Subject: Re: SAAB 9-3 versus BMW 3 series


In article <9cd2fg$7fvm$1nopsamsvr05-en0.news.prodigy.com>, matteonopsamigy.net says... > I have always had a fascination by SAABS... never owned one...but driven in > them. I'm now considering a 97-98 SAAB 9-3 (SE?) but have not yet test > driven one. I live on the west cost of florida and the closest SAAB dealer > is about 50 miles away so needles to say you do not see many of these cars > on the road down here for owner opinion. What my research has shown me so > far is either people hate the 9-3 or love it. I have also been told if you > don't rev the snot out of the car it is not a very pleasant daily commuter. > I was told the BMW 3 series is a much better all around auto. I also read > smoething about the driver's seat being positioned toward the left side of > the car. Any opinions for me?? thanks > > matteonopsamigy.net > -- My new 2001 accelerates just fine. The turbo lag is barely discernable to me. The trade-off is that I have lots of midrange acceleration power, where I happen to need it in my driving. I don't have to rev the hell out of the engine, either. The seats are more comfortable than my 1992 Mazda MX-6, and I like my Mazda, too. --- I've had a 2001 Saab 3-door for exactly one day. I took five months to look at cars and figure out that this was the one I wanted to buy. Simple answer: The BMW 3-series is a great car that comes with a wonderful sports suspension and a larger engine than the Saab 9-3 does. The BMW is a true classic sports sedan, but it sells at a premium price here in California -- at least $6K more than a comparable Saab 9-3. It is also cramped and the trunk is not useful, and it costs a lot to repair. When I decided on the Saab hatchback, I got a well-built and well-designed small car with a great carrying capacity. My 3-door hatchback can carry more than the BMW 3-series wagon. At speeds below 55 or 60, I don't notice the small horsepower difference, because the Saab turbo puts its power right where I need it, in those medium commuting speeds -- the BMW really doesn't perform any better at those speeds. For the time being, my Saab rides a little softer on the freeway and that's OK with me. I expect my Saab will cost a little less to service than the BMW. It cost me as much as $8000 less to buy than a BMW 3-series, depending on how you want to make option comparisons. Saab has a problem with product positioning. Reviewers often compare Saabs to cars like the BMW or Mercedes that cost thousands more -- for instance, the Saab 9-5 Wagon is often compared to the Mercedes wagon, which costs $20K more! Even the Acura coupe (a great car), costs $6K to 8K more than the Saab 9-3 hatchback. The Camry/Solara is more comparable, but the ones I saw weren't built with the same quality, and didn't handle or perform as well. The Saab 9-3 handled better AND rode better. LM

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