Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 23:49:00 -0400 From: "Martin Yanagisawa" <nonopsaml.replies.please.edu> Subject: Re: Anybody own both?
William Hong <billhongnopsam.mit.edu> wrote in message news:a1849a4e.0110101328.697aa99anopsaming.google.com... > I have Saabs and Toyotas in our family. We love both makes. They are > different from each other, but we don't see any reason why they can't > co-exist. I agree! I've owned a 68 Sonnet, 79 900 EMS, 85 900, and just recently picked up a 93 Previa 5-speed. All of these engines are amazingly reliable (the Sonnet had an industrial engine from Ford UK). The original version 900 4-cylinder is the best 4 cylinder engine ever made. This came out when everyone else was trying to figure out how to make fuel injection reliable and BMWs were burning oil. Meanwhile, SAAB was already into turbocharging and winning SCCA stocks. I put 250Kmi on the 79 before rust took it over. I gave the 85 to a friend w/ 200K on it; he's using it now to commute from Cape Cod to Boston daily. Try and find a car that the doors close & latch like the original version 900. Even the Previa is not there. The whole car is strong and probably way too expensive to produce in today's market. You could make a very strong case that the SAAB 900 circa 1980 was the most influential auto design in 20 years. The SAAB engineers of the 70s & 80s were innovators. What sensible designs! But I must admit, I don't think of SAABs the same way since they sold 50% to GM. As the 90s started, SAAB's quality declined. They say it's good now, but I'm skeptical. Maybe it's not viable in today's market, but I liked it when SAABs were simpler cars but incredibly fun to drive. Also owning 2 Chrysler minivans (well, Mopar makes good radios :) ), the Previa seems more SAAB-like in comparison in quality, power, feel. The frontal crash worthiness is very unSAAB-like though.
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