Date: 16 May 2002 14:00:40 GMT From: davehinznopsamcop.net Subject: Re: 2002/1 9-3 versus loaner 2000 9-5
Someone who looks an awful lot like jim andrews <jimandrewsnopsamintexas.com> wrote: > Thanks for the quick reply, Dave . . . No problem, just remember, you get what you pay for in free advice. > However, I'd like at least *some* hint of that car's awesome > performance. The 9-5 with the 170 HP engine is ample but not impressive. I'll be getting the upgrade from Swedish Dynamics in the next couple of weeks (unless anyone here warns me off or alerts me to a better option), to bring it up above 200, where I'll be satisfied for a while. Later, I can bump up the power more by replacing the exhaust with something larger (and undoubtedly louder...), and maybe installing the turbo that's on the Aero today (but I'd need to do exhaust valves then too). Point being, if power/ acceleration are your goal, it can be had in the 9-5. Also, unless things have changed, the 9-3 has the 2.0L engine, rather than the 2.3, which may impact on tune-ability. > So, there's not a whole lot of things I have listed above that really > differentiate between the 9-5 and the 9-3, are there? I like the idea > of the 9-3 quickness and utility, and I like the 9-5 looks. (I think > the 9-3 looks great, too, so who knows?) I was driving a classic 900 before the 9-5, and I do miss having the huge hatch for hauling things, but in all honesty, I used that ability of the car a few times a year at most. Sure, it's great to have hauled my kitchen stove home in the car (full-sized, yes) but, well, I don't need to be able to do that all that often. If the 9-5 were availible in a 5-door, I would have bought that, no question. Is the price on the 9-5 (just > under $25K) out of line for a loaner with 7k miles? No, that sounds quite nice. Not alot more than I paid for my '99 with 29K miles. > I must admit I > like the balloon payment option here in Texas on a 9-3, which starts > at $299/month for the base model. I tend to swap cars fairly often, > and need to come to terms with that (ridiculous) compulsion! Once you're driving a Saab, you'll get over that. Or at least, you'll stop switching brands ;) I bought the 9-5, after driving a 9-3 class car (the 900 classic) for about a dozen years and 247K miles. If you're more into cargo hauling, I'd say go for the 9-3 with the hatch; if room is more important, go with the 9-5. JMHO, of course. How tall are you? I'm 6'3", and it seemed to me that the 9-3 drivers seat didn't go back as far as it does in my 9-5, and I felt just a bit cramped (I drive all the way back in the 9-5). Dave
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