Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 22:32:56 -0500 From: Four Weis <mweinopsamcom> Subject: Re: My GM900 and a couple of issues that I have with it..
This is the first comment I heard about the cable clutch being heavy, perhaps this is why Saab went back to the hydraulic clutch. I drove a 5 speed Classic 900 with a 2 liter 8 Valve for 16 years. It was geared properly and had no trouble keeping up with traffic - but it was a Classic. I looked at and drove the NG900s and never bought one. I love that curved windshield and large back window - the best visibility of any car I have driven. Colin SQUIRES wrote: > I agree with a lot of what you wrote. I have a 1997, 2.3, Coupe. The > evolutionary design is almost timeless (apat from rear reflector in the > boot). The large boot and ability to carry four large adults in a coupe in > comfort are great. The interior look and feel is fantstic. > > I don't have air con so can't comment but what is the point of light > switches behind the sun visor - I have never used them !!!. > > The 2.3 engine is quite good and delivers smooth power although it's not > exactly quick, I wouldn't want to try a standard 2 litre in such a heavy, > solid car. The handling is disappointing, infact it's awful, the car is > better suited to motorways. I find the seats excellent but they will vary > from person to person. > > After poor handling, the worst feature has to be the heavy cable cluch. > When you're stuck on the M25 it becomes very tiresome. > > Despite the faults there is just something about the looks and brand that > attract me to it. I hope future SAABs will be better than this rushed GM > effort. > > Other criticism - servicing and parts are way too expensive. > > C > > Dransfield <m.dransfieldnopsamAMTHanKSvirgin.net> wrote in message > news:OZmL9.1527$rN1.191856nopsamfep1-win.server.ntli.net... > > Before I start: I've had my GM900 (non turbo 2.0) for a couple of years, > my > > Grandfather is a 'Saab-o-phile', > > and I used to own a (fantastic) V4 96. And I've been holding off writing > > this post for well > > over a year. So I'm not just your average troll, but there's some things > > I've got to get off my > > chest. > > > > Firstly, The Engine. > > Its gutless to the point of being dangerous. I'm not a fast or aggressive > > driver, but this thing has no low end power, and I don't > > mean 'power' like a racing driver, I mean it as in to drive to the shops. > > Its stalls very easily when the steering is on full lock. > > This is great when you're turning right (I'm in the UK) across oncoming > > traffic, or the other day I was > > in stationary traffic and had to move out of the way of an ambulance that > > was trying to get through. > > > > For us this car replaced a 1985 Volvo 360 GLT, (which was also 2.0i), and > > that had lovely smooth power. > > I've borrowed a couple of 9-3 turbo courtesy cars, which were like > rockets, > > and can only conclude that the > > old 2.0 block is so antiquated that to make it work properly at low revs > it > > needs a turbo, > > which then makes it very fast at high revs. > > > > The Manual Gearbox. > > So if your designing a car with no low end power, what do you do? Do you > > make the gears as high as Trollhattan church spire? > > Nor would i, but they did. > > Its so highly geared that you often have to select first to pull away at > eg. > > a traffic roundabout, even though you didn't stop rolling! > > > > > > I should mention at this point that my wife drives this car all the time, > > with no complaints, and when I've driven it for 2 > > weeks solid, on hoiday etc, you get used to it. But when you jump out of a > > different car and into this one you find that > > you can misdjudge your saftey margins when pulling into traffic, and end > up > > with a rear mirror full of truck, while you fumble > > to turn off the a/c to make the speed increase that bit less slowly. > > I know this just won't happen to many of you Saab-o-philes who drive their > > cars exclusively, > > but we're not talking about some classic car, we're talking > > about a modern daily-driver, whose TV adverts are all jet fighters and > > safety. > > > > The Climate Control > > No, in London traffic I DO want re-circ and windsheild demist! I > appreciate > > it might take a couple of seconds longer to clear > > the screen, but the reduction > > in fumes breathed in would add a couple of minutes to my life, but it > won't > > let me do this. > > I could write an essay on the C/C and how it thinks it knows better, like > > how it won't let you have outside air to enter the car > > at less than 15C , like in the old days. And you can't re-direct this to > the > > screen, etc.. > > > > Passenger Air Bag - Can't turn off. > > > > Seats > > Simply too small - I'm only 6'2" which isn't an unusual height to be, the > > bottom of the headrest touches the my back, and the sunroof > > surround touches my head. My back aches after a couple of hours in the > > saddle. > > > > > > Interior Light - Can't disable. > > So we've just driven home for 5 hours, its midnight, and we need to > transfer > > the sleeping kids from the car to bed without > > waking them - you take the car keys out or open the door and the flippin > > light comes on, shining in their eyes. > > I know someone probably once though this was a neat feature, but the fact > > that you can't disable it is not. > > I notice on the 9-3 this is different. > > > > Boot/Trunk Remote Release. > > You can release it remotely by pressing the wrong button on the key fob, > eg. > > from inside the house while trying to lock > > the car before going to bed. > > You can then close the boot by simply going down stairs, unlocking the > > house, and going outside in your pyjamas and > > closing it with your hands. > > If you take a minute doing this you get the added bonus of the alarm going > > off because its re-armed, when you go to slam it shut. > > Its best to remember to not to have left the keys upstairs at this point > or > > that horn will be honking shattering the silence > > for more than a couple of toots. > > My main point is that anything that can be done remotely should be able to > > be un-done remotely. > > I notice on the 9-3 this is different. > > > > Handling: I knew that the GM900 handling was bad before I bought the car, > I > > can confirm that it is awful, but I was warned. > > > > Plus points: I'll end on the reasons why I haven't sold the car, just to > > quosh some of those flames coming my way. > > The boot/trunk is fantastic. Its actually bigger than a Volvo V70 with > seats > > up (ie. full of family). > > The build quality is nice, and all the interior plastics are of a nice > > quality. > > It feels as solid as an ox (albeit only slightly faster). > > Its a nice motorway car. > > > > My Conclusion: There's something about the Saab brand, and how its > presented > > in advertising and other marketing, that to me > > is a slightly arrogant disregard for the fact that its products are not > > actually anything like perfection. > > > > Regards, > > Dransfield > > > > > > > > > > > >
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