Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 18:49:35 -0400 From: ma_twain <ma_twainnopsamo.com> Subject: Re: What car would you buy INSTEAD OF of a Saab???
Skid wrote: > "ma_twain" <ma_twainnopsamo.com> wrote in message > news:3F359491.1000003nopsamo.com... > >>Skid - you have a 9-3 and you said it does not rank high in the >>reliability survey, which is just a survey. What has you experience >>been with the 9-3? In anyone's opinion, is the "Saab certification" of a >>previously owned Saab worth anything? >> >>I am seriously considering a 2000 Saab 9-3 5 speed base model as a >>daily driver. It is supposed to have 185 Hp, but in city driving it did >>not seem to have much power below 40 mph. I would assume, if I got on >>the highway and punched it at 70 mph I might feel all 185 Hp, but >>something about the police cars with flashing light pulling speeders >>over made me keep it to the speed limits. >> >>Any comments on the 2000 9-3 base model? >> >> > > Mine is a '99, the first year the of the 9-3 redesign, which was itself an > evolution of the proven 900 hatchback concept. The 2000 had only minor > updates, all for the better. I'm on my fourth Saab, and all have been > excellent cars. They last forever with routine maintenance, though parts and > repairs are relatively expensive when something does break. > > If you're mechanically inclined, they are relatively easy to work on. > Otherwise, try to find an independent Saab specialist in your area to avoid > dealer gouging. This newsgroup and www.saaabnet.com are great sources of > communal wisdom and shared misery ;>) > > The Saab turbo takes a little getting used to. At low rpm it feels like a > typical small displacement 4. Stoplight takeoffs may feel lethargic, > especially if you shift before the turbo spools up. But once you learn how > to keep it in the power band and read the boost guage on the dash, you > realize there's a lot of acceleration available in the crucial passing > range -- say 30-70 mph. > > My Saab is almost a Jekyll and Hyde. I can putter around in traffic getting > great gas mileage while hauling huge potted plants in the ample hatch. Or I > can give it the go juice, feel the turbo boost push me back in the seat and > watch lesser cars get smaller in my rear-view mirror. Meanwhile those > wonderful Swedish seats keep me comfy and alert mile after mile. > > The styling is a love-it-or-hate-it individual preference. The turbo 4 and > ignition on the console eccentricities delight some and irritate others. The > high-durability/low-resale-value equation makes it a good buy in a used car. > All IMHO, of course. > > Saab had several ad campaigns that summed my feeling up quite nicely. (I > didn't look up the exact words, so I apologize in advance to any > anal-retentives in the group who might be offended by a paraphrase:) > > "Most people who test drive a Saab end up buying one" > > "People who can afford any car they want drive a Saab." > > "Find your own road." > > > Thanks for the information! I should have asked, what is typical of the gas mileage? The web sites list it at 20 city 25 highway, which is less than many 6 cylinders.
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