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Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 23:41:02 -0000
From: MeatballTurbo <carl.robsonnospamcing-czechs.com>
Subject: Re: New Saab Parts


In article <loWdnbrVu619Nd7dRVn-uQnospamphia.com>, Fred.Willsnospampam spouted forth into alt.autos.saab... > > "MeatballTurbo" <carl.robsonnospamcing-czechs.com> wrote in message > news:MPG.1aadaec898deb301989ca0nospam.individual.net... > > In article <mMidnfwZ-pc8_N7dRVn-ugnospamphia.com>, Fred.Willsnospampam > > spouted forth into alt.autos.saab... > > > > > > "David Taylor" <djtaylornospamoot.com> wrote in message > > > news:MPG.1aad23eebb244708989b87nospam.individual.de... > > > > BTW, you'll find the viagra users over in the BMW newsgroup I believe. > > > > > > Is that a joke? I don't get it. > > > Do you feel somehow superior to BMW drivers? ...or are you jealous? > > > > > > > Nope, as Saab drivers we don't need to "Feel" superior, we leave that to > > BMW drivers. As Saab drivers, we just have a smug knowing grin (those > > who watch the UK BBC Top Gear program on TV will know what I mean). > > > > Note, the above is in jest. I'm sure there are some very considerate, > > likeable normal BMW drivers out there. Just that I'm yet to meet them, > > and those that can't a new one come replacement time seem to have spent > > their monies on VW Golf GTi and TDi models, but still drive as > > wrecklessly. > > Well Carl, you were not the originator of the post that I replied to, but > being a fellow SAAB owner (as well as BMW owner) I do not understand your > "jest." If you are not one how exactly would you know that they "feel > superior?" Also, don't forget that (at least in the US) SAABs are also > considered to be "status symbol" cars, especially by many non-SAAB-owners. It was a jest as in, at least in the UK, "the stereotypical BMW driver is so bad, that BMW, in the 7 series replaced all thw switches and controls with one Knob and that isn't the driver" type comment. While yes Saab and BMW are prestige marques, the cars have a bad reputation for the quality of driver they attract. Probablye no more than a lot of brands, but when your car is so big and flash that it stands out. It just makes a bad driver look worse. Some close to me joked that "BMW have had a product recall recentley, every model they had made had a design flaw, that meant that the indicators/turn signals failed to work as soon as the engine was started". I realise that the BMW stereotype arogant git is no truer than the Saab sterotypical teacher with tweed sports coat and suede patches. > You see, the reason I signed my post with the list of my current cars is to > show that I own *both* SAABs and BMWs. Now perhaps I'm an atypical owner > (of both marquees) since I never buy any of my cars new, but prefer to find > nice secondhand cars and then do a bit of work myself to get them in good > shape. The 3 BMW drivers that I know personally, one had a brand new £40k+ M3 that he thought made him god and made sure he demonstrated that by parking sideways across to parking spaces at work (one of which was allocated to someone else). That was when he couldn't park in the MDs space (The MD had the cheek to park his Ferrari there, making an important salesman walk 30 feet to the office). The second has a debadged older 3 series saloon, drives well and fairly courteously, but too fast treating every traffic light as a drag start. The third was in a very battered 318i compact of a fairly old age. The car had 175000 miles on it, needed £800 spent on it to pass an MOT, before the MOT, the passenger window didn't work, the sunroof had to be pulled shut from halfway because the motor wouldn't wind it back, the drivers side door mirror was missing (illegal in the UK) and he couldn't afford to replace it, and someone stole the drivers side turn signal (not the lense but the whole unit leaving a loose bulb and connector dangling). The driver of this car thought that his was only marginally less superior to the M3, and almost on par with the MD's Ferrari, and the other directors Porsche Carrera 4 and Merc C36 AMG. Of most of the BMW drivers I've known, Arrogance certainly plays a part in the makeup. > In any case, I think that both are good cars, (obviously or I would not have > purchased them) but to be perfectly honest the BMWs are much better driving > cars. A bit less economical (2.5 liter six and 4.0 liter eight BMW vs. 2.3 > & 2.0 liter SAAB 4 cyl turbos) but the handling difference of RWD vs FWD is > like night and day. > I often hear how horrible RWD is supposed to be in the snow, but I have some > good snow tires on my 325i and it goes as well in the white stuff as my AWD > Ford Explorer (which I only really use for trailer towing). It is a > non-issue IMO. I actually like some of the earler 3 and 5 series cars. Unfortunatley they have been known in the UK as small time drug dealer and minor gangster cars when getting old and battered, and as salesmans warships when in better condition. The same is happening with early 190E and 200E Mercs. I see so many of them with blacked out windows, slammed to the floor suspension, and stupidly big chrome alloys on that mustn't leave any room for suspension travel, and then look round them, and see rust scabs on the arches. Imagine spending £500-700 for wheels, plus the cost of the tyres, and the added cost of the window tints, and not spending a couple of hundred for a body shop to sort some arch scabbbing first. > I do like the SAABs because they are easy to work on and pretty reliable, > but those are some of the same attributes that I like about the BMWs. Good > engineering is good engineering. Oh agreed. > Anyway, don't dismiss the BMW offhand without giving them their due > consideration. There are many of us who own them because they are fine > driving cars, not becasue of what everyone else thinks they cost. BTW, > what's a new 9-5 go for these days? $35-40k? I have spent a grand total of > $20k on *both* of my BMWs, and of course i did not have to pay all of the > interest on a new car loan. Funny, now that I think about it, that's almost > the same amount I paid for the two used SAABs too. So for the price of one > new SAAB 9-5, I have a car for me, my wife, my son and my daughter... How's > that for economy cars? Oh, I don't dismiss BMWs are decent cars (I know the engineering is top notch), and I'm sure like yourself, other drivers are decent, just the bad element of BMW drivers seem to be so loud with such "Big" attitudes that they make the decent guys like yourself look bad too. -- Carl Robson (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot) http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

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