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I was originally looking for a 6spd manual Aero (non V6) and after test drives and price comparisons, I ended up with a 5spd manual linear--not because I settled but because there really was very little difference. The aero has slightly better suspension and some of the exterior and intereior trim are an aesthetic improvement, but that's motl looks. The linear is an amazingly great handling car so the difference in everyday driving with the upgraded aero suspension is very minimally detectable. I also considered chipping my car or upgrading the turbo to get the increased power, but since the engine already has so much torque and the acceleration is great, I decided not to spend the money. It's still cheaper to just buy a linear and chip it/upgrade the turbo than it is to buy the aero. Plus, I fell in love with the TALL gear ratios of the 5spd manual transmission. The ratios are so tall that I can accelerate to 60 miles an hour while still in 2nd without redlining--that means very little shifting is necessary for 0-60 acceleration timing, which improves overall time. Since the engine torque curve is almost flat there is very little difference in power if shifting to 3rd--it just takes longer. I think with proper driving and knowledge of the engine/transmission points, it's possible to outperform/out accelerate an automatic aero (non V6--but also the V6 nearly cancels its power benefit because it weighs so much more) with a manual linear. The 5spd might even be faster than the 6spd because of the lack of extra shifting time. **Has anyone tried or verified this? I know it sounds funny, but it surprised me the first time I drove it. I've had/driven a 96, a 99, an OG 900, 2 NG 900s, a 9-5 aero, and now this 2003 9-3 SS linear, and the the two cars that are the most fun to drive are the 1970 99 and the 2003 9-3. There is a similarity between the two. I truly love the 99, but the 9-3 is much faster and obviously more modern while still being fun. I'll never get rid of the 99 though.
Overall my advice would be to get a linear and save your money. If you really want a little bit more, buy a chip and maybe a turbo and you'll still be money ahead. Of course since you're looking for a used model you're stuck with the options available on cars for sale. I lucked out and got a car with all the options I was looking for already installed, but that might be a case where it could pay to get the Aero instead rather than trying to add options yourself. The cars are great from the factory and need very little customization--unlike the NG900. Besides, more power just means more flashing lights in the mirror right? It's already easy enough to get into trouble with the stock base model.
posted by 68.2.101...
, Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:23:38
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