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Redirector,
You mentioned the 9-5's advantage in feature content and I neglected to adress them in my previous post. I really do not care about most of these things, as I think that the basic car feel and build quality is more important. But anyhow, here is my reply to the features that you mentioned.
-Stronger engine; yes the Aero has more power. But the 530 has more power than the 4lpt or 6 cylinder 9.5 and is a really nice engine. Power is not everything. I suspect that the BMW 530 engine costs a lot more to manufature than the Saab.
-On Star; please, that is not a feature. On Star is a marketing gimmick to sell you a service that costs at least as much as your cable TV bill every month. So, now you pay for 2 cell phone accounts and you have an instant connection to a low paid operator in Troy Michigan that will help you out of a jam, or make a hotel reservation for you at extra cost. Oh my.... IF you want a real navagation system, BMW offers one. I on the other hand, feel that SAT NAV is not necessary in the USA so I did not buy that option.
-Better stock seats; how are the 9-5's seats better than the 530? I had a 9-5 with vents. Yes the vents are nice in the summer; but they were very noisy and I could feel the box that houses the vents poking through into my back. The 530 has a better seat with a longer, wider seat bottom and more side bolstering. Also the headreat is adjusted electrically and the seatbelat height automatically adjusts. The power seats on the 530 work together with the electric steering wheel position and mirrors, and are stored to your keychain. So, when your spouse borrows your car, everything is set-up for her including the climate control. The BMW leather is pretty nice and the design of the seats prevents the butt-print stretch marks that you will find on every 9-5 with leather.
-More interior space; yes the 9-5 has better interior space for the back seat passengers. But the 530 has a lot more headroom when the seat height is adjusted all the way up, and more legroom Also, the front seat area is wider thatn the 9-5. The foot pedals are so crowded in the 9-5 that it is difficult to drive without scuffing your shoes; not so in the 530.
-Heated rear seats; yes you are right. The BMW does not have these.
-More trunk space; right again, the 9-5 wins. The folding seat also costs extra on the 530. I keep a set of Thule roof rails in my trunk ($120). They fit into slots on the roof so that the rack is secure without going into the weather seals of the doors. These have allowed me to haul longer items like plywood and a Christmas tree. If I needed more space, I would have gotten the 5 series wagon.
-Much better stereo; please explain. The stock BMW stereo sounds better to me then the HK system in my 9-5. The center fill speaker on the 9-5 wrecks the stereo seperation. I find the BMW system has better radio reception and sounds quite nice, but with perhpas less bass; RAP is not my thing anyway.
Now some nice features that the 530 has that the 9-5 does not...
-heated steering wheel ($125 option)
-open and close windows and sunroof with key fob (standard)
-regular sized key with remote built in.
-auto headlights on and off.
-independent temp control on dash vents and rear seat. This allows you to have cold air on your face and heat on your feet; nice in the winter.
-power steering wheel tilt and reach with memory (standard)
-rechargeable flashlight built into glovebox
-vanity mirrors that are bright enough to use at night
a real ashtray and cigarette lighter (if you are into that)
-nice padded headrests that are adjusted by motors
-auto venting which allows the driver to preset a time when the car will start to vent itself on a hot day, say perhaps 30 minutes before your work day is finished.
-full sized spare tire with matching alloy wheel.
I really like Saabs, both the 9-5 and 9-3. In fact, my wife drives a 9-3 SE which is a blast to drive and very practical. I am not an anti-Saab troll and I enjoy reading the 9-3 and 9-5 forums still. Also, I have been to Saab many times for my job and always rent 9-5s when in Sweden. I was hoping that the new 9-5 would be a larger improvement. In reality the 2002 9-5 was more of a minor facelift and suspension upgrade. I myself was a bit embarrassed to buy a BMW at first becuase of the reputation that BMW is a YUPPIE car or is usually bought as a status symbol. That said, the 9-5 is outclassed by the 525, 530 and A6 in my opinion. So, Saab undercuts BMW and Audi on price, especially with the GM discount offering $5000 cash incentives. So, in that light, the Saab is a good value if you like the car. But, on the other hand, the German cars are nice, and are in higher demand, and therefore the price is higher. And if we look at a pure price/feature/size/power ratio, then for sure the 9-5 is outclassed by the VW Passat 4 Cylinder for $25,000 with leather before negotiations.
-Doug
posted by 166.90.2...
, Mon, 28 Jan 2002 17:08:45
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