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We took our new 2001 Aero Wagon on a 4000 mile, three week trip from WA to CO last summer. It was a marvelous experience. The car performed great, especially at high altitude, even with a full load of people and gear. It is supremely comfortable on long hauls. It is a great sensation to blast past struggling traffic on back country 2 lane highways. We averaged about 25 mpg (with roof pod), with highway speeds usually in the mid-70s to 85 mph or more, depending on traffic and police presence.
Be prepared to notice the dead feel of the engine at low rpms when the turbo boost is unavailable. Accelerating from a dead stop uphill at 8000 ft altitude requires extra throttle and a lot of clutch slipping if you have a manual tranny. Once on boost the car hauls ass.
Be sure to bring a good radar detector! It will save your butt on a trip like this. There are places that will tempt you to put the hammer down. This is a reasonable breach of speeding regulations if you have some protection to warn you when to hit the brakes. If you don't have a detector, consider the Valentine 1. It is $400 USD, but is worth every penny, considering the cost of several traffic tickets.
If you are concerned about wear and tear there are a few things you need to be aware of.
Check the Saab dealer list and be prepared to schedule any maintenance the car will need a few days in advance. Most dealers try to get to travellers right away, but it is nice to give the dealer a few days warning before you drive up for a 10K service.
It is hard on the car's finish to go through automatic car washes, yet you don't want to leave the car looking nasty for several weeks. Take cleaning supplies in a small bucket. You can hand wash the car at a quarter car wash, using the fresh water only for washing and rinsing. Some detailing stuff like cotton towels, spray paint cleaner, and wheel cleaner help to keep the car looking nice. And remember the glass cleaner and a squeegee for bug removal. I usually cleaned my windshield and the front of the car to remove the dead insect carcasses every morning when the car was wet with dew - that makes it a lot quicker.
The octane of premium gas is less in the mountain states - 91 is usually the highest you can find. Since the Saab Trionic ECU compensates for the thinner air, your car can benefit from octane booster in the high country.
Be prepared for "cargo growth". You always come home with more stuff than you left with. I recommend the retractable Saab cargo net. It will allow you to stack gear to the ceiling without risk of injuring the occupants in a sudden stop or accident. I had a small Yakima pod on the roof, but I still needed the net toward the end of the trip. This is especially true if you have kids!
Have fun and don't worry about your car. It was made for this kind of travel.
posted by 64.38.1...
, Mon, 11 Feb 2002 06:46:50
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