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Well Cris, some are taking pot shots at BMW because they know you're a BMW owner now. You've left the fold, man! Gone over to the Dark Side! You probably expected at least some of that, didn't you? And, yes, everyone guns for the leader. That's human nature.
To some extent, BMW doesn't just "irk" the SAAB crowd, they "irk" lots of other enthusiasts. Not because of the quality or capability of the car itself, which I don't question, but because of the perceptions about many (though not all) of the folks who buy and drive BMW's. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think BMW attracts the same caliber of true enthusiasts as, say, back in the days of the old 2002 model. Today, many feel there are simply a lot of idiots, poseurs, and wannabe's driving BMW's. And, in my experience, I'd tend to agree. The BMW persona seems to draw those folks like flies. And that's a shame for the folks who buy and enjoy the cars as more than just some trendy status symbol to impress folks with.
I think if you looked at the kinds of cars the C&D staff actually "own", the cars they plunk their own money down on, you actually won't find many, if any, BMW's at all. A few years ago, they published a list of the cars owned by the staff. It was surprising. Lots of old cars, some typical family cars, including an old Volvo and SAAB, but not really any new, expensive, sports sedans or sports cars of any kind. They get paid to drive the "latest and greatest" all the time, but they don't have to actually buy or live with their choice year round. Folks spending their own money, using a car year round, in all kinds of weather, for all kinds of reasons, may choose differently than the C&D testers.
Actually,I don't believe I took any unwarranted shots at BMW in my post below. I believe I acknowledged it as the deserving winner, based upon C&D's testing criteria. To be homest, I don't really think of the SAAB as a true "sport sedan". Many, including myself, have already said they appreciate the SAAB for its balance of performance and utility and character. Character is a subjective thing. We all have our preferences. And, when you post on the SAAB board, you shouldn't be too surprised at the loyality the fans express. But I agree we shouldn't be blind to the need for improvements. They will come.......I hope.
A week or so ago, I was talking with the guy who used to service my Alfa and we got to talking about SAAB. He said, "The SAAB 9-3 may be the best $23,000 car you could buy. The problem is that it starts at $26,500" and goes way up from there". I laughed, but had to admit that, in a way, I could see his point. I have to admit that I myself do not really compare the 9-3 to the BMW 3-Series at all. Personally, I feel that a base 9-3, if it could be purchased (discounted) at around the $23,000 range (about all I can afford anyway), would represent the best argument for SAAB value for money. But that's just me.
, Mon, 11 Dec 2000 16:34:33
, Tue, 12 Dec 2000 12:51:48, Wed, 13 Dec 2000 13:23:18
, Tue, 12 Dec 2000 07:12:24
, Wed, 13 Dec 2000 20:59:02, Mon, 11 Dec 2000 16:31:50, Thu, 14 Dec 2000 12:36:03, Mon, 11 Dec 2000 16:28:51
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