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<<why do the press dislike the saab 9-3?>>
Best answer I have seen is that autowriters thrive on the new. If it isn't new, they tend not to like it. For me, its the opposite. For me, the longer a car stays in production, unmodified in a major way, the more integrity the car will generally have.
In 1999, for example, Saab was advertising 1000 little fixes. Many (the sheep and the cynical autowriters) would groan or simply not believe such a claim and tend to want to go with new sheet metal. But then, the UK Consumer's Association ranks the '99 9-3 the best car in reliability with no fault found (that's right - 0 faults) among 60+ '99
9-3 Saab members surveyed.
Which, among the autowriters you've read recently, writes about such stuff as the virtues of reliability and long engine life? Answer - only the consumer types and their writing is generally so vanilla-flavored, car afficionados give it the bye.
I listen quite regularly to a NPR-equivalent car call-in show here in Canada. On occasion, a Saaber calls in. The car expert's voice on the radio immediately drops an octave. He begins to speak in reverential tones. You just KNOW he respects the Saabs.
<<Do they just not get it, or do you just have to be a certain sort of person to be into saabs?>>
I think it's a little bit of both. Few writers I have read said they'd owned one. Those that have, write about them in reverential tones. There is something very REAL and AUTHENTIC about a car that is (a) built with better quality steel than most (b) is safer than most (c) is more utilitarian than virtually all (d) has a return purchaser rate higher than any other Eurocar except Porsche (e) runs circles around SUVs in winter (especially downhill - avoid SUVs in slippery conditions going downhill) (f) exceeds Toyota and Mercedes Benz for engine life (g) goes to the opera as well as it goes to the winter resort or hauls 8 big bags of leaves, all with the sunroof back. Most people think they cost more than they really do.
If you have only one car to buy, let it be a Saab. I hold older, pristine Saabs and their owners in high esteem. Generally, the sheep who buy other cars sneer at older cars of the same marque and don't see the virtue of longetivity at all. After all, we were brought up in a throwaway society where at one time, Detroit was planning fleet changovers every two years and getting away with it. If your Dad wasn't driving a newer car, he didn't cut it with his peers.
I drive a base. I read a lot of posts. Although the Viggen is said to have "to much power for the chassis", this is the fist time I have seen this said about a SE/HOT.
FWD engineers are saying that at 235 hp, FWD is pushing the envelope w/o going AWD. You're not there yet.
Happy Motoring in your HOT. Forget about the other guy. Forget about the car-mag guys. Get on with it.
posted by 207.181....
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