The banner above is an advertisment - if it asks you to download software, please ignore.
Site News - 7/1: Members: Log In to See Fewer Ads! | 5/28: SAAB Evolutions/TSN T-Shirts $14
[General | Members | C900 | 9000 | NG900 & OG93 | 93 | 95 | NG95 | 99 | Sonett | Vintage Models | Clubs | Other Cars | FAQs | Gifts | Member Photo Galleries | Member Directory | Classifieds | Manuals | *Buddy Registry | *Mileage Registry | Polls | What's New | Raffle | Photo of the Month | Sponsors]

93 Bulletin Board
2003-2011 [Subscribe to Daily Digest]
(Search Author's Posts: e.g. Keyword:username)*Members Only

[Main 93 Bulletin Board | BBFAQ | Prev by Date | Post Followup ] Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
VWs and Saabs....
Like This Post: - Subscribe to Daily Digest for this Bulletin Board
Posted by Mike Lynch [Email] (#81) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Mike Lynch) on Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:00:33 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Contemplating 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero SS 6MT, Mike, Sat, 22 Apr 2006 08:20:37
Alert me when someone posts in this thread:
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup

Passats are an alternative moderately priced family sedans and Saabs continues that alternative theme in the luxury class, so suffice to say lots of VW owners wind up looking at Saabs. European design is another common theme.

I have a couple of customers who have both a Passat and a 9-3SS and many more who have moved from Passats to 9-5s. My one Passat and 9-3SS owner says his kids prefer the back seat of the 9-3SS, they think it's roomier.

As good a motor as a VW 1.8T is the 2.0T 9-3SS motor has trumped it in horsepower and torque, smoothness too. The new VW/Audi direct injection 2.0T still doesn't measure up to the Saab 2.0T.

The biggest difference for me between a Passat and 9-3SS is the chassis configuration and how that affects the balance of the car. The Passat motor has a cast iron block and sticks straight out the front of the car in the north/south direction with room for the clutch and differential pushing it even further out the front resulting in an extremely nose heavy car. VW/Audi does a great job of disguising this extreme nose heavyness.

A Saab 9-3SS has an all aluminium engine set east/west or transversly pretty far back between the wheels. The engine is leaned back further towards the firewall and the turbo is now on the back side too. Add an aluminum hood and you have a vastly improved weight distribution vs a VW/
Audi.

The improved handling feel of the far less noseheavy 9-3SS configuration is further improved by ReAxe rear wheel steering, that is a slight toeing out of the outside loaded rear wheel in normal cornering. The ReAxe passive rear wheel steering futher kills the inherent understeer of a front drive chassis. A 9-3SS also has viceless steering with no torque steer.

So a 9-3SS handles much better than a Passat and is also a little more powerful. Not that a Passat is such a bad handling car, you might not ever complain about Passat handling until you drive a Saab.

Another thing that Saab holds a slight edge in lately is reliability. Saabs are generally rated ahead of VW in recent consumer studies and you can buy a Saab just for reliability (as well as safety) out of a popular consumer magazine that used to endorse Passats, it's just not a 9-3SS, itsa' 9-5.

Safety is another Saab vs VW strong point. So safety, handling, performance, reliability are all improved with Saab. And if having something that few have, that is if "alternativeness" is important, than a Saab is a very friendly choice for VW folks.
Posts in this Thread:
Alert me when someone posts in this thread:
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
Post a Followup

No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.

Name: Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
E-Mail: (Optional)
Re-Enter E-Mail: (Confidential & Secure - Not revealed to other users!)
Note: Please check your spam folder for BB responses.

Subject:

Posting rules are simple - No for sale/wanted ads may be posted here - use the site classifieds.
You may not cross-post your message to multiple BBs.
Not permitted: political/religious topics and being disrespectful (personal attacks, insults, etc...).
 Site Members do not see any red text, inline ad links, bottom of page anchor ads, box ads, or anti-spam check.

Message: (please no for sale/wanted classifieds - post those in the Saabnet.com Classifieds)
Links are now automatically made active, no need for any special code (or use the Option Link field below) - don't put links in () or end with a '.'
To add inline images to your post, use [img]http://www.domain.com/img.jpg[endimg] (or use the Optional Image Link field below).

Links are now automatically made active, no need for any special code (or use the Option Link field below) - don't put links in () or end with a '.'
To add inline images to your post above, use [img]http://www.domain.com/img.jpg[endimg] (or use the Optional Image Link field below).
Optional Link: (e.g. http://www.saabnet.com/)
Link Title: (Optional)
Optional Photo/Image Link: (e.g. http://www.saabnet.com/img.jpg)
Photo/Image to Upload: (Please be patient while file uploads)



StateOfNine.com
SaabClub.com
Jak Stoll Performance
M Car Covers
Ad Available

The content on this site may not be republished without permission. Copyright © 1988-2024 - The Saab Network - saabnet.com.
For usage guidelines, see the Mission & Privacy Notice.
[Contact | Site Map | Saabnet.com on Facebook | Saabnet.com on Twitter | Shop Amazon via TSN | Site Donations]

Random Saabnet.com Member Gallery Photos (Click Image)
This is a moderated bulletin board - Posting is a privilege, not a right. Unsolicited commercial postings are not allowed (no spam). Please, no For Sale or Wanted postings, SERIOUSLY. Classifieds are to be listed in The Saab Network Classifieds pages. This is a problem solving forum for over 250,000 Saab owners, so expect to see problems discussed here even though our cars are generally very reliable. This is not an anything goes type of forum. Saabnet.com has been a moderated forum since 1988. For usage guidelines, see the Saabnet.com Mission and Purpose Page. Please remember that you are not anonymous. Site Contact | Site Donations | Other Sites by SP - Poverty2Prosperity.org | Run Club Menlo Park | ScreenBot


Site Members do not see red text instructions, bottom of the page anchor ads, or box ads.
Click here to see all the Site Membership Benefits!