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Life after my 9-3
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Posted by Drewser [Email] (more from Drewser) on Sun, 15 Feb 2004 19:31:26 Share Post by Email
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This past fall I made the decision to put my SAAB out to pasture. The unknowns and gremlins that lurked within my particular 9-3 were too hard to risk with my current schedule of work, school, and small business.

So, after being nudged by the wife to do so, I placed an order for a 2004 Mini Cooper S. I found a good home for the SAAB with a young chap and he is driving it today with the same stupid grin it gave me as the turbo roars to life through the Taliaferro intake. As fate would probably have it, I suspect I fixed the majority of the heavy hitter issues and the new owner will have a glorious relationship with the mean green machine.

So how about the Mini? Well, the car is really nice. Built solid, stupendous handling, better mileage, comfy, and FUN. Sadly it left me stranded in my own driveway at just 244 miles when a relay failed, but since then it has soldiered on with few glitches or voodoo.

Things I miss about the SAAB:
- Back seat (heated too)
- Hatch space (behind the rear seats)
- Turbo rush was just incredible on the freeway
- Ergonomics of the cockpit, particularly the steering wheel controls
- Night dash (man I miss that!)
- Vault like silence (comparatively)

Things I like better on the Mini:
- Handling (holy cow is it quick)!
- Shifter is quite nice, short throws & sharp crisp feel
- No clutch howl
- No electrical voodoo (so far)
- Footwell is big enough for feet
- Pedals are better for heel & toe work
- Real dead pedal
- Brakes! Much firmer and substantial than the 9-3 ever thought about being
- Xenon headlights are really nice
- Hatch with the rear seat down is more usable (seats fold flat and square space is far more usable than the sloped SAAB hatch glass)
- Stereo (doesn't get nuclear hot and sounds great, SAAB had a better tuner though)
- Cockpit layout (more storage cubbies and an actual cup holder)
- More durable with hard driving (SAAB was more of a highway cruiser than boulevard bruiser like the Mini)


All told I would certainly buy another SAAB, but the Mini makes more sense for the majority of my city driving and driving style. Maybe when SAAB finally releases the 9-3 wagon I'll consider putting one in the driveway for my wife.

I miss hanging out here on SAABNet but enjoy ripping around the next curve in the Mini.

Just thought I'd see how things are here at SAABNet and share my observations of trying a new, totally different car.

Hope everybody had a great Christmas/New Year! SAAB on!

posted by 68.32.97...
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