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One of our other cars is a 2000 BMW 528i and here are my comments:
The plastics are good in both our 528i and our '02 Aero, but both have places where the manufacturer obviously skimped. The 528i has really crappy sun visors, while on the Aero, the rear ACC vents look like they came out of a Pontiac Sunbird.
I prefer the switchgear of the Aero. SAAB did a pretty good job of making all the switchgear uniform in feel, especially the dashboard. Not so the BMW. The climate control switches on the BMW suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder and sometimes it takes TWO presses to register an adjustment.
On the other hand, both fall somewhat short of the switchgear found in, say, a recent Honda Accord, or Acura TL. Honda is simply the king of switchgear. Their switchgear is silky smooth, precise, with no slop. It looks and feels great.
Lousy aircon? Mine is great! Our 528i's automatic climate control is awful. We always override it. Leaving it on 'auto' usually causes the windows to fog up, because it doesn't circulate air very well. The temperature setting is sometimes off (relative to the cabin temp) by as much as 10'F! I wonder if there is an "autocalibration mode" for the Bimmer's climate control? Or maybe or cabin temp sensor is dying...
Seating position: I love the SAAB seats. Supportive, comfortable, they keep you alert. I could drive cross-country in these seats. I also prefer the "arms out" driving position, which was available in my 9000T also. The steering wheel is adjustable for height AND reach.
Noise levels could be better, but it's not too bad. Not the quietest, but far from being overly loud. Others say that swapping the tires helps. I can't wait 'til these Primacys wear out, I want to get those new Pilot Sport A/S tires! Great ratings on tirerack.com.
Vibration? Well, it's a four-cylinder. I'll take the the four-cylinder vibration with its superior fuel economy any day.
Glove compartment? It's great that it's deep! I wouldn't mind having one that's even bigger!
Boot? I find the trunk to be VERY large, much larger than in our 528i. Read my earlier post, "At JFK airport..." I haven't tried stuffing the golf clubs in it yet though, I'll try that out. They fit in the Bimmer so I'm SURE they'll fit in the Aero.
Rumbling at low RPM? Hmm, mine only does that if I'm in the wrong gear.
Power windows, I find to be of average speed, no problems there. I would definitely like express down AND up (with anti-trap feature) on all four windows, similar to the Bimmer.
I will say this about handling: the 528i probably has the best steering and handling of all the sedans I've ever driven. It's simply amazing. It's as if it were hard-wired into your brain, as if the car were reading your mind. The handling is better, and the ride is less harsh, compared to our '02 Aero.
Now, having said that, I find the Aero to be more comfortable, because it has lots more interior room, and wider seats. Don't get me wrong, the Aero has fine handling, but it's simply not better than, or even at part with, the 528i. Then again, the 528i costs a LOT more ($9000) than the Aero. And were comparing RWD and FWD here! Apples and oranges, kind of.
Anyhow, while the Aero might lack in absolute handling prowess, it makes up for this everywhere else, especially the in the power department! Gotta love that turbo boost. And SAABS certainly do not lack in character and soul.
I find the Aero to be more fun to drive.
Jason
'02 Aero
posted by 24.46.48...
, Thu, 12 Sep 2002 18:05:51
, Thu, 12 Sep 2002 16:18:07, Thu, 12 Sep 2002 13:26:35
, Thu, 12 Sep 2002 14:38:40
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