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I drove one at the GM testing event six months back, and finally went to a dealer. Looked at a 2004 aero, 5-speed, very mildly used--just a few thousand miles. Situation apparently arose with second driver not being able to drive stick. My current car is a 328i, and i used to have a 900SET. I've test drive several cars recently, and there's been nothing that's made me consider spending a big wad of cash to get rid of the BMW. But the 9-5 aero is really making me think.
1) The interior is awesome. I love it. The back seat is spacious, and the trunk is enormous. I climbed inside the trunk; I wouldn't even think about doing that on most cars. With the back seats folded down, i almost wouldn't rue the missing hatch.
2) This car has the ventilated seats. This, by itself, is huge. I sweat easily and often emerge from a car with my back soaked. The seats and interior are both very comfortable.
3) I drove over some bumpy surfaces, and the car was very very composed, it was quieter and smoother than my bmw with the 15 inch rims. There was also nary a rattle, unlike the 9-3 i recently drove.
4) I am definitely not used to the engine/clutch. I really missed the bmw's instant power, and had a hard time taking off smoothly. I, honestly, don't flog the car that much anymore, but i do punch it periodically, and the saab didn't feel as if it was quite as strong, much less feel as if it had 60 more of each horsepower and torque. I almost wonder if someone didn't put premium into the tank. Also, the engine shook more than i expected; with the hood open, you could see it vibrating back and forth. The bmw engine doesn't shake even when you rev it. EPA is identical (19/29), and i often beat the epa on my bmw to the tune of 35mpg on highway drives. Would i be able to match this?
5) I am interested in the safety features and the front wheel drive. Granted, the handling is not as good as my 328i, but i have had a few, shall we say, incidents with my car, one of which almost sent me off a rain-soaked road, i ended up repeatedly overcompensating for a skid. The saab would be less likely to do this ( i think ) and also has better passive safety--the 328i only has average crashtest scores, though i do have the side air bags. The 9-5 also has the onstar.
6) The dealer and salespeople/person were great ( saab exchange ) and i would feel comfortable bringing the car there for work.
Basically, if i didn't have reservations about the clutch uptake and turbo lag, i would have gotten right to brass tacks.
However, i'm really tempted. I liked the car an awful lot, it't the only thing i've driven thus far that is making me seriously consider trading the BMW away, as i love that car too. If i get it, it will definitely be with the intent of extending the warranty as long as i can and keeping the car for 5.5 worry free years and 95K worry free miles. One of the reasons i could rationalize the trade despite my cheapskate nature is because i worry a lot about repairs, and with my car out of warranty, i think that every little noise is going to cost me a mint. And although my 328i HAS been reliable, there is a little electrical gremlin that surfaces now and again that makes me worry. If i start to need to dump money into the BMW, i KNOW i'll regret having kept it.
Questions:
1) Any feedback on saab exchange?
2) If the previous owner didn't use the aero academy, could i concievably use it?
3) I heard there were issues with the rims denting. Is this better in 2004?
4) How necessary are snow tires on the aero? They were a requirement on my old 900 with the z-rated 17's.
5) If all i want from the onstar is to use it in an emergency, such as a crash, do i still need to pay the subscription fee?
6) is there any way to wire my ipod into the sterio?
7) How fast will the stock tires wear out, and can i repalce them with something long lasting?
8) Is there a good saab indie near Oak Park or UIC where i could get service done
9) Price. Has anyone gotten a
I appreciate any help, and i may be joining the club soon.
dave
posted by 68.23.104...
, Fri, 21 May 2004 11:12:24
, Thu, 20 May 2004 22:44:41
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