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I posted this at SCWC when I arrived back from a 2100km, 36MPG (Imp.) trip bringing home my 01 9-5 185/4AT wagon after selling my 9k Aero to JeffCYVR:
"The 9-5 is overall a less sporty, more luxurious ride. Softer but
still well controlled (softer springs but still stiffly damped) and
quieter, less noise from all sources.
Seats don't compare at all, the 9-5 seats are softer and less
supportive, more slippery, and smaller as well - they remind me of
Japanese seats. The seat base doesn't adjust far enough to supply
adequate thigh support, and the lumbar support is inadequate as well
(to be fair, lumbar wasn't enough on the 9k Aero either). Still comfy
enough, but not outrageously so like the Aero.
I have more legroom and headroom in the 9-5. The steering wheel is
further away because I can move the seat so far back, but it tilts and
telescopes. Stan [my taller eastern friend]is 6'6" and has adequate space.
Back seaters get heated seats, cupholders in the center armrest, and
their own A/C vents, but lose the nice little C-pillar reading lights
in favour of useless ones integrated in the dome light.
The dash is a nice evolution from the 9k, the same layout with the EDU
functions removed to the SID in the center of the dash. Strangely, the
infamous "SID missing pixels" were present on my test drive, but not
when I took delivery - either they noticed and fixed it, or it was
just a flakey thing. I have a turbo gauge which is apparently not
present on earlier LPT models. It's supposed to deliver about 7lbs
boost; it shows on the gauge as exactly the yellow/red border. But we
can fix that though....
The stereo and climate control is much simpler on the 9-5, large easy
to see buttons, common functions take one press, every obscure functio
n you can imagine is programmable with the right combination of
buttons (speed sensitive volume, max start volume, all kinds of ACC
options). You need the manual (270pp) for this stuff though. Controls
on the steering wheel are handy to have. The dual zone climate control
was actually useful.
Stereo sounds great but I am no audiophile. Played 24 CDS on the trip
back.
The 9-5 seems much more stiffly built - no squeaks, rattles, etc AT
ALL, it just thumps over bumps with no signs of body twist (but it
only has 57k km). It does seem to be built lighter though, the doors
don't have the same heft and thump when they close, and the outside
door handles feel less substantial.
Performance is surprisingly good for 185hp. A little slow away from
lights unless you punch it or turn on Sport mode on the A/T which
speeds up the accelerator response. Tons of passing power though;
doesn't take much for the auto to downshift two gears. Ran it up to
160 [km/h] a couple times with no difficulty. And the engine is quiet except when pressed you get get a little of the nice Saab growl. We can fix
that too....
Didn't really test the handling; NW Ontario along the north shore of
Lake Superior is rolly and twisting but generally nothing that
requires slowing from 100k. The 9-5 wagon was designed to use the same [design] rear suspension as the sedan (most wagons don't) and actually is
supposed to handle better due to improved weight distribution (more of
the weight is on the back wheels). Although it was generally raining,
snowing, foggy, and slippery there was no concern. It was bad enough
at one point that the TCS kicked in climbing a hill in 2" of slush;
and disengaged the cruise control.
I think it will be less DIYable than the 9k, at least on interior
items. Much more 'Japanese' inside, everything seems to be molded in
one piece and it isn't obvious how to get in there to work on things.
It's also more crowded under the hood - can't imagine trying to work
on the V6 version - but neater, with more plastic covers over things
and wires, hoses etc more hidden.
Overall, a much better family car than the Aero, but not as suited to
me in terms of comfort, performance, and repairability. Hopefully I
won't have to worry about the last item though as there is a year
warranty left. And my wife likes it, which means I will get to keep it
long enough to modify it to suit. Aero sway bars, a Stage II engine
upgrade (ECU, filter, cat back), and a little extra padding in the
right places on the driver's seat would go nicely.
The 5-spoke SE-style alloys look like they've never seen a winter;
(and I intend to keep them that way) apparently the owner used snow
tires on steel wheels (he kept those to use on his new '04 9-5 Arc
wagon). Original tires well under half worn at 55k, I should go
measure tread and see exactly. A couple extremely minor stone chips, a
little windshield scratch, and some doggie foot prints on the rear
bumper are the only signs of use. Nice touch is that the top of the
rear bumper is a black matte plastic instead of paint, so it doesn't
get beat up by loading/unloading.
Also, I threw a pair of BMW 633CSi buckets in the back and hauled them
home with me. Didn't even need to entirely remove the rear package
shelf; it folds nicely out of the way. These will find a new home in
my Corvair convertible.
Les
1993 9k Aero 5sp black/black (sold)
2001 9-5 Linear wagon auto steel grey/charcoal
posted by 142.161.1...
, Wed, 30 Jun 2004 13:28:55, Wed, 30 Jun 2004 10:57:59
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