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1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I have a 2000 9-5 Gary Fisher Wagon w/ 5 speed that I bought used just shy of a year ago. It has been a wonderful car with very few concerns. Prior to buying this wagon I had looked at several other 9-5s including both sedans and wagons. I found that even with the folding seats, that the 9-5 sedan just didn’t have the utility that the wagon does (or that my 9000 hatchback had).
First, let me preface this with a little history. I have been a wagon person for years. My Volvo 210 has been in my possession for 32+ years and I almost always bought Volvo wagons as every day drivers. Biggest difficulty with Volvo as the cars got newer was trying to find one with manual gearbox. So my last Volvo was an 89 240 wagon with a 5 speed. I ran across an opportunity to buy a 95 NG 900 a few years back. Didn’t really like the car at all after I got used to it. Seats were shorter than the C900 and cabin felt narrower and more claustrophobic, so after a couple of months, I got rid of it in favor of a 93 9000 CSE non turbo hatchback. I found the hatchback configuration was almost as useful as a wagon, so I was quite pleased with it for several years. Last year I got the “I wants” for something newer, since the 9000 was going to need some attention. I traded the 9000 on this wagon.
My wife has had a C900S 3 door since 1992. Recently we were looking for a replacement for that car and were considering a new Mini Cooper. Decided that driving more than 60 miles for service was not for us. We looked at and rejected a 2000 9-3 coupe. Drove a 9-3 SS and found we liked it much better than the NG 900/9-3. We still have the C900S and recently my wife drove it after having been with the 9-3SS for a couple of months. She told me she still likes the C900 every bit as much as she did prior to buying the 9-3SS.
Having lived with both the 9-5 wagon and the 9-3SS for several months now, I’ll still jump in the 9-5 every time. The handling feels better to me and the ride certainly is much less harsh over bumps—even with the 225/45 x17 tires than that of the 9-3SS. I have not yet tried to upgrade the suspension with the later Aero sway bars, although it has crossed my mind. The seats seem to have a better grade of leather on the 9-5 and are more comfortable than the 9-3 SS. One of the things that I dislike about the 9-5 is that all of the interior storage compartments like door pockets, seem smaller than what I had in the 9000. I know its probably being picky, but you are looking for points of comparison.
Bob Tescione
posted by 209.222.2...
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