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badges/frequent flyer miles/CSET vs Aero speil Posted by JeffC [Email]  (#1740) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from JeffC) on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 19:20:53
In Reply to: Re: What's proper adhesive to bond trunk badges to trun, SaabKen in Vancouver, Mon, 19 Apr 2004 16:34:03 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I know I'm collecting frequent flyer miles... luckily I haven't had to cash any in yet. *grin*
Regarding the 2.3 Turbo badge, I agree with using something that isn't 100% permanent - perhaps you might change your mind about it in the future, or, perhaps you might sell the car and the next owner might want it off. Personally, I prefer not having the 2.3 Turbo badge on the back. I'm also seriously considering taking the turbo badge off the grille. I think it looks kind of akward on the post-facelift 9000s, personally - not enough space to let it breathe like on the larger pre-facelift grille. One man's opinion...
As for the CSET vs Aero... first time I drove Ken's car was nirvana - that's what switched me from looking for a 900 to looking for a 9000, and what led me to seriously consider purchasing the Aero from Les. It was a couple of weeks between driving the CSET and getting the Aero, although I did test drive a '95 Aero at a local Saab dealer (Morrey), but didn't really open it up.
The first thing that really surprised me about Ken's car was how quickly it got up to highway speed without hammering the gas - I barely feathered it and BAM, before we even hit the highway going down the onramp, we were going 90km/h! Same with when we looped around and went up a nice big three-lanes-wide hill. I couldn't believe how the car accellerated and maintained speed at such small throttle openings!
To be honest, when developing my initial impressions of the Aero after buying it, I found this to be not quite as pronounced as Ken's car - this could be attributed to many things - I think it's a combination of the turbo engine+automatic transmission=no loss of boost phenomenon, and the considerably higher gearing of the 4 speed autobox.
After getting more acquainted with the Aero, however, particularly with the way it accellerates to Autobahn speeds, then I became truely impressed with the car. The Aero does what the CSET does - only it does it at higher speeds.
When I went and drove Ken's CSET back to back with the Aero, I again found that it felt quicker getting up to, say, 80-100km/h. I'd feather the throttle and think I was going 50km/h, looked down, and BAM! I'm already at 100km/h! I'm not talking about a hardcore 0-60mph run here, but just an average everyday accelleration up to highway speeds. The CSET seems to do this more effortlessly.
However, the CSET is not as impressive at, say, 100-140km/h. This is where the Aero's low gearing and huge whallop of torque take over - the whole "faster than a Ferrari Testarossa from 50-75mph" thing. The car accellerates to supralegal speeds devestatingly quickly.
I also prefer the Aero suspension - many call it too hard, but I find it just right, and I really like the minimal body roll. I find the car is particularly adept at quick left-to-right transitions, which I haven't experienced in other cars of this size - typically there's a period in the center between two corners where the car feels momentarily unsettled.
Nevermind the seats. *grin* Best seats I have ever experienced in a car, ever.
I'm actually really curious to try driving a CSET with a manual transmission. I find it very difficult to adjust myself to driving with an automatic transmission at this point. I understand the gearing in the 5 speed CSET is not as low as the Aero. I really like the extra-low RPMs at cruising speed - 140km/h (85mph) is a mere 3000rpm in 5th. This makes it unbearably tempting to cruise along at such a clip, while the higher gearing in the CSET would probably make it quicker at lower speeds.
Both cars are most impressive and capable, not to mention comfortable, and I think they both look fantastic. The Aero is simply more optimized for higher speeds.
Still collecting frequent flyer miles...
--Jeff
'93 Aero 172,000kms
posted by 24.85.21...
, Mon, 19 Apr 2004 19:20:53, Mon, 19 Apr 2004 19:20:53 <-- Viewing This Message, Mon, 19 Apr 2004 19:22:08
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