![]() |
1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I finally parted with my black on black 97 aero and upgraded to a black 2007 9-3 aero with the ivory leather both autos.
I know that many posts come up wanting a comparison between our 9000's and the newer Saabs.
Here are my thoughts...
1997 aero auto 110K with upgraded td04 turbo full 3 inch JT exaust and K&N drop in and 17 ronals
Pluses
- better seats (hard to beat these ever)
- more instant power at all speed ranges
- better hwy ride on rough sections
- solid interior
- hatch
- no speed limiter
- got lots of looks and comments
- excellent auto tranny perfect shift points for the motor and excellent feel on upshifts and downshifts
- more useful info on the info display
Minuses
- 11 yrs old and always needing something or 5 somethings
- fair bit of body roll compared to 9-3
- no glovebox
- headlights not the best
- seeping oil from a few spots
- trq str on spirited starts (part of the fun though)
- exhaust a bit too unrefined for my wifes taste
- bit rough and unrefined at idle
2007 9-3 aero 2.8 v6 turbo 14K
Pluses
- great styling gets lots of looks / comments
- excellent handling... reactive rear steering makes a huge difference
- very smooth linear acceleration
- no trq steer
- beautiful interior I absolutely love the ivory leather
- bose stereo is decent (lacks bass though)
- feels new and has no issues so far
- exterior door handles feel refined and have a nice movement/action
- huge glove box
- low front spoiler looks great
- excellent zenon headlights .... what a difference
- very smooth and quiet motor I almost don't know its running at a stoplight if I have the radio on
Minuses
- very smooth linear accelleration (I miss the hard hitting trq of my 97)
- when performing spirited driving the throttle response and power delivery feels unconnected from the true power of the motor. Signifigant trq resriction especially in 1st gear
- exhaust is a bit too refined for my taste
- I expected better fuel economy in the city (about the same as my 97 though)
- interior door handles feel cheap (really cheap) and the plastic pcs actually move in your hands
- front spoiler is so low that is should be added to the 30K maitenance list
- the 6 speed auto feels very electronic (hard to explain)... I prefer the not electronic feel of my 97 4 spd auto
- the abundace of sensors and electronic components just waiting to fail scares me a bit but hopefully I wont see this for several yrs.
Overall I am happy with the switch and I think my performance complaints will be rectified by a bsr ppc stage 1 upgrade. A louder intake and sportier exaust note would also make me feel a bit more connected to the performance of the car (upgrades over time I guess).
As with the 9000's the 9-3 has a few yrs to be avoided 2003 autos especially
I absolutely love driving both cars.
Moving to a 9-3 was a big decision... I actually sought out some lower milage 9000's initially but they all needed something or several somethings fixed as well.
If I did my own wrenching and had time to work on vehcles I likely would have kept the 9000. My time is taken up with 3 kids and work etc. and it feels great knowing that I have so many new components that won't need replacing for several yrs.
Hats off to the 9000 board ! The depth of knowledge and passion of the contributors is incredible. The posts and contributions on the 9-3 board have less passion for sure and the depth of knowledge will take many years to catch up.
The 9000 was definately ahead of its time and I applaud those that will be keeping them on the road for many years to come.
Feel free to email me with any questions
Thx
posted by 142.165.7...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |