1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I sold my Discovery last fall and bought an '01 9-3SE. I couldn't be happier with the upgrade. Without knowing more about your tahoe (Yr, 2dr/4Dr, etc) its tough to do the side by side comparison but I will give some points and counterpoints:
- While the 9-3 can haul more than any car in its class, its still a car. The process to load large items is kind of cumbersome (move front seats up, lift rear seat cushions, fold rear seatback, remove and stow cargo cover, etc and limits front seat room. You are also loading items into the passenger compartment on the 9-3 rather than a 'cargo' area on the SUV and need to be careful not to damage interior. I use the 9-3 like a truck and have scuffed/scratched both front seats, dash, console etc...stuffing 8' lumber, shelving, conduit etc in from the back.
- The cargo area is deep, but not all that wide. The rear shock towers limit the width at the cargo floor to 36" or so and wide items get wedged into that Vee easily.
- Passenger comfort in the Tahoe will be much greater. Two reasonable sized adults in the back of the 9-3 are comfortable but the front seats must be pulled forward and a 3rd rear seat passenger is out of the question. My rover had a small back seat for an SUV so this wasn't an issue for me, but if your in a 98-02 4dr Tahoe, it is a very noticable difference.
- Winter traction - I put (4) blizzaks/steel wheels on the 9-3 and other than blasting through snow banks, the Saab was as good in snow as the Discovery hands down. If you hunt/ice fish and need clearance for fire roads etc, the Saab will be a problem.
- Driving comfort - no comparison. Over time the 9-3 becomes an extension of you and driving becomes effortless and enjoyable. Chicago roads are terrible and even with the SE suspension and low profile tires, the ride/reduction in road noise is a huge improvement.
- At the end of the day, it depends on what your other car is and how much you use the utility part of your SUV. I use this vehicle as 99% car, 1% utility vehicle so I definitely lean towards a vehicle better suited to daily driving tasks. With that said, I am watching for an old fullsize pickup to haul plywood/sheetrock and other things I won't put in the Saab. I guess its the classic tradeoff of specialization....the SUV is a jack of all trades, master of none, the Saab is a master of driving performance, but less the jack of all trades.
Bottom line, see if you can keep the Tahoe and lease a 9-3SE! If you don't have paper out on the Chev you can give up the Starbucks and alsmost cover the $300/mo lease payment!
Have fun..
posted by 12.99.179...
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