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W, as in WOW !
In a recent post, I implied the 9-5 might be more car for the money, but would drive the 9-3 SS to validate such a claim. Judgment day has come. IMHO, the 9-3SS is a better car than the 9-5. As the 9-3 is surely an indication of what is to come, the next 9-5 should be nothing less than awesome.
The last thing I wish is to do is offend present 9-3 owners, but I think the 9-3SS is so superior to the car it replaces, it should not even be compared to it. It's a different bread, which of course does not mean the old 9-3 does not have it's merits.
Briefly, after driving an automatic Linear with Sport Launch package, I thought the car had plenty of arguments to defend the manufacturer's optimistic claims and be excused for some of the debatable interior material choices. I drove the car on a nice twisty country road with no traffic, on a freeway and in the city. This baby has tons of grip and does not seem to know the meaning of body roll. It brakes superlatively and accelerates quickly AFAIC. I have never owned an automatic but this may change after trying the 5 speed Sentronic. It shifts quite fast and I found the manual mode useful to control RPMs when taking off quickly. On the downside, there is still more wind noise than I would like. Road noise is acceptable for this degree of roadhandling, much better than 9-5. The Michelin Pilots work very well with the sports suspension (not the case with the awful Michelin MXVs of our 9-5, although I hear the new +generation is an improvement) and the stability control seems to work very well as even under hard cornering, I never heard the tires squeal.
As for front seat comfort , I think it is superior to the 9-5 Linear as the seat backs farther, which my 6-foot composure appreciated. I thought the premium sound system is very good, although lacking a little base. The controls and dash layout are terrific, and take little time to get used to. Much better than 9-5, which is far from bad.
All in all, the car was very pleasant, weather driven hard or at a leisurely paste. A 9-3 wagon could be a very interesting alternative to a 9-5 sedan for those who need the extra carrying capacity.
Voilà!
posted by 64.18.169...
, Mon, 4 Nov 2002 17:32:19
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