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Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 17:26:23 -0000
From: "Andy Walmsley" <andy_walmsleynopsamail.com>
Subject: Re: My GM900 and a couple of issues that I have with it..


Bought my first Saab nearly three years ago. I test drove a lovely looking 900 conv - non turbo and but was soooooooo disappointed in its performance, I felt like I was driving a heavy GM Astra/Ford escort - but with a large price tag! Same day, test drove the 900 conv - turbo, COMPLETELY different car,(much better performance, better brakes, better handling and overall better ride) bought it when I got back from the test drive. -- "Dransfield" <m.dransfieldnopsamAMTHanKSvirgin.net> wrote in message news:OZmL9.1527$rN1.191856nopsamfep1-win.server.ntli.net... > Before I start: I've had my GM900 (non turbo 2.0) for a couple of years, my > Grandfather is a 'Saab-o-phile', > and I used to own a (fantastic) V4 96. And I've been holding off writing > this post for well > over a year. So I'm not just your average troll, but there's some things > I've got to get off my > chest. > > Firstly, The Engine. > Its gutless to the point of being dangerous. I'm not a fast or aggressive > driver, but this thing has no low end power, and I don't > mean 'power' like a racing driver, I mean it as in to drive to the shops. > Its stalls very easily when the steering is on full lock. > This is great when you're turning right (I'm in the UK) across oncoming > traffic, or the other day I was > in stationary traffic and had to move out of the way of an ambulance that > was trying to get through. > > For us this car replaced a 1985 Volvo 360 GLT, (which was also 2.0i), and > that had lovely smooth power. > I've borrowed a couple of 9-3 turbo courtesy cars, which were like rockets, > and can only conclude that the > old 2.0 block is so antiquated that to make it work properly at low revs it > needs a turbo, > which then makes it very fast at high revs. > > The Manual Gearbox. > So if your designing a car with no low end power, what do you do? Do you > make the gears as high as Trollhattan church spire? > Nor would i, but they did. > Its so highly geared that you often have to select first to pull away at eg. > a traffic roundabout, even though you didn't stop rolling! > > > I should mention at this point that my wife drives this car all the time, > with no complaints, and when I've driven it for 2 > weeks solid, on hoiday etc, you get used to it. But when you jump out of a > different car and into this one you find that > you can misdjudge your saftey margins when pulling into traffic, and end up > with a rear mirror full of truck, while you fumble > to turn off the a/c to make the speed increase that bit less slowly. > I know this just won't happen to many of you Saab-o-philes who drive their > cars exclusively, > but we're not talking about some classic car, we're talking > about a modern daily-driver, whose TV adverts are all jet fighters and > safety. > > The Climate Control > No, in London traffic I DO want re-circ and windsheild demist! I appreciate > it might take a couple of seconds longer to clear > the screen, but the reduction > in fumes breathed in would add a couple of minutes to my life, but it won't > let me do this. > I could write an essay on the C/C and how it thinks it knows better, like > how it won't let you have outside air to enter the car > at less than 15C , like in the old days. And you can't re-direct this to the > screen, etc.. > > Passenger Air Bag - Can't turn off. > > Seats > Simply too small - I'm only 6'2" which isn't an unusual height to be, the > bottom of the headrest touches the my back, and the sunroof > surround touches my head. My back aches after a couple of hours in the > saddle. > > > Interior Light - Can't disable. > So we've just driven home for 5 hours, its midnight, and we need to transfer > the sleeping kids from the car to bed without > waking them - you take the car keys out or open the door and the flippin > light comes on, shining in their eyes. > I know someone probably once though this was a neat feature, but the fact > that you can't disable it is not. > I notice on the 9-3 this is different. > > Boot/Trunk Remote Release. > You can release it remotely by pressing the wrong button on the key fob, eg. > from inside the house while trying to lock > the car before going to bed. > You can then close the boot by simply going down stairs, unlocking the > house, and going outside in your pyjamas and > closing it with your hands. > If you take a minute doing this you get the added bonus of the alarm going > off because its re-armed, when you go to slam it shut. > Its best to remember to not to have left the keys upstairs at this point or > that horn will be honking shattering the silence > for more than a couple of toots. > My main point is that anything that can be done remotely should be able to > be un-done remotely. > I notice on the 9-3 this is different. > > Handling: I knew that the GM900 handling was bad before I bought the car, I > can confirm that it is awful, but I was warned. > > Plus points: I'll end on the reasons why I haven't sold the car, just to > quosh some of those flames coming my way. > The boot/trunk is fantastic. Its actually bigger than a Volvo V70 with seats > up (ie. full of family). > The build quality is nice, and all the interior plastics are of a nice > quality. > It feels as solid as an ox (albeit only slightly faster). > Its a nice motorway car. > > My Conclusion: There's something about the Saab brand, and how its presented > in advertising and other marketing, that to me > is a slightly arrogant disregard for the fact that its products are not > actually anything like perfection. > > Regards, > Dransfield > > > > > >

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