Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 00:13:00 -0000 From: "Colin SQUIRES" <colin_squiresnopsam4.freeserve.co.uk> Subject: Re: My GM900 and a couple of issues that I have with it..
I agree with a lot of what you wrote. I have a 1997, 2.3, Coupe. The evolutionary design is almost timeless (apat from rear reflector in the boot). The large boot and ability to carry four large adults in a coupe in comfort are great. The interior look and feel is fantstic. I don't have air con so can't comment but what is the point of light switches behind the sun visor - I have never used them !!!. The 2.3 engine is quite good and delivers smooth power although it's not exactly quick, I wouldn't want to try a standard 2 litre in such a heavy, solid car. The handling is disappointing, infact it's awful, the car is better suited to motorways. I find the seats excellent but they will vary from person to person. After poor handling, the worst feature has to be the heavy cable cluch. When you're stuck on the M25 it becomes very tiresome. Despite the faults there is just something about the looks and brand that attract me to it. I hope future SAABs will be better than this rushed GM effort. Other criticism - servicing and parts are way too expensive. C 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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