Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 16:52:22 -0500 From: tom reingold <trn244nopsamnline.net> Subject: Re: Q: Saab models with 3 three point safety belts on back seat?
On 1/21/2003 3:31 PM:Abdallah Jamal wrote > yo tom > > i didn't keep all the links to the sources that confirmed the crashworthiness of the saab compared to the passat, but there's a lot of websites that provide test data on various models. older passats didn't fare well compared to saabs, wherever i looked. then there's the saab site of testimonials as to the performance of saabs in accidents. enough people walking away from near-fatal accidents convinced me that the data was valid. (couldn't find a similar site for passats!) > > but the real clincher was when i first test drove the saabs i own now. they just felt more tightly attached to the ground and more responsive in stop/start situations than the '91 passat we had. i must say that i was partly enamoured by the drive and partly by the stories/data. > > just so you know, the rear-ender took place at a traffic light. the car that hit us was screeching to a halt, and we were forced into the car in front. the entire rear end of the passat was pushed in and the cabin frame was bent enough that one rear door wouldn't open. so much for crumple zones. > > all that said, i've no data on recent passats. > > hope that's useful > > abdallah Thanks! Still, the later Saabs have outrageous prices for things like replacement keys and snow rims and many other things. And seeing Gary's rants was pretty scary. The Passats I test drove in 2000 handled a little better than the Saabs, although not tremendously. -- Tom Reingold Noo Joizy