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Both are good Posted by billherbst [Email] (#2137) [Profile/Gallery] (more from billherbst) on Mon, 29 Aug 2005 21:44:56 In Reply to: 2001 V6 vs. 4-cyl turbo, candy, Sat, 27 Aug 2005 22:09:20 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
candy,
Both are good. Yes, the direct ignition cassettes (DIC, although they're no longer called that; I think they're now called IDMs, for ignition discharge modules) have had problems, the turbo may go, and the oil sludge situation exists, but generally speaking each is a fine engine.
Some die-hard Saab enthusiasts swear that anything other than the 2.3-liter inline 4-cylinder is not a "true" Saab, and the 6-cylinder engines in the 9000 series were dreadful, but the asymmetric turbo V-6 (where only one bank of 3 cylinders is turbo-charged) in the 9-5 series is really quite good (as are the automatic transmissions that go with them).
Both engines are a bit "throaty" (in a nice way). The i4 gets better gas mileage, but the 6-cyl is a bit smoother.
I drove all three 9-5 engines when shopping for a used one--2.3 LPT (low-pressure turbo), 2.3 HOT (high-output turbo), and the 6-cylinder. All were terrific. Quick, responsive, and agile. I ended up buying a used 1999 SE Wagon with a 6-cylinder, and it's been perfect so far. At 75,000 miles, I'm halfway through an Auto-Rx gentle engine flush before switching to synthetic oil.
With proper maintenance and halfway decent luck, any Saab 9-5 engine will give great performance and last a long, long time.
--Bill
posted by 63.231.48...
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