1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Dan,
I had two Passats; the new style (1998 and1999). Both were V6, one was tip and one was a manual trans. They were OK in the snow, but the Saab is better. Why, I am not sure. But the Saab understeers less and seems better planted at high speeds on the snow. Maybe the wieght balance is better with the Saab as my Passats were V6's and quite nose heavy while the Saab is the 4 cylinder.
Also, the Saab's foot pedal area is extremly crowded; it is difficult to drive with large feet; especially the manual trans cars. The Passat's shifter/clutch/brakes and gas pedal are much, much better than the 9-5. The Saab has a nicer steering wheel and more natural feeling steering. The Passat's steering feels very precise, but kinda funky sometimes; almost too loose or not enough load when you are making a gradual sweeping turn.
My Saab is 2 years old and has about 30,000 miles. It has almost no squeaks or rattles! I am very surprised at this as my old Saab 900 was a rattle trap. I live in Detroit and the roads are really bad here. My Passats were terrible; they had almost as many rattles as my old Saab 900; mainly in the Instrument Panel and drivers seat. Also, both Passats had more wind noise than the Saab.
The Passat's V6 was smooth and quiet and much more refined than the 9-5. The tip trans was smooth, yet it made the car feel old and slow. The 9-5's auto trans shifts hard, but is very responsive and makes the car feel energetic. The Saab 4 cylinder is at it's worse in the summer when it is hot and you have the AC on. With the auto trans, the car shakes when stopped at traffice lights and feels very unrefined. It is at it's best on cool days in hilly areas or on the freeway crusing. In these cases the car cannot be beat. The car seems to come alive at 85mph.
The Passat was a very good car though, and my next car will most likely be a base model Passat Wagon with the 1.8t. I think that the Passat's are a better value to purchase; especially the base models. The Saab 9-5 is way, way too expensive to buy. The Saabs depreciate very quickly and the same money will buy an Audi or BMW. The Saab 9-5 is an awsome lease value though, as GM is subsidising the lease and I get a GM lease discount because I am a GM supplier. The Passat's lease price is very high though.
Also, my Saab dealer used to have loaner cars for service and warranty work. Now, it is virtually impossible to get a loaner as the argue with you about wether or not you are eligable, and they have a 3 week waiting list. The dealer just went Yuppie oon us, and although the new building is sweet, the service went in the shitter as the new, younger, hipper service reps know nothing about cars or customer service ("like dude"). So, this benefit is no longer a benefit and I might as well just buy the base Passat which is just as roomy inside and is a very nice car.
Sorry about the long message!
-Doug
Sorry about the long post!
-Doug
, Fri, 22 Dec 2000 09:27:59
, Fri, 22 Dec 2000 00:25:37, Mon, 25 Dec 2000 20:46:11, Fri, 22 Dec 2000 00:15:51
, Wed, 20 Dec 2000 19:07:03, Thu, 21 Dec 2000 07:05:53, Thu, 21 Dec 2000 12:03:06, Fri, 22 Dec 2000 12:50:24, Fri, 22 Dec 2000 20:36:52
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