1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Hi, Purple. My husband and I bought a '95 Passat wagon, and then leased a '99 version. In comparison tests with a Volvo, the Passat won easily -- much more fun to drive, lots of stuff for a fair price and nice styling (OK, it's still a wagon). The insurance costs are also reasonable.
Having said that, we are also looking at a 9-5 wagon to replace the other car we have, which is a '98 Forester (nice, also fun to drive, but definitely a cheaper car -- just do the old "slam the door" trick). We drove a Volvo XC and the Saab 9-5 within 30 minutes of each other -- the Volvo is a tricked-up, plasticky thing with an oddball 5-cylinder engine. My husband pronounced it "a piece of junk." He never likes Volvos, and says they are not drivers' cars.
When we drove the Saab, I asked what he thought, and the first words he said were, "No comparison. This is a MUCH better car." I asked if he thought it was better than our Passat, and he said, "It's different -- not better -- just different." When I drove it, I had to agree -- the Passat drives, well, like a German car; you will go straight ahead and you will feel the road. The interior has a luxurious feel to it, particularly when it comes to the dashboard and the leather seats. There is a bit of turbo lag on the 4-cyl., but the pickup doesn't let you down. We would buy or lease another one when the lease is up in 2002.
Having said all of that, the Saab presents itself as that much more luxurious -- dual climate control, OnStar (perhaps a gimmick, but it's there and paid for one year), power seats w/memory, front AND rear heated seats (at least that's how they ship 'em for the Northeast), etc. The interior sort of looks like my mom's Lexus, and that says quite a bit for the aesthetic experience.
As far as the DRIVING experience is concerned, my vote is for the base wagon. The ride is quiet and quick, slightly faster than the Passat, and feels grounded. The SE growls, but not in a "I'm gonna tear up the road" way, but in a "I'm not totally tuned up, and I will work hard to get there" way. I'm not entirely sure it's worth the extra bucks for the add'l ponies and lower torque.
Finally, because we are both quirky and non-traditional, the Saab's funny qualities keep it from becoming...well...what the Passat is fast becoming: just another smoothed-out, homogenized, common European import. At least, in our eyes.
If you can see your way to the extra $$, go for the Saab. Hope this helps.
, Fri, 19 Jan 2001 10:31:11
, Fri, 19 Jan 2001 03:03:25, Fri, 19 Jan 2001 04:00:48
, Thu, 18 Jan 2001 16:38:49
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
