'03 9-3 driven & ordered! - Saab NG900 & OG9-3 Bulletin Board - Saabnet.com
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'03 9-3 driven & ordered!
Posted by Chas NJ [Email] (more from Chas NJ) on Fri, 11 Oct 2002 20:25:07
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I used to be a Saabophile back in my native England, but for the past 10 years I've been driving VW passats. A '93 manual tranny B3 Passat was one of the most underated cars in America - I loved it (still do since my son inherited it) and a '99 automatic V6 Passat which the whole world loves and I think is as boring as dog biscuits. Since I didn't want to wait for the 9-3 I went back to my VW dealer who wanted BMW silly money for a 3 year lease. A couple of business trips and the wait for a test drive of a 9-3 was no longer out of the question. I drove the base model with manual transmission & an auto with launch & touring packages.
I'm afraid that I was quite disappointed with the "stripper" and although I've seen lots of posts from existing Saab owners saying how much crisper the new manual transmission is - all I can say is boy, I sure wouldn't have wanted an old manual!! I thought the throw was long and excessive pedal travel gave the whole gear-changing experience a "mushy' feel.
The loaded auto was altogether different and much more to my liking. I think that it is far more responsive than a Passat V6 (itself a $30k+ car) and while I'll admit that a BMW is probably an even better handling car, it is far smaller & less versatile than a 9-3 (you even have to pay for rear seats that fold down in a BMW!) a BMW just wasn't on my shopping list.
Bottom line: an equivilently equipped German car is hugely more expensive than a loaded 9-3. The Saab represents a subtle near luxury car with plenty of character and European handling. Not as good value as something Japanese and certainly American but a fair compromise. Silver was the only color I could get in a hurry and I'm picking it up on Tuesday!
So I'm glad to be a Saabophile once again and gentlemen, you have a new member of your club!
Chas
posted by 68.36.162...
Posts in this Thread:
- '03 9-3 driven & ordered!, Chas NJ, Fri, 11 Oct 2002 20:25:07 <-- Viewing This Message
- Plastics!, Bruce, Sat, 12 Oct 2002 15:43:49
- Re: Plastics!, Mike, Mon, 14 Oct 2002 21:21:09
- Re: Plastics!, Sieglo, Mon, 14 Oct 2002 13:43:22
- People calling the new 9-3 interior cheap..., Richard P., Sun, 13 Oct 2002 15:38:17
- Re: Plastics!, james, Sat, 12 Oct 2002 19:41:57
- Re: Plastics! - I agree 100% (n/m), Baskin, Sat, 12 Oct 2002 17:07:06
- See the NINES Reports!, Stephen Goldberger, Sat, 12 Oct 2002 15:26:37
- question, Jeff, Mon, 14 Oct 2002 14:54:26
- you've got BALLS. Go man Go!, bill h., Sat, 12 Oct 2002 00:03:04
- Re: '03 9-3 driven & ordered!, jimbobjoe, Fri, 11 Oct 2002 23:29:06
- Welcome, Ian Glenday , Fri, 11 Oct 2002 21:38:33
- Congratulations!, Dr. eric Strauss, Fri, 11 Oct 2002 21:20:25
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