[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Darren wrote: "...and wondering why the car is never level even if parked on flat ground."
Ha! Ha! How true, how true! It's been 9 years since I've owned a classic 900, so I had forgotten how they never seemed to be able to sit level. I owned 3 C900s, all of them had that problem, and no one could ever figure out why!
Transitions are sometimes difficult. As a long-time SAAB owner (since 1964), I've been through several. First the transition from two-stroke to V-4, then from 93/95/96 body style to 99, then 99 to 900 & 9000, and finally, the transition to the new generation 900/9-3 and 9-5. In most of these transitions, after a few months of getting used to the new model, I have been able to say that, overall, the new model is a "step up" from the old, and SAAB had improved on their unique combination of safety, practicality, and driving fun. The latest transition, from classic 900 and 9000 to 9-3 and 9-5, I'm not sure that this tradition of continual improvement is still true. I know there are some improvements in individual mechanicals (auto transmissions, side air bags, etc), but the latest models do not, for me at least, have the character and uniqueness of their predecessors. I don't think that the new generation 900/9-3 handles as well as the classic 900, nor is it as much fun to drive. In addition, the 9-3 seems (to me) more narrow and cramped on the inside than the classic 900. The 9-5 also feels (mabe actually is) more cramped inside than the 9000, and of course the practicality of the hatchback is gone. There are poor design features that you would not think that SAAB would produce - if you are over 6 feet tall, you have to think carefully about getting in the front passenger side of the 9-5 to avoid "bonking" your left kneecap on the protruding right hand end of the dashboard. And the 9-5's back seat seems narrower and doesn't have as much legroom as the 9000. As I said, my overall impression of the 9-5 is that it is cramped inside. SAAB's past tradition was always to make a car that seemed small on the outside but big and "airy" on the inside (compare the 96 to the VW Beetle of the day). This seems to be lost with the 9-3 and 9-5.
That said, I know that neither I nor anyone else can live in the past. What will I buy when my present '96 9000 CS wears out? Probably a good condition used 9-5 wagon. The wagon seems to bring back the "open" feeling of the 9000 that I miss in the 9-5 sedan. And it is more practical for carrying things, like my 9000's hatchback. SAABs are still good cars, but they do seem to have lost some of their unique "character" along the development path. I suppose the people in SAAB's marketing organization think that's a good thing.
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.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
