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Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 19:27:39 -0400
From: "Chris Thurrott" <scullynospamnopsamltranet.com>
Subject: Re: 9-5 or Passat


This was a well thought out post, but I have to disagree with you on some points: ---------- In article <11497-359B0BB1-5nopsamd-198.iap.bryant.webtv.net>, koffedrnkrnopsamv.net (david r.) wrote: > i love my 92 900, as i loved my 84 900S before that. i never >intended to ever look at a volkswagen..then i saw (and drove) the >passat. i was amazed at how refined and substantial the car was. a silky >smooth transmission, no rattles or squeaks, good handling, surprising >room and acceleration (i drove the turbo 4) with solid breaking, and no >apparent vices. it was also quiet, thanks to an aerodynamic body and >lots of sound-deadening material. the Cd of .27 is lower than that of >the 9-5 which is .29. my friend also gets around 28mpg combined...33 on >the highway. it does, however, take premium fuel. my only gripe was that >the back seats were VERY firm...they could have used softer padding, and >a bit more of it. > as for the 9-5, i truly enjoyed driving one. the pickup was >phenomenal, and you got the sense they really crafted the car right this >time. however, after the horrors of the '87 9000 and the '94 900, i >would be very wary of a first year saab, regardless of how nice it was. >the passat has been a best selling car in europe for over a year and >since it shares parts with the audi A4, the components are a known >quantity. The 9-5 has also been on sale in Europe over the last year. > some other considerations...right now VW is the 4th largest automaker >in the world (behind GM, ford, and toyota). saab is the smallest car >manufacturer in the world. when it comes to parts availability, repair >costs, and dealership options, i would think VW would get the nod. Saab is part (and quite possibly soon to be wholly) owned by GM. I agree with you that Saab parts are expensive, but would like to see some empirical price comparison data for like items (e.g. trim panels, alternators, fuel injection units, etc. > also, while saabs are known by their owners to be incredibly safe >cars, insurance companies like to target us because the cars (by design) >crumple easily and cost a lot to repair. the passat recently won best in >category for a variety of crash tests....this should translate into a >lower insurance rate. i have no idea how the passat would fare in saabs >"real world" crash scenarios, but there was minimal cabin intrusion in >the simulated tests, and VW actually revised some of it's safety >material and retested because they weren't satisfied the first time >through and wanted a better score...something to admire, surely. Greater safety is generally brought about through larger crumple zones, so the VW should be equivalent here. > finally, there is the issue of price. the difference between the two >cars in terms of cost is significant. if you opt for the turbo 4 >cylinder, the difference is astounding. i have always loved the >personality of my saabs. i have always thought i would be driving them >for life...but the cost of being a saab owner keeps climbing, and the VW >passat is proof that attractive, high quality alternatives exists. if i >had to choose today, i'm not sure which car i would buy...but i think it >might be the passat. > David, are you looking at like-equipped cars with the turbo? The 9-5 comes with a lot of features that are optional on other cars. >david >

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