Date: 23 Feb 1999 08:49:26 -0500 From: lparkernopsamy.edu (Lloyd R. Parker) Subject: Re: SAAB 9-5 or Charysler 300M ?
r600nopsamejanews.com wrote: : In article <7arklh$m36$1nopsamdin.cc.emory.edu>, : lparkernopsamy.edu (Lloyd R. Parker) wrote: : > r600nopsamejanews.com wrote: : > : I've driven it; no doubt it's a nice car. However, autostick just doesn't : > : match the responsiveness of a real manual. By the way, Saab was the first : to : > : market with a "tiptronic/autostick" type trans. The shifter worked like the : > : regular 5- speed, but there was no clutch, so responsiveness was great (C&D : > : road tested it 0-60 in 6.5 in '95; it was a regular 900SE Turbo 185hp). The : > : trans option sold as a test in the UK; consumers ended up preferring the : real : > : thing. : > : > No. It would not shift automatically; you just didn't have to use a : > clutch. C/D panned it really badly and Saab never offered it in the US. : > : > I believe Porsche had their Tiptronic before this anyway. : > : : C&D did the opposite! -- re-read the article and you'll see that they sais : that they wished Saab USA had offered it. I drove one of these cars in the : U.K. It was pretty fun. Just like a real 5-speed without the clutch. They also griped about how hard it was to launch the car, and managed to break the transmission in their testing.