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Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2000 06:19:32 GMT
From: rdollienopsameja.com
Subject: Re: Saab 9-5 or Volvo S80 ?


Hello, what color is the sky in your world? While we can all espouse opinions and preferences lets be careful about the facts please. For example, the cupholder in the 9-5. Sure it's nifty but it also blocks some of the ventilation as I recall. By contrast the Volvo S80 has 8 cupholders - some functional some not. Powerful smooth turbo engines - sure after you get past the turbo lag. Volvo also uses turbos but the turbo lag is much less noticable. In the case of the S80 it is probably because they used two small twin turbo chargers. Ergonomics - both Saab and Volvo excel here. I personally don't care for the boat plane interior design but it is very functional in the Saab. It is also very functional in the Volvo. The S80 has the only safely designed navigation system where the eyes remain on the horizon and the hands on the wheel to operate the system; it has a dash face angled to mimic the angle used when reading a book; it has a powerful and simple environmental control system due to the large pictogram; etc. etc. Safety - you're really playing with fire here. Saab, Volvo, and Mercedes are all well established safety leaders. The Volvo S80 has the best neck and spine protection ratings ever recorded in rear-impact crash tests due to the WHIPs anti-whiplash seats (found on all new Volvos). The S80 is also the only car to ever score 5-stars for BOTH front and rear seat passengers in side-impact crash test done by the NHTSA. How can you possibly say the Volvo can't dream of matching Saab's safety? In Europe, the S40 is the only car in its class to score 4-stars in FIA NCAP crash tests. Edgy old-fashioned monster under the skin? Well I know there are more engine options in other parts of the world but here in the U.S. all Volvos are powered by the same family of modular inline engines Volvo developed with Porsche. Back in 1994, Car and Driver said the Volvo 850 Turbo was the fastest mass-produced sedan in the world. Since that period Volvo has added more horses and torque to their engines. Their high-pressure turbo cars are all (S70 T5, S80 T6) faster than Saabs. If you are passing Volvos it's because their owners either want to let you or because they have one of the diminuitive engine options. I can assure you that in the U.S. when a Volvo and a Saab meet, if both drivers are determined to hurry it along it will be the Volvo in the front. Saab has done some nice work with the Viggen and 9-5 Aero. However, if you read the summary data from Road & Track you will realize that the S80 T6 they tested against the 9-5 Aero didn't have the performance tire option that was used when R&T did their full review of the T6 earlier. In the earlier review, the T6 matched the BMW 540 in the corners (grip) in large part due to the aggressive tires. In the 9-5 Aero comparison the 9-5 did better in part because of tires and in part because of suspension setup (the Aero is a limited production performance tuned car unlike the T6.) The more appropriate comparison for an Aero would be a S80 R which would feature the same tricked-out suspension approach or at a minimum a T6 with performance tires (which ties the Aero for grip according to the numbers in R&T). Jeroen, I respect your opinion and preference for the Saab but I did want to give a more fact based comparison which I hope I have done. Thanks. -rdo russell.ollienopsamnet In article <86kl0j$n3p$1nopsamel.civ.utwente.nl>, "Jeroen Lugtenberg" <j.lugtenbergnopsament.utwente.nl> wrote: > Saab is always the better choice certainly when it is compared to aVolvo. > Why, because a Volvo is a car for the great public. Not for a connoisseur > like the Saab driver. When you look at the details of a Saab you know what I > mean. For example the great design of the cup-holder in the dash of the 9-5 > and it's powerfull smooth turbo-engines. Or the ergonomic > door-handles of the Saab. And of cours it's huge safety, safety of which a > Volvo only can dream. When I drive a Saab and I pass a Volvo, I always smile > and pity the poor man who has made just another wrong choice in his life. I > hope that this is of some help to you! My message; Keep away from Volvo's > because underneath their new rounded skin there's still that edgy > old-fashioned monster of the old days!!!! > > Jeroen > <engine1665nopsamnet> wrote in message news:388db10anopsamws.webzone.net... > > > > I've driven the 9-5 turbo 2.3 auto trans, has lots of turbo lag, otherwise > great > > car with unknown reliability and resale. > > Don > > hanley <fsnmnopsam.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > >Stephen Dewart wrote: > > > > > >> What do you think? Saab 9-5 or Volvo S80? > > > > > >The last road and track compared the 9-5 areo with the > > >s-80 T6. They liked the 9-5 areo better. They said this > > >9-5 was like a swedish bmw ( drivers car ) while the > > >s-80 was more like a mercedes ( cushy ). > > > > > >dave > > > > > > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

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