Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 00:10:17 +0000 (UTC) From: H. <musicboxnopsamrider.co.uk> Subject: Re: ADVICE ON CHOOSING FIRST SAAB CONVO (UK)
>But I am deterred by consistently negative write-ups about the car's >humble GM chassis being 'unable' to adequately handle the power, its >excessive shakes (unlike the rigid BMW which is unfailingly praised). Is >this mutton dressed up as lamb? I would agree with some of Johannes's comments about motoring Journos - they seem to think that just because it says BMW on the front it is perfect. A matter of taste I think. As for the humble chassis, we that depends where you're coming from - myself and a group of colleagues started 2001 with 5 cars - my Saab 9-3SE convertible, a Saab 9000 Aero, two 3-series BMW's and one 5-series BMW. The 9000 Aero hammers all of them into the ground for sheer performance - both off the line, and mid-range, my ragtop, despite being down on horsepower to both the 3-series, will nail them for mid-range torque. We all agree that the 5-series is dull to drive - this is the car the motoring press rave about..... yet a 10 or so year old design, the 9000 is far far more fun to drive..... hmmmm. We finished 2001 with...... 5 Saabs. The 9000 Aero, two 9-3 Aero's, a Design Edition convertible, and my convertible, which is about to be replaced with a 9-5 Vector. All of my colleagues were scared by the 9000 particularly at first - and it is this that seems to have the same effect on the press. Any car, Saab or not, is going to take some getting used to when you have upwards of 150bhp running through thr front wheels, and with so much torque coming up behind. However, I can't remember the last time I spun my wheels, or suffered torque steer - you get used to feeding the power in - gentle in 1st, rough in 2nd, flat down in 3rd, and suddenly you're in the stratosphere! None of us drive like goons, vbut we all do around 25k miles a year around England, narrow welsh lanes, depths of the french countryside and across to germany - and we all agree any of those journeys, be they quick, slow, enerjetic or relaxed driving, they're best done in a Saab. Last word (though you're probably asleep by this point) I actually downgraded the wheels on my covertible when I bought it.....! I felt for rough roads around wales and so on, that the 17-inch wheels, whilst looking great, were too much of a compromise and the ride became jittery. On the smaller wheels, the ride is much more composed, and still has more than enough grip and so on for having far too much fun! Hope this helps, H. PS - You didn't say where you were, but Concept Saab in Birmingham are unbeatable.
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