Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 15:02:56 GMT From: "Skid" <skid2nopsamast.net> Subject: Re: What car would you buy INSTEAD OF of a Saab???
"ma_twain" <ma_twainnopsamo.com> wrote in message news:3F359491.1000003nopsamo.com... > Skid - you have a 9-3 and you said it does not rank high in the > reliability survey, which is just a survey. What has you experience > been with the 9-3? In anyone's opinion, is the "Saab certification" of a > previously owned Saab worth anything? > > I am seriously considering a 2000 Saab 9-3 5 speed base model as a > daily driver. It is supposed to have 185 Hp, but in city driving it did > not seem to have much power below 40 mph. I would assume, if I got on > the highway and punched it at 70 mph I might feel all 185 Hp, but > something about the police cars with flashing light pulling speeders > over made me keep it to the speed limits. > > Any comments on the 2000 9-3 base model? > Mine is a '99, the first year the of the 9-3 redesign, which was itself an evolution of the proven 900 hatchback concept. The 2000 had only minor updates, all for the better. I'm on my fourth Saab, and all have been excellent cars. They last forever with routine maintenance, though parts and repairs are relatively expensive when something does break. If you're mechanically inclined, they are relatively easy to work on. Otherwise, try to find an independent Saab specialist in your area to avoid dealer gouging. This newsgroup and www.saaabnet.com are great sources of communal wisdom and shared misery ;>) The Saab turbo takes a little getting used to. At low rpm it feels like a typical small displacement 4. Stoplight takeoffs may feel lethargic, especially if you shift before the turbo spools up. But once you learn how to keep it in the power band and read the boost guage on the dash, you realize there's a lot of acceleration available in the crucial passing range -- say 30-70 mph. My Saab is almost a Jekyll and Hyde. I can putter around in traffic getting great gas mileage while hauling huge potted plants in the ample hatch. Or I can give it the go juice, feel the turbo boost push me back in the seat and watch lesser cars get smaller in my rear-view mirror. Meanwhile those wonderful Swedish seats keep me comfy and alert mile after mile. The styling is a love-it-or-hate-it individual preference. The turbo 4 and ignition on the console eccentricities delight some and irritate others. The high-durability/low-resale-value equation makes it a good buy in a used car. All IMHO, of course. Saab had several ad campaigns that summed my feeling up quite nicely. (I didn't look up the exact words, so I apologize in advance to any anal-retentives in the group who might be offended by a paraphrase:) "Most people who test drive a Saab end up buying one" "People who can afford any car they want drive a Saab." "Find your own road."
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