The above is an advertisment. If it asks you to download software or create an account, please ignore it.
Site News - 6/4: Advertising Position/Commission Available | 5/10: Members: Log In to See Fewer Ads!
[General | Members | C900 | 9000 | NG900 & OG93 | 93 | 95 | NG95 | 99 | Sonett | Vintage Models | Clubs | Other Cars | FAQs | Gifts | Member Photo Galleries | Member Directory | Classifieds | Manuals | *Buddy Registry | *Mileage Registry | Polls | What's New | Raffle | Photo of the Month | Sponsors]

93 Bulletin Board
2003-2011 [Subscribe to Daily Digest]
(Search Author's Posts: e.g. Keyword:username)*Members Only

[Main 93 Bulletin Board | BBFAQ | Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ] Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
Disagree totally. (respectfully, of course)...
Like This Post: - Subscribe to Daily Digest for this Bulletin Board
Posted by b.flippo (more from b.flippo) on Sat, 9 Nov 2002 14:07:41 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Re: So why buy a new 9-3?, cd, Fri, 8 Nov 2002 22:21:51
Alert me when someone posts in this thread:
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup

AMPI tested the segment, and the Saab ate the S60, A4 1.8t, and X-type 3.0 for lunch. It came second to the Bimmer on most of the dry performance tests, but not by much. We killed all of them in the wet.

All of your comparisons consisted of apples and oranges. I'll break them
down one at a time.

>>Sure I have. Nice, nothing special. Handling is good, not exceptional, >>looks are dull, interior is nice. 325i quicker and better handling for >>essentially same $$$.

Sorry, the 325i is a higher priced car once comparably equipped. And cannot be, realistically, driven in the snow and ice. It is a 6-cyl with lower fuel mileage, and rear wheel drive. It has quite a bit of body roll, and is plagued with a commonality (i.e every other car at the Starbucks is a 3series).

>>IS300 far better handler with better dealer service,

The IS300 is a gutless pig. For a car rated at 225 hp, it leaves much to be desired. The 9-3 almost as quick. The IS is also much more expensive (around 10k). Better dealer service? This is an opinion that cannot be blanketed nationwide. Some dealers are better than others, and believe it or not, even Lexus has bad dealers. Again, it is a 6cyl with lower fuel mileage.

>>A4 better styling, better quality materials, similar performance.

Again, opinion. Styling is in the eye of the beholder. It's performace is not comparable in the slightest. Check the tests (not just the 0-60).


>>G35 90hp advantage for similar $$$,

Similar $$? I don't think so. Try $5k-$10k more depending on equipment. It isn't, even, in the same class. It is a mid sized sedan, and should be compared to the 9-5 Aero, not the 9-3.

>>X-Type is beautiful interior, standard awd for $30k,
plus it's a Jag...

Of course the X-type has more wood and leather! It is a Jag, they wouldn't sell any without it, afterall it drives horribly. It is also a heavy vehicle with excessive body roll and horrible brakes. Again, once comparably equipped, it is more expensive.


The 9-3 is a huge advancement in Saab's vehicle portfolio. It is priced much less than all of it's competitors, and offers a great deal to please the consumers in this segment. In regards to the 'bland' styling, Saab's have always been conservative in styling, in the past we've praised this. Now, all of a sudden, it's a curse?

The horsepower decreased? Yes. Can you tell when driving? No. The power is more usable, and with the addition of the 5-spd auto, the ratios are much better than the previous 4-spd, giving the car much better acceleration for the hp. I love to drive, and can tell you that the new 9-3 is a driver's car. It has virtually zero body roll, the nose has no noticable dive under hard braking, and there is almost NO UNDERSTEER! My confidence level is extremely high in this car. It is predictable, and forgiving, which I cannot say about any of the other cars that you mentioned, with the exception of the G35, the 325, and the IS300 (which has a lot of understeer for a car with it's claimed nimbleness).

If you don't like the car, fine. Not a problem. Ultimately, you have to be happy with what you purchase. As the saying goes, "There's a butt for every seat". If your butt doesn't fit in the Saab's seat, there are no hard feelings. I do encourage you to, actually, test each car, and not make your comparison from magazines or word of mouth. Also, make sure that you drive the cars on the same route (if possible). This will give you the ability to make a more informed decision. After you drive all of the cars, go back and drive the Saab again. If you do this, you'll notice that the Saab actually does offer quite a bit. It the same principle as a beauty pageant. The first three contestants always get the shaft in regards to the judging.

Also, remember the Arc will be available for $29,900 with 210 hp. The Linear has the high price tag now because it is all that is available. Because it is the sole 9-3 available, it requires "loading it up" to please the higher end buyers. The options raise the price tag substancially. The Arc will have a lot of these options as standard equipment, and will look to be a great value.

Cheers,
Brian.

posted by 65.106.25...
Posts in this Thread:
Alert me when someone posts in this thread:
Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup
Post a Followup

No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.

Name: Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
E-Mail: (Optional)
Re-Enter E-Mail: (Confidential & Secure - Not revealed to other users!)
Note: Please check your spam folder for BB responses.

Subject:

Posting rules are simple - No for sale/wanted ads may be posted here - use the site classifieds.
You may not cross-post your message to multiple BBs.
Not permitted: political/religious topics and being disrespectful (personal attacks, insults, etc...).
 Site Members do not see any red text, inline ad links, bottom of page anchor ads, box ads, or anti-spam check.

Message: (please no for sale/wanted classifieds - post those in the Saabnet.com Classifieds)
Links are now automatically made active, no need for any special code (or use the Option Link field below) - don't put links in () or end with a '.'
To add inline images to your post, use [img]http://www.domain.com/img.jpg[endimg] (or use the Optional Image Link field below).

Links are now automatically made active, no need for any special code (or use the Option Link field below) - don't put links in () or end with a '.'
To add inline images to your post above, use [img]http://www.domain.com/img.jpg[endimg] (or use the Optional Image Link field below).
Optional Link: (e.g. http://www.saabnet.com/)
Link Title: (Optional)
Optional Photo/Image Link: (e.g. http://www.saabnet.com/img.jpg)
Photo/Image to Upload: (Please be patient while file uploads)



StateOfNine.com
SaabClub.com
Jak Stoll Performance
M Car Covers
Ad Available

The content on this site may not be republished without permission. Copyright © 1988-2025 - The Saab Network - saabnet.com.
For usage guidelines, see the Mission & Privacy Notice.
[Contact | Site Map | Saabnet.com on Facebook | Saabnet.com on Twitter | Shop Amazon via TSN | Site Donations]

Random Saabnet.com Member Gallery Photos (Click Image)
This is a moderated bulletin board - Posting is a privilege, not a right. Unsolicited commercial postings are not allowed (no spam). Please, no For Sale or Wanted postings, SERIOUSLY. Classifieds are to be listed in The Saab Network Classifieds pages. This is a problem solving forum for over 250,000 Saab owners, so expect to see problems discussed here even though our cars are generally very reliable. This is not an anything goes type of forum. Saabnet.com has been a moderated forum since 1988. For usage guidelines, see the Saabnet.com Mission and Purpose Page. Please remember that you are not anonymous. Site Contact | Site Donations | Other Sites by SP - Poverty2Prosperity.org | Run Club Menlo Park | ScreenBot


Site Members do not see red text instructions, bottom of the page anchor ads, or box ads.
Click here to see all the Site Membership Benefits!