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Actually, I own the sedan versions of both, a '98 Passat 1.8T GLS and an'02 9-5 Linear w/ Premium Package. Since the facts are easy to find, here are my subjective feelings about how they compare. All in all, while I love the Saab, in some (but not all) regards the Passat is a better car, not just for the money, but overall. Here goes...
- The Saab has more comfortable seats. The Passat's are good, but not as good.
- The Saab has a more "open" feeling -- more glass, somewhat better visibility. The Passat has a higher "shoulder" for its doors. Some might feel better enclosed, others might feel slightly more claustrophobic.
- The Saab is rock-steady and quite quiet at highway speeds; hard to tell you're really moving at all. The Passat is good at highway speeds, but is slightly noisier and not quite as stable feeling.
- The Passat, without question, handles better than the Saab on curves and swerves. Take any sharp corner on the Passat at, say, 20 to 40 mph, and relative to the Saab, it's stable. The Saab has a noticeable, almost American-car-like imbalanced sway on corners that came as a real disappointment once my "honeymoon" phase wore off. Push the speed a bit, and while the Passat retains a sense of control, the Saab's understeer/sway combination almost makes it feel as if it's dangerously sloppy.
- The Saab has better horsepower and, at least on the books, better torque. However, I suggest you try a few fast pullaways in second and third gear; in this real-world setting, the VW feels like it has more torque, strangely enough. That might just be psychological, as the Saab is ultimately faster off the mark, especially in first gear.
- No question, the Passat has a higher quality interior build, in almost all regards. The overall fit and finish is dramatically better than the Saab, which has too many plasticky and cheap feeling components. From the window switches to the guages to the lighting to the dash, the Passat looks like a lot of money was spent by the manufacturer to have as much refinement for the money as possible. With the Saab, it looks and feels like corners were cut by a manufacturer with considerably fewer resources.
- Many of the Passat's features and conveniences are more advanced than the Saab -- and in this regard, my Saab sometimes feels like a car that is half a decade behind the Passat (even though my particular Passat is four years older). For instance, the Passat has one-touch auto up *and* down windows; the Saab is only down. The cruise control settings are more cumbersome on the Saab. There is *much* more interior storage space in the Passat. The fact that the Saab has barely any space for the thinest items is a joke. (Don't give me that "Saab focuses on the driver" crap either.)
- The Saab's stereo is much better than my Passat's -- more accurate, more detailed, more powerful. However, my good friend owns a newer 2002 Passat with the Monsoon stereo system -- and *that* is way, way better than the Saab's. (Yes, my Saab has the Harmon-Kardon Premium stereo. But the Monsoon is better.) For whatever it's worth, I'm a recording engineer, so I have some sense, however subjective, of what constitutes good sound.
- Yes, it's true that the Saab rates higher in overall safety compared to my '98 Passat. However, the newer Passats now come with front-to-back airbag curtains -- in addition to the front seat airbags (and front dash of course). This means a total of six airbags, with better head protection for all passengers, including rear passengers. And all of the years still rate very highly according to the Nat. Hwy Safety Institute. I'd look this one up, and I might be wrong, but safety-wise these two cars might overall be very comparable these days.
- I love OnStar and use it a lot for directions, and occasionally for true hands-free driving. Love it. And that's only on the Saab, of course. In a crunch, this could be one of the most compelling reasons (at least for me) to buy the Saab over the Passat.
- Finally, don't get me wrong about the Saab. I gotta say that the overall gestalt of the Saab is wonderful, and I'd rather be driving it than a Bimmer any day. It's nice to have a luxury car that doesn't scream its status. Still, the Passat is a brilliant car for the money. Speaking of which, since you're considering a front-wheel-drive-only 4-cylinder Saab, why don't you check out a front-wheel-drive-only 4-cylinder Passat? You could get a nicely equipped wagon for under $25k, which is a dramatic saving over the Saab. Just a thought.
All said, I'd go with what feels right to you. They're both fine cars, just rather different. Best of luck.
posted by 66.1.14...
, Mon, 10 Feb 2003 02:11:30
, Mon, 10 Feb 2003 10:01:46
, Sun, 9 Feb 2003 20:25:13
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