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I am half way through my 2 week trip in my '01 Aero Wagon. I left Seattle with 2 adults, 2 kids and a Yakima SpaceBooster on the roof, and as much STUFF as I could cram in without using the parcel shelf (I wanted to retain rear visibility). Fuel economy has varied with speed, from a (SID indicated) high of 27.5 mpg at about 54 mph average speed, to a low of 24.5 at an average of 74 mph (and yes, I have a radar detector). Strong winds and the additional drag of the box undoubtedly affected the mileage, as well as my lead foot.
The car is wonderful at speed, though above 75 mph I feel uncomfortable, in other than straight driving, without both hands on the wheel. The car is much more responsive to steering input than my Audi A4, which tracks like a train. In curvy mountain roads, the car is a joy, though I have to watch out for the health of my passengers. My 6 year old already threw up once, though she was thoughtful enough to miss the leather.
When we reached the high country in south-eastern Utah, I started adding octane booster, since Premium is only 91 octane here. On the steep climbs into the passes, the car remained powerful and responsive, easily passing everything encountered. I had a Honda Accord (!!!) play tag up one mountain (600 feet altitude), though it always disappeared from view in my mirror when the grade steepened. The pretty young woman driving it was certainly flogging the hell out of her car to keep up.
At 6000 feet or higher, the car feels irritatingly gutless off boost. Accelerating out into traffic from an intersecting uphill road requires either a long wait for the rpm and boost to build, or a lot of revvbing and clutch slippage. Once on boost, though, everything changes. I really do have to dispute the "maintains sea level power to 10,000 feet" claim though. I just do not see the power I get in Seattle, though the performance is still exhillerating on the highway.
The highest the car has been so far is Monarch Pass CO, 11,300 feet. Power was down noticeably, but compared to the rest of the vehicles on the road, the car was flying. The twisting 5000 foot descent on the far side was loads of fun, except for all the crazy bicyclists doing 40 mph (sitting bolt upright) along the white line, next to a gravel shoulder.
We used OnStar twice, to locate motel rooms. Both times we connected easily, though reception was a bit spotty due to the terrain. I think the Premium Service is useful on long trips, especially if you are covering a lot of miles and have little kids along.
I tried to perform an oil change at 5000 miles upon reaching Colorado Springs, and stripped the drain plug, as has been reported here so many times - I was really ticked. I should have checked before I departed Seattle that the plug would come out. I am going to see if the local Saab dealer can fit me in for a quick service and replace the plug. The plug really needs a redesign, perhaps with an internal hex (Allen) socket. The 13 mm hex on the existing plug is simply too small and too soft.
Other than the drain plug, the car has run flawlessly for 1500 miles. I will make another post when we finish the trip next weekend.
BTW, Per Eklund blew a tire on his 750 bhp 4wd 9-3 rally car and lost every gear except first and second, and still came in second in class in the Pike's Peak Hill Climb. The race was marred by the death of a local driver mid-week (rolled off the course and was crushed by a tree entering the cabin) as well as miserable weather, with snow, sleet, lightning and high winds.
Sorry for the long post - I have been out of touch for a week and am suffering from data deprivation.
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