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Re: 2005 9-5 Arc
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Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Fri, 28 Jan 2005 07:47:41 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: 2005 9-5 Arc, 9sunset, Thu, 27 Jan 2005 20:36:14
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I don't see not having a 6-cylinder as a drawback to the 9-5. It doesn't matter if it's a 4 cylinder, 6, or a pack of gerbils under the hood - if the car performs to your liking, the number of cylinders ain't nothing but bragging rights - My Engine's Bigger Than Yours.

I find the turbo four to be smooth, very fast, and fuel-efficient. So don't count cylinders - drive the car and see what works. That's all that matters.

As to the other cars, size does matter. I find the A4 to be a great car, but it's only a bit bigger than my VW Jetta inside. Yikes! Going from that to a Saab is night and day. I lament that the 9-5 is smaller inside than the 9000 (my favorite Saab with a four-stroke engine), but a 9-5 is still pretty big. Saab has always done an amazing job of making a car big inside, small outside, that handles small. The best of both worlds.

As to rear heated seats - my wife and I agree that we don't like other people THAT much. I've got a 9000, and they didn't have heater rear seats. When we take my mother-in-law shopping, she sits in the front, and my wife in back. That's the only time rear heated seats would matter.

Safety - it would be nice for Saab to have rear airbags, but not critical. Airbags are secondary, supplemental safety devices; the chassis and seatbelts are primary safety systems. And the real-world crash testing has shown the 9-5 to be one of the safest cars out there. So I wouldn't make rear side airbags a major deciding factor.

As to RWD, nowdays with ABS, TCS, and the rest of the alphabet, not to mention modern tires, RWD cars aren't the nightmares in snow they once were. I wouldn't rule out RWD (sorry, Saab), not unless you spend most of your time in snow conditions. OK, you live in Ontario - but a BMW with good snows is still probably fine. If you're used to FWD, then might as well stay with it.

I'll tell you what's important to me - how easy is it to get in and out of the car? How wide do the doors open? Can you get in wearing a heavy coat? You're obviously concerned about rear-seat comfort - that means you plan on putting people there. Are they very small, or old and infirm? How easy is it for them to get in and out? My Mother-In-Law is far from spry, and you'd be surprise how much an extra inch of door frame size can turn getting her in and out of the from a non-event into a circus act.

How's the trunk? I don't mean looking in and admiring how big it is, or comparing trunk size on a specification sheet. Take stuff that you plan on putting into the trunk and go to dealers and actually put the stuff in and out. You'd be surprised at how many large trunks are very hard to access - that many of those back corners require spelunking skills to reach. And this isn't a case of 'I can live with that' - you're talking about spending very big bucks - you should get what you want. We've found that with many cars, loading groceries can be a pain, because that big trunk is hampered by a very short trunk lid. That means angling bags (as the oranges fall out) and then sliding them back. Yes, a small thing, but do that twice a week for a year, and you'll be hating the damn thing. It's that kind of trunk usuage folks do day in and day out, not the once-or-twice a year big vacation loading. For that, you can pack every corner, and access isn't as critical.

I would stay away from the specification sheets, and get your butt into some cars. Don't just drive a TL once. Drive it a few times; same with other cars. Do it at night, to see if you like the illumination. Do it during the day when the sun is in your eyes. Do it when you're tired. Bring stuff and load it into the car - it keeps the sales staff entertained. Find hills to drive up. The specifications are just numbers, and some cars perform much better than their numbers, and others much worse. The sheet is a place to start, but how it feels when you drive it is all that matters.

Nobody should buy a car based on a 15 minute test drive on a flat highway. Not unless that's how you'll drive the car. Since it's hard to do more than that, drive a car a few times. Show you're serious, and the dealer will work with you. Picking a car is a very hard thing to do - as you've noticed. So you try and do it the easy way, and I understand that - I'm an engineer. Compare the numbers, make lists, and after an analytical trade study, the right one will rise to the surface. Good idea, rarely works in the real world. You can use the lists to identify the Must Haves - adequate power, heated seats, front side airbag, Big Gulp cupholder, power radio knobs, whatever.

This isn't a pro-Saab rant- who knows what car will pop out. But I'll bet that after a few test drives of each, after some close looks with real grocery bags, golf bags, or body bags (no accounting for people's hobbies), one or two cars will stand out. Maybe not on the spec sheet, but in terms of what you want to drive. And if two cars are really close, that's good news - there is no bad decision. You may fret over picking the wrong car, but if two cars are so close you have a hard time deciding, then either one is good. Life would be easier if the other one wasnt' there, but that doesn't make the one you choose any worse.

Good luck!

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