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A note to everyone in this thread... Aussie Pete asked for input regarding the feel of his brakes. He did call them lousy, which is not a word I would have used, but brakes can be strong, but feel lousy... thereby making them "lousy" in some respect, so the word was not mis-used, so far as I see it. If a car can stop in 92 feet from 60, that's great, but if your calf is cramping, the car's shaking, and you're fighting the steering wheel, that's not pretty. (Not that a Saab does this...its just an example)
This has got to be one of the more dissapointing threads I've seen in a while. Maybe I'm being cynical, but it seems like there's been a lot of attacks. I'll give my input into some matters here, and I truly mean to raise points that will, hopefully, shed light, rather than induce a defensive response.
By comparing road test numbers between cars, you really have to look at what is being compared. Tire/wheel/suspension packages varried greatly through the e36 chassis BMW's and would make a huge difference in skid pad results as well as braking performance. (I was surprised to see the 0.76g figure...but I'm sure some of the e36s did that..while others, perhaps w/ a sport package, returned better numbers.) When was the last time you drove your daily driver on a skid pad anyway? Would you choose a car based soley on its numbers and how they compare to another car's? I know I would drive them. There are only certain things that can be quantified (like 0-60, 1/4 mile, braking distance, skid pad, etc.) but it comes down to how things go together and how they "feel" to the person driving them.
We drive Saabs for a variety of reasons...some of which are performance based. My Saab is far more practical than any BMW short of a wagon or an SUV (I don't want an SUV BMW, nor do I want a rear-drive wagon, which is the only wagon in my price range (North Americans didn't get the e30 325iX touring!).
No doubt an Aero can be tuned into an extremely good handling car...and they come from the factory very well equipped (mine is stock, and I like it, but I might end up with springs/shocks upgraded someday) but the independent rear suspension on any BMW lends itself in a different way than Saabs solid axel. With that said, I feel comfortable driving my Aero at very high speeds through windy roads, but the BMW's I've driven (w/ comparable wheel/tire setups to the Aero i.e. not the standard 15" wheels on a softer suspension) are equally capable...some being moreso (Sorry, but the M3's I've driven (both e30 and e36 chassis) are better equipped in the handling department than my Aero)
Remember that I have chosen to drive a Saab, and I love it. There's give and take in every decision, and if there was one car available that clearly trumped every other car in every catagory, life would be boring...
Capability and ease of execution are two very different things...Saab 9000 Aeros are sweet cars which are extremely capable, and execute with amazing aplomb, but they aren't God's gift to automobiledom...they are simply one of many examples of cars which do a specific job with style and character.
Sorry for the long post.
~Peter
'93 Aero, 5Spd, 51K
posted by 63.205.19...
_______________________________________
Past:
'06 9-5 Combi, AT, Polar/Black
'04 9-5 Aero Wagon, AT, Nocturne/Granite
'03 9-5 Aero Wagon, 5spd, Polar/Black
'03 9-5 Aero Wagon, AT, Steel/Charcoal
'00 9-3 Viggen, 5D, Silver/Black
'93 9000 Aero, 5MT, Cirrus/Black (Owned this one twice... my favorite)
'86 900 SPG, Edwardian/Buffalo Grey
Posts in this Thread:
- Do they all have lousy brakes? - More, Aussie Pete, Sun, 27 Jun 2004 01:59:39
- Re: Do they all have lousy brakes? - The last word, Aussie Pete, Wed, 30 Jun 2004 00:30:52
- Some possibilities...., David Ingram, Tue, 29 Jun 2004 10:44:01
- For everyone else....>, PGAero
, Mon, 28 Jun 2004 11:07:12 <-- Viewing This Message - For Aussie Pete...>, PGAero , Mon, 28 Jun 2004 10:40:06
- Re: Do they all have lousy brakes? - More, Aussie Pete, Mon, 28 Jun 2004 03:36:51
- I get it now..., Zip, Mon, 28 Jun 2004 02:46:38
- I also have a '94, JoK, Sun, 27 Jun 2004 13:25:53
- It takes more than brakes to stop well...., zeke, Sun, 27 Jun 2004 12:26:35
- 1990 9000 with ABS, slows down from 100mph plus no prob, gavin, Sun, 27 Jun 2004 11:54:20
- - More, Andrew
, Sun, 27 Jun 2004 10:08:10 - My ABS has yet to engage since..., Street, Sun, 27 Jun 2004 09:29:31
- I agree with you about the handling too...., George, Sun, 27 Jun 2004 06:07:25
- NO, my9000t, Sun, 27 Jun 2004 05:12:41
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, Mon, 28 Jun 2004 03:58:11
, Mon, 28 Jun 2004 01:27:57