1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
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As a Saab loyalist, I was getting a great deal of ribbing from a co-worker who just got a 330Xi sedan. So, after much debate, I gave in and went for a test drive over the weekend.
Wow.
I can't imagine that Viggens with traction control could hold a candle to the way the 330 (coupe, of course!) performed. The bimmer's stability control system practically makes the car idiot-proof at the limits. It was so confidence-inspiring that for the first time, I didn't feel like rwd would be a disadvantage in incliment weather (at least not in this car). Braking was remarkable. Steering was dead-on precise. The car practically carved up the pavement like a chainsaw. Acceleration was immediate. The song of the in-line six was silky-smooth, and that engine loved to rev! Shifting was surgically precise. The build quality was fantastic - every body panel lined up perfectly, and the doors shut with a deep, precision-sounding clack.
After testing my faith, I drove away with my Saab, happy to be at the wheel of my favorite car that I've ever owned.
My '97 900 SE-T doesn't have the build quality, performance or handling of the bimmer. What it holds for me is the utilitarian values of a great overall package. I still love the way it looks, the way the key fits in the center of the console area, the cargo capacity of a hatch, the interior room, the whistle of the turbo, the dash layout, and the personality that is inherent in a Saab. Do these things make the Saab a compromise? Not to me they don't.
SaR.
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