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Hi Karen, you've asked to split the atom here I suspect! While these cars are very similar they are yet very different. I traded my 1985 900T 4dr 5sp for a 1992 9000CDT auto. Sales mandates four door vehicles, and to a degree a trunk (or a very good hatch setup) is also best. My 85 had 190K miles on it. I was naive about the long term possibility of the car, 20/20 hindsight I would have kept it. It hand gotten to that mid life car crisis that needed $250 or so of maintenance every 2 or 3 months and I was concerned it may escalate to something much more expensive.
So I test drove a 9K. Gee, the first thing I noticed was that the seats were the same that my ass was already calibrated to sit in, for the last 190K miles. That was good!
So here I am today, still have that 9K (256Kmiles), and purchased two twins (one a parts car and one a daily driver too), and both a 94 and 96 9K 5s aeros, and a gaggle of 900's too (87 red 900T 5sp vert, 1987 900S 4door 5s with 359K miles on it, a 1991 900S 2.1 auto 4dr, bought a 1988 SPG as a project car) and on and on and on. I think the current total, which fluxes monthly, is 15. Three are know parts cars :), two are project cars, two are 24hoursoflemons racers, and the rest are available to drive anywhere at anytime.
My personal thoughts are: The 900 seems more of a throw it around the corners car, smaller and lighter (remember *seems* is the operative word), more akin to a BMW 2002, Datsun 510, or similar car. It's engine and transmission work well, but it does *feel* like you have to stir the stick a bit to keep it at the upper end of performance. The 9000 *feels*; quiet, effortless power, damn fast, roomy, better finish, more akin to the early years of the Lexus LS400 and the Infinity Q45. *feels*. but the seats in the two can be the exact same seats, the wheels and tires can be the exact same, and with a little work you can take that excellent stock stereo system and install in a 900. So the cockpit can be as similar between the two as you want.
So, what does this all mean? You can have two very different cars that, your body knows use the same seat, have the same stereo (buttonology is moot), one that is a twisty road monstor, the other is a highway star, and they are both SAABs.
I switch back and forth and often choose my ride based upon where I am going, who I am seeing, how far, what I might have to carry, and the weather. After all, the C900 Vert is unique to the 900 series, 9000 doesn't have one.
You can have several different rides for less than the cost of a single competing new car.
Both front wheel drive, both 5 speed, both pretty racey too!
In my estimation, if you are doing alot of get on the freeway and drive 120 miles, and come back that day, the 9000 will be a better car for you, it's easy to drive and doesn't *seem* to extract as much energy from your body. If you are doing shorter trips, and especially if you are doing twisties, the 900 is the choice.
that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Let us know what you end up doing?
, Sat, 3 Feb 2007 15:19:10
, Fri, 2 Feb 2007 14:24:57, Thu, 1 Feb 2007 14:55:19
, Thu, 1 Feb 2007 12:05:50, Fri, 2 Feb 2007 15:54:26
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