Saab guy test driving Speed6 tomorrow

[M6GR8]

Congrat to your new Speed6. I would advise anyone not to test drive one unless one is sure not going to be another compulsive buyer

I went for a test drive just want to know what the Speed6 is all about when I had the 6i. Then there was no way back for me and had to get one no matter what.

 

[seanw]

Congrat to your new Speed6. I would advise anyone not to test drive one unless one is sure not going to be another compulsive buyer

I went for a test drive just want to know what the Speed6 is all about when I had the 6i. Then there was no way back for me and had to get one no matter what.

Amen to that! I'm kinda hoping that I'm disappointed by the MS3 when it becomes available for a test drive. Otherwise, all hell will break loose when I tell my wife that we need to dump the minivan because I have both the 6 and 3 in my garage.

 

[Kansei]

I'd love to get my hands on a Viggen and send it over to Alpine Saab....

If I could find a 9-3 Viggen low mileage mint condition I would sell my Protege5 for it.. but don't tell her she'll get mad and I'll get "the clunk" or have a "zoom-zoom-boom" moment.

 

[stillflat4]

Thanks for all the welcome posts... I am psyched to be joining y'all... Time to get off the Saab forums I guess.

And yeah, the Viggen was a real rocker. The guy who writes the Saab blog at http://www.trollhattansaab.net just got one a couple months ago. I was a bit jealous...until today.

 

[Puckpimp71]

My dad had a 9-5 Aero, now which is pretty hot, esp with the Overboost, but that stick shift is pathetic... oh well.

 

[Rainman]

Welcome to the family! Enjoy the new ride.

R

 

[stillflat4]

but that stick shift is pathetic... oh well.

? I don't get it... You didn't like the shift on the 9-2? I actually thought it was pretty good, feel-wise. If you're talking about the "issues" that Subaru has had with the WRX transmission, then yeah... Definitely...

If you want to feel a sloppy shifter (insert favorite gutter joke here), you should try test driving the Saab 9-3 SportCombi I drove the other day. Probably the worst shifter I have ever driven... I usually like to know that I have actually put the car in gear, and like a lot of feel to the transmission. The 9-3 was like shifting in jello.

-- and thank you Rainman... Your drive into work video (I think it was your video) was great... Made me look forward to the test drive, and now I'm looking forward to my OWN drive to work on Friday morning!

 

[seanw]

If you want to feel a sloppy shifter (insert favorite gutter joke here), you should try test driving the Saab 9-3 SportCombi I drove the other day. Probably the worst shifter I have ever driven... I usually like to know that I have actually put the car in gear, and like a lot of feel to the transmission. The 9-3 was like shifting in jello.

.
Is that what tipped you out of the Saab camp to the MS6? BTW, you gonna change your username to Flat4nomore?

 

[vindication]

I might see you around. I live in medford(used to live in farmingville when I was little in Oriole pl right 2 blocks from the fire dept). I drive a black protege with tinted windows and boddykit and rims and lowered. If you see me, honk. hope you like the car, and good luck

 

[stillflat4]

.
Is that what tipped you out of the Saab camp to the MS6? BTW, you gonna change your username to Flat4nomore?

Totally. I was all ready to buy the 9-3 SportCombi. Had the quotes, dealer had one in black, manual trans with premium package, everything... Only thing I had to do was test drive it. Holy mother of god, what GM has done to that car. I hadn't driven a 9-3 in several years. The sad thing is that the SportCombi is supposed to be the first new "Saab" in years -- Saab designed it from the ground up. It's on the Epsilon platform shared by the Chevy Malibu and Caddy CTS, but still... Saab did the whole thing. I was so impressed by the changes Saab made to the 9-2X suspension that I thought test driving the 9-3 would just be a technicality. Instead, it killed the deal. I can't tell you how depressed I was. Sloppy shifter, the suspension was just terrible. Luckily, I drove it over some rough roads, and the suspension transmitted EVERYTHING back up through the car. I'm a big fan of euro-tight suspension, but something was very wrong with this car. It felt like 10K into ownership, the whole thing would be rattling. The engine pulled strangely as well. I'm used to NA engines, which may be the issue here, but I'd step on the gas and until I got around 2500-3000rpm, there was very little there. Once you got up in the RPM, you definitely felt the turbo kick in, and I actually didn't like the abruptness of that.

So I went looking at a Subaru Legacy GT. I really like it (we have another Subaru in the family, and since the 9-2X is mostly Subaru, I figured might as well get another one). Then I saw the GT vs. MS6 review on Edmunds, and decided that even though I had never even considered Mazda, I'd give it a drive.

That was the end of the story. SMOOTH acceleration, and the suspension is just wonderful. The interior has such an upscale feel, and I love the seats. The B-spec was just out of my practical price range anyway, so I would've been getting the regular GT. I think for a price LESS than the GT, I got a better car than the $7K more B-spec. What a deal...

And if I continue to feel about the car how I felt on the test drive, I will certainly be taking care of this car and will buy it at the end of the lease. Initial payments will be high because of the terribly low residual, but the good thing is that the car will be relatively inexpensive to buy once the lease is up.

So that's it in a rather large nutshell.

And as for the stillflat4, well, I do still own a Forester and two Type 3 VW's -> http://www.vwtypethree.com, so I guess it's still valid.

 

[stillflat4]

I might see you around. I live in medford(used to live in farmingville when I was little in Oriole pl right 2 blocks from the fire dept). I drive a black protege with tinted windows and boddykit and rims and lowered. If you see me, honk. hope you like the car, and good luck

Will do... If you see a stock MS6 in Titanium Grey, gimme a beep as well.

 

[seanw]

And as for the stillflat4, well, I do still own a Forester and two Type 3 VW's -> http://www.vwtypethree.com, so I guess it's still valid.

I guess so! I always liked that Type 3 Fastback. Good to see a few escaped the crusher.

 

[stillflat4]

I guess so! I always liked that Type 3 Fastback. Good to see a few escaped the crusher.

The crusher is rarely the problem... Usually the little rust demons get in there and take care of them before they ever get a chance to get there! (nervous)

 

[dmitrik4]

I'm a big fan of euro-tight suspension, but something was very wrong with this car...The engine pulled strangely as well. I'm used to NA engines, which may be the issue here, but I'd step on the gas and until I got around 2500-3000rpm, there was very little there. Once you got up in the RPM, you definitely felt the turbo kick in, and I actually didn't like the abruptness of that.

sounds like you're describing her '99 9-3. i can't get used to the turbo lag; below 2500rpm, the saab's engine feels weaker than my protege's...of course, above that it's a wonderful engine, and gets 30+ on the highway. the throttle modulation is odd, and the steering and shifter are way vague. to me, it all kind of feels like everything's loosely put together.*shrug* plus the pedal box is too small for my feet.

but she loves it, and HATES the ride in my mazdaspeed-suspended protege. says it's too rough, not to mention the engine/road noise. makes me think i'd never get her into an MS6, as much as she likes the regular 6 (esp the wagon). thanks for the input; enjoy your new whip.

 

[Protege52003]

i can't get used to the turbo lag; below 2500rpm, the saab's engine feels weaker than my protege's...

sounds like my 1.8T jetta. a snail below 2500K but once in boost, she blows away the P5.......

 

[Lord_Zath]

glad to hear. I looked at a 9-3 sportcombi as well. My friend didn't even want to test drive it. Couldn't deal with the interior lol.

 

[Puckpimp71]

? I don't get it... You didn't like the shift on the 9-2? I actually thought it was pretty good, feel-wise. If you're talking about the "issues" that Subaru has had with the WRX transmission, then yeah... Definitely...QUOTE]
I was talking about the shifter in the 9-5 Aero. I haven't driven, the 9-2x

 

[stillflat4]

I was talking about the shifter in the 9-5 Aero. I haven't driven, the 9-2x

Ah... I've only driven an automatic 9-5, but if it was anything like the 9-3, yipes! And Lord_Zath, you didn't miss a blessed thing by not driving the 9-3...

 

[Puckpimp71]

Has GM done anything positive for Saab? I think they're still in the red and this new 9-3 is just quirky enough to turn off the average shopper and too mainstream to attract the Saab lover. Even the 9-5 is letting me down and I haven't seen one 9-7x on the road yet. I realize SoFla isn't a big Saab market to begin with, but it's an ever smaller Subaru market and I've seen twice as many Legacy's on the road as I have new 9-5s...

 

[Lord_Zath]

yea I didn't think so.

If they had a ms6 wagon... oh I'd be all over that.

So far I'm holding out to see what comes out in the next year or two. cx-7 looks pretty good...