Automotive theory - part 1 - do one thing badly
Here’s something I’ve been pondering a little lately as I try and figure out the eternal question - what makes me love Saabs so much?
I’ve recently been driving a brand new Subaru WRX as a test vehicle for reviewing here at TS. I’ve had it for around seven weeks and when I give it back this week, I won’t look back to wave goodbye. All my thought processes with regard to giving it back have been purely logistical. There’s been no emotion in it at all…….but aren’t cars supposed to be an emotional thing?
My theory is this - the cars that we own and enjoy, the ones that we really form a bond with and come to love and tell our friends about, these cars have a certain humanity to them. I know you probably think I’ve gone stark raving mad, but hear me out.
Their human side is charaterised by some sort of perceived flaw. We humans all have flaws and it’s because of these flaws that the bonds between family members and friends become so strong. To some extent, it’s our willingness and ability to forgive flaws in friends and family members that forges the bonds between people. It’s easy to love someone who never sets a foot out of line, never says a wrong word and always puts the toilet seat up (we’re mostly guys here, right?). But I wonder how strong those silky smooth relationships are if they haven’t been forged by a little bit of fire.
Relating this to cars, the ones that I’ve loved the most have done two or three things exceptionally well and have failed at a number of other things. Generally those two or three things are quite important to me and I’ll happily forgive the odd failing just to re-live that burst of acceleration or to sit in that seat once again.
Take the looks of a Saab 900, for example.
The oddity of the Saab 900 design can be a big flaw for a number of mainstream car people. They certainly don’t look like many other cars out there and like many great designs, they force the person viewing the design to form an opinion. You’ll rarely have someone see a Saab 900 and remain on the fence in regard to how they feel about it.
Torque steer is the classic Saab trait that gets picked up by journo after journo but how do you, as a Saab owner, feel about it? I laughed my head off the first time it happened to me and see it as an occasional reminder of how the Swedes managed to build something full of grunt. I find it’s never uncontrollable and keeps me in check when I’m getting a little carried away. It engages me and makes me drive the car. It’s a flaw but I’m more than happy to have it in exchange for all that fun that the engine delivers.
Our Saab 9000 looks kind of plain now. Almost a bit stodgy, actually. It’s got beady eyes and a wide stance, but more like a Michael Moore wide stance than a Lamborghini wide stance. It doesn’t corner very well and with the 4-speed auto it’s rather sluggish. But it has great seats, it starts every day (even if it takes a little while) and it is a brilliant, absolutely brilliant long distance tourer with a cargo capacity surpassed only by an Antonov cargo plane. We love it.
Many of you know about my affection for older Alfa Romeos. These cars leak oil, rust audibly, are an electrical disaster and the syncros in 2nd gear are weaker than the English cricket team but my goodness, the cars are fun. Fortunately they’re also pretty cheap.
I realise that the majority of people don’t think this way. That’s why Toyota sell more cars than anyone else around the world, closely followed by GM. Cars that are affordable, moderately comfortable, have levels of performance that will get you a speeding ticket if you want but won’t get you too excited, are reliable and don’t take too many risks in terms of styling. People like to buy middle-of-the-road cars because they can on-sell them at a minimal loss and in working order to like-minded people who require adequate transportation.
This flaw theory of mine has two caveats as far as I know:
First, the flaw in the car needs to be relatively unimportant to you. I can handle a car’s radio shorting out as long as the interior is comfortable and the performance is fun. Those things are more important. I’ll take a fun drive and comfy interior over air conditioning, a sunroof, even the odd oil leak. As long as my fundamental needs for good seats and a fun ride are met, I’ll be happy.
Most of the time.
The second caveat is that if the car’s perfect, then there’s no challenge to be had in loving it. This point has been driven home by the Subaru WRX that I’m testing right now. It’s got great performance and an adequate interior. It does everything well. So well, in fact, that I haven’t felt engaged in the car at all since I’ve had it. I feel like I’m operating a well appointed and very fast appliance, but an appliance nonetheless.
Maybe it’s that elusive thing we tentatively termed as being a car’s soul that makes it loveable.
Whatever it is, it’s evident to me that like people, cars have flaws. The more we work with them and live our day to day lives with them, the more we come to love and appreciate them. And forgive them.
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I understand you perfectly!!!
Love is never a racional thing: a perfect object (or living being, if I may risk saying it) has to be quite aseptic…
Passion needs a set of characteristics that makes that object (or that one person) different from all the others, something that makes it special and stand out in the crowd…
It has to have something to say about itself and, in the processes, saying something about me and my choice too.
Give me something with personality, character: that’s the only way we can relate.
That’s why we love even the flaws…
So in short: we love our Saabs because they suck (a little)
Just what I think myselves. Looking and trying other cars, but when it comes to hard facts, my “love” to this brand seems to overcome everything else….
But don’t the odd little flaws make you apprecite the positives even more? if for no other reason than to remind you that your driving decision could have gone completely amiss?
I was on a bit of a holiday over the weekend, went to a part of the state that has no Saab dealers or mechanics … I only saw one other Saab all weekend (and he was doing the same thing I was — headed away from the city!) But the realization came to, when seeing my car from a distance, parked among a bunch of much newer (and mostly more expensive) vehicles … my nearly 10-year-old 9-3 convertible (with more than 100k miles) didn’t look a bit out of place — in fact, several people commented on the car and were suprised when I told them it was a 1999.
The design - and workmanship - seems to hold up pretty well.
Swade, you’ve hit the nail on the head I think. You can see past the flaws and fall in love with what’s lurking underneath. Or maybe all us Saab drivers are just plain crazy and the rest of the world is right . . . nah, I don’t think so either, do you?
Whilst I wouldn’t hesitate to swap my 9000 for a classic 900, I love driving the 9000 even tho’ a strange relationship between the electric seats and the sunroof mean it’s impossible for me to sit without cocking my head slightly to one side for headroom, nor can I see the top of the rev-counter or speedo, the auto box and the 2.3T make for lousy fuel economy (or maybe I just have a heavy right foot?) and, as Swade mentions, the radio shorts out along with the CD player (and usually only a few miles into a very long journey!).
But I can put up with these minor flaws for the pleasures I get from driving it. The grin factor derived from pressing the loud pedal at appropriate times, the levels of comfort (even with the poor headroom for myself) are second to none (well, the Aero seats in the 9-5 are equally good), and whilst it’s not a pretty car in CD guise, I still can’t walk away from it after a drive without turning and looking back at it with a silly grin on my face.
I agree, Swade. But my flawed theory goes a bit further. As you know, I’ve owned a number of Saabs and Jags that haven’t been entirely reliable. Headliners, seats, transmissions, oil leaks, bad speedometers, and on and on goes the list of flaws that I’ve experienced. But those things haven’t completely deterred me from owning these cars. In fact, except for the transmission failure, I’ve enjoyed the challenge of owning “problem” cars.
It may seem strange but I don’t think I’d enjoy owning a new car. I’d be too afraid that someone would scratch the paint or barf in the back seat. Give me a ten year old car and none of that really matters.
i don’t like flaws in cars. if it’s hard to start, or the headliner falls on me, or if the radio doesn’t work, i’m not going to be happy. i like the way my car looks and drives and sounds, but mainly b/c, thus far, it’s been reliable. the only issues i’ve had to deal with were things neglected by the prior owner. i like new cars b/c they’re supposed to work. i like certain old cars b/c they have a timeless quality and i expect them to be unreliable. but if it’s my only car, it better work consistently or i’m going pull a basil fawlty and beat it with a tree branch. so my main reason for liking it is b/c in addition to driving lovely and looking like my ideal car, it does what it’s supposed to do.
and don’t laugh and tell me something’s coming.
well then that’ll be a true test of my saab faith. as long as minor issues are the norm, i think i can handle that. i do see more old saabs out than new ones and that’s speaks mightily of their quality (or saintly demeanor of their owners).
blix, that’s an awesome avatar.
Anyway, this makes me think of how the old 900s all have ill-fitting panels on the sides, and how the headliner sags on every single NG900. It also makes me think of the ill-fitting nose cones on Dodge Daytonas and Plymouth Superbirds.