Comments on: Aussies upgrading

By: Joel

Joel — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:19:45 +0000

Confession time:

I’ve been driving a 1990 Volvo 740 turbo for the past 5.5 months, as a replacement to my deceased 1987 SAAB 9000 turbo. As much fun as RWD in a turbo can be, I really miss SAABs. The car looks great from the outside, boxy and sporty. The interior on the other hand is crap. Not the greatest materials, really no ergonomics at all. A far cry from SAAB interiors. At least the Volvo also has heated seats. I’ll mention that my headliner is also sagging. Must be a faulty Swedish glue used back then

Performance wise, the Volvo feels slower than my previous SAAB, and is certainly MUCH heavier. The gas mileage is pretty poor too. I think I can only get around 20 mpg maximum, and that’s if I baby it.

Winter driving is turning out to be not as fun as I imagined it to be. I though it’d be fun fish-tailing around a lot, but it turns out that most of the time I’m making an effort to keep it straight. Yikes.

So needless to say, I’m getting really anxious to buy a SAAB again. I’d love to have a nice classic 9000 aero, but have also been looking into older 9-5′s and Viggens. Oh how I’d love to have a SAAB again.

By: MitchbSC

MitchbSC — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:02:05 +0000

@mike c: “Will you get the keys from time to time?”

Since she’s paying for it, all my driving will be under her strict supervision. I drove it for the first time today. She was not all-in for getting it sideways in the rain on wet leaves. I had to ask.

But I think she’s saving that honor for herself later. She loved the skidpad at the Aero Academy.

By: Joe Lobo

Joe Lobo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:56:00 +0000

Yeah, that was a great night and a tradition that started from that date onwards. And yes, we were like bloody little infants driving each and everyone’s Saab backwards and forwards. My kids still remember Swade’s infamous slogan to the poor Forester owner that was blocking us from lining up our cars for the shoot out: “Who owns this ugly Subaru brick, get it out of here !!!”. That was just when the 2 owners walked to their car which we all of course prayed it for being “a lovely car”. As for e-mails overload, once I counted 182 going around in circles as we’ve even offended some of our colleagues in Melbourne by being to distractive and obtrusive to their daily work. We look forward to having you back, I will let you take to Turbo X for a short drive. But not Richo, as he never took me out !!!

By: Brendan

Brendan — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:55:31 +0000

Swade, why don’t you come back up with Lance?

By: Richo

Richo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:40:38 +0000

Jose, will u go out with me?

By: Hawkeye

Hawkeye — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:33:56 +0000

If anybody wants details of our next meeting at the BBC in Sydney, just email Swade!

By: mike c

mike c — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:24:36 +0000

@MitchSC: Will you get the keys from time to time?

By: PT

PT — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:44:42 +0000

Nice story Mitch. Saabs have always been about balance in my view.

as for the rest of us – perhaps we’re just like a bunch of ten year olds trying the high dive board at the local pool for the first time and group mentality takes over:

You go!
No, you!
No, you go
what the hell, lets all go!

Definitely time for some Belgian beer for you Swade.

By: MitchbSC

MitchbSC — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:15:26 +0000

Just to add to the positive ownership news (with apologies to the Aussies because I’m in the States), my wife picked up a 2008 9-3 2.0T Convertible last weekend on the Red Tag special. She lost her 9-7x Aero to an airbag malfunction in May. She got to driving my 9-5 Aero sedan a couple weeks ago. The GMC Acadia just didn’t have the thrill. I go on a business trip and return to find balance has returned to my driveway.

By: turbin

turbin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:33:10 +0000

+ sunroof.

And Swade, you never made my Saab pride pics enlargable! Boo! I’m sure that hurt my POO prize chances, I wanted that Emma Elk for my new (at the time) son. Luckily he got one from the Saab Performance Team, in person ; P