dark_hunter

Saab 9-3 ARC

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[End of Post]

SubaruKid37

I would normally choose an Audi over a SAAB, but for 3 reasons I would choose the SAAB:
1. I am at work, so I really should stick with the SAAB!!
2. It looks much sportier than the Audi, but we dont get a 9-3 Arc here, but the Aero in the pic is in the showroom at the moment, except for this years MY! and the convertable is wicked :P
3. I just prefer this SAAB over that A4

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-Tom

Jacol

I would choose A4 b/c it has AWD. 210 hp in my opinion is too much for FWD.

SubaruKid37

True, and SAAB are aware of this and now considering AWD in their next range

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-Tom

Yogi 555

Right can I be a right [censored] and say neither?!? :?

First the SAAB 9-3 ARC! The USA is the only country that I can find that gets this car with just the 210bhp engine! The rest of the world gets a whole load of engines, but not that one. IMO GM has totally rogered and screwed up SAAB something terrible. Here's what most of us get in our 9-3 ARC?1.8i 122bhp, 1.8t 150bhp, 2.0t 175bhp, 2.2TiD 125bhp. And I am more than happy for that!! Here in Finland a nice spec ARC with the 175bhp engine is still 3000euro cheaper than the Aero! And having driven both believe me it's 3000euro well saved! The 175bhp is much more fluid and graceful and it tramlines about 95% less than the 210bhp job! Even compared to a pre GM aero the new is just plain USELESS!! Oh and consider this for a minute. In Finland the law stipulates that you must have winter tires fitted to all the wheels of your car from the 1st November to the 30th April. Winter tyres are either full studded jobs or the hideously expensive "high grip rubber" ones. And even with all the electronics switched on all the time and a very gentle foot on the accelerator you can still bet that the 210bhp will have either ripped all its studs our or smoothed them all off in about 8 weeks! Even if you buy the best studded tires from Nokian at 850euro each!! Oh and the "high grip" jobs offer no where near enough grip! Its wheel spin city with the traction control going ape!

As for the Audi, well the A4 with that engine just plain doesn't exist in the UK or Finland! You get either 163bhp or 190bhp! And having driven both of these, IMO you defiantly have to be looking at the 190bhp. The 163bhp felt decidedly under whelming where as the 190bhp was much better and really felt like an engine that would always have some power left in reserve. And the chassis really responds much better to the extra power! The inside isn't much better than the SAAB but at least the Audi has a much better steering wheel! The A4 in either engine form doesn't really munch tires and the 190bhp is a real blast in the snow!

So IMO get the 175bhp SAAB or the 190bhp A4. Both just as good as each other, with the SAAB being more friendly and the Audi being the real speed merchant!

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[b]"A whale isn't just for dinner, its for breakfast, lunch, tea and supper for the next 6 months!"[/b]
Anon.

faisal

saab for me cause over here u hav no tire prob cause it hardly rains(snow is out of question) plus i like the looks of the saab better

Yogi 555

Yes and I should think that all those really smooth roads in the UAE would do away with most of the tramlining problems as well! :wink:

And that just cuts down general tire wear as well! :wink:

Lucky guy!!

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[b]"A whale isn't just for dinner, its for breakfast, lunch, tea and supper for the next 6 months!"[/b]
Anon.

jimkk29

I'd get the Saab Aero, it's more unique to me.

igaboj

is anyone thinking potential? like tuning potential? :?

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It's pronounced "Eye-Guh-Boe-Jay"

Yogi 555

Well in that case your looking at the A4! The SAAB engine is already pretty strung out. And your looking at major work for a sizeable power boost. After you have got the chassis beafed up enough to take it all!

I've seen several A4's running around the 225bhp level with only the "basic" normal tunes done, like exhaust, engine management control etc. It takes a hell of a lot of punishment and the chassis looks and feels a lot better with stiffer, slightly lower, suspension.

8)

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[b]"A whale isn't just for dinner, its for breakfast, lunch, tea and supper for the next 6 months!"[/b]
Anon.

SubaruKid37

Not everyone buys a car to tune it, these are not exactly tuning central are they? Abbotts do some good mods for the SAAB, and Audi is a good tuner, but most owners of these cars if they are going to tune them only have minor things done to them. Still the new MY SAAB Aero with Abbotts mod for me if we are talking for modding. (I read somewhere that they will rig up 4WD for you (but not AWD, as this is more complicated!)

They will do an EMU upgrade from 210 to 230hp and performance turbo upgrades for even more hp's!
Abbott 9-3.

And check out their new project:

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-Tom

Yogi 555

What's the difference between 4 wheel drive and all wheel drive?

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[b]"A whale isn't just for dinner, its for breakfast, lunch, tea and supper for the next 6 months!"[/b]
Anon.

jimkk29

They're the same, SubaruKid got a bit confused.

SubaruKid37

Apparently not so. 4WD and AWD are different, as the guys in the Subaru dealer where I work will correct you if you use the wrong terminology.

And after 20secs on google.com, look what I found:

Definition of AWD:
A vehicle where all four wheels are driven, but there's no transfer case like a four-wheel drive rig. Most AWD setups are full time systems for year-round driving, and use a viscous fluid coupling center differential instead of a transfer case to route drive torque to all four wheels. This allows the front and rear wheels to turn at slightly different speeds when turning on dry pavement. Most folks do not consider this the same as four-wheel drive. It can be useful (and more fuel economical) in pavement driving where you're mainly negotiating bad weather conditions.

Definition of 4WD:
A method of driving a vehicle by applying engine torque to all four wheels thru the use of a transfer case, differentials and hubs. Various schemes are used for 4WD including part-time, full-time and variable four-wheel drive. To help cut the drive train drag (and reduced fuel economy) that most 4WD's have, a transfer case is included that allows the driver to select either two- or four-wheel drive depending on driving conditions. Some performance cars have full-time variable four-wheel drive and use a computer-controlled transfer case to route power between the wheels.

It's important to note that even in 4WD, you still have only two driving wheels; one front; one rear. A normal passenger car is essentially one wheel drive, because the other one can slip. So a 4WD rig, with the front axle engaged, now has two wheels driving. Then if you add a locker to the rear, you've added one more wheel, to make your rig three-wheel drive. Add a locker to the front, so no tires can spin, and you have TRUE, 4-wheel drive, all four wheels driving.

Hope that helps!

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-Tom