Loaner Road Test (Chapter 2) LONG

This time the Boxster S is in the shop for new Cats, O2 Sensors, and CV Boots. My "new vehicle is the wonderful car from Swedroit, the Saab 9-3 Linear. The car I have is the base model with a 2.0 turbo. It does have some upgrades, 16 in. wheels, sunroof and "Senosmatic Transmission". First impression was quite good. The car looks nice, the color, Nocturne Blue, is very nice, but the name is awful. As I was driving to lunch with my wife, she asked what the "thing" in between the front seats was. She asked this as she shut the car off as I was driving in downtown Austin. Strike one for Saab! The cars performance is ok, but only if using the manual mode. In "D" the car accelerates slightly slower than the motorized carts at the local grocery store. When the turbo kicks in, the car picks up, but too late, granny already kicked my a$$ through the frozen food section to get the last tub of Hagaan-Daaz.
The handling is good, but the car tends to extreme oversteer, making the trip to work almost impossible while eating a chicken biscuit and drinking a diet coke. Thank God for the FOUR cup holders. Comfort wise, the car is lacking. The drivers seat lists to the left, and I not I am not the smallest guy out there, but there are plenty bigger than me and there is not enough support. The side bolsters do not exist, in my "skidpad" test only my feet end elbows kept me in the drivers seat. My one mile "Dragstrip" I was able to accelerate to 110mph, while was significantly better than the Escape I tested back in October. Now we get to the good stuff. If there are any Swedes out there, forgive me, but what the hell is wrng with your cars. The key is right where the crumbs fall as I eat my lunch. I have already had to pick a piece of lettuce out of the key hole. The headlight switch rotates counter-clockwise. Wort of all, there is a NIGHTTIME swtich on the dash that will shut down all the gauges except the speedometer. If my passengers are that sensitive to light as the try to sleep in MY CAR, I will have to re-assess my friendship with them. I can imagine the converastion;

"Can you please turn down the light?"
"But the car is running hot and we are 200 miles from any town!"
"But the light is keeping me awake!"
"Oh yes, I understand that you need you beauty sleep so you the next time you go trolling at the bars you will look good to the two-six pack hag the you will inevitably go home with. No problem. The engine is under warranty and we will only have to wait half a day for a tow truck after my engine seizes."

I guess in Sweden Heat is not an issue. But here in TX it is. I have had the experience of having my car breakdown in Alpine, TX. 400 miles from the closest dealer. I made the trip in the middle of the night with a tow truck driver named Jarvis, who smoked TWO PACKS od cigarettes in six hours. I expect to have the car for a few more days. Look for part 2.
PC

 

With Four cup holders they are taunting me. I gave in the the dare!