Hi,

Have only just discovered this board and am on my 4th Saab :-) Thought I'd say a quick hello and introduce myself. Have just bought a new Steel Grey 9-5 Aero w/charcoal leather, which replaced my '99 9-5 2.0 SE. Prior to that I had a couple more 9-5's purchased via the IDS scheme.

The new Aero has just crossed 100 miles, so is very new, but has certainly renewed and invigorated my enthusiasm for the marque. I notice that there is to be a meet on the 21st April, just down the road from me here at Henlow in Beds. I'd love to pop down and say hi, as this looks like the most active board I've found other than TSN. Anyway, enough rambling, and I'm sure I'll see you around.

Simon Watkins
SW02HOT '02 9-5 Aero, Steel Grey

Welcome to the board Simon!

This is one of the most active boards outside of the US - hope you get a lot of use out of it!

Another chap on the boards, Rob123 will be taking delivery of his new 9-5 Aero Saloon shortly - you'll be able to compare notes.

I need to update the details on the 21st April - this is actually the SEC (Saab Enthusiasts Club) AGM, some are going to that and we are trying to organise a little meet afterwards as well.

I will post more on this soon.

Anyway - good to have you here, and I am not jealous of your 9-5 Aero at all!
Saabscene Staff
1991 9000 Carlsson 2.3T

Hi Simon. welcome to the club, in more ways then one Interested to hear how you get on with your Aero.I have taken the plunge to replace my (My 2000) 9.5 SE. Had I bought an Aero 9.5 before January , with the present extras( now standard) it would have cost near £32k. There certainly would not have been that kind of 'serious' money in the Piggy Bank , so I would have had a long wait, not to mention , no holiday, food, drink or clothes !!!! Could always take in lodgers and do ironing i suppose !! Be interested to hear how you get on with your dealer. I have been to Squire Furneaux, even though they are miles from where I live)Rob

Originally posted by kevin (kprm77):
Welcome to the board Simon!

This is one of the most active boards outside of the US - hope you get a lot of use out of it!
[/b]Thanks for the welcome Kevin. Was up till the early hours browsing through the old posts

(p.s. Although I have set a signature in my profile, it doesn't appear on the board - is that something that is turned off here?)

Simon Watkins
SW02HOT '02 9-5 Aero, Steel Grey

Hello Simon, and welcome. Yes, the signatures are currently disabled on the board. I shall consider introducing them at some point - keep an eye on the announcements forum for news on this and other aspects of Saabscene

Admin beat me to it, and answered my question before I even asked it too! http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif See the "faq" for details of what is available.

Kevin Mc

Originally posted by rob123:
Hi Simon. welcome to the club, in more ways then one * * * *Interested to hear how you get on with your Aero.I have taken the plunge to replace my (My 2000) 9.5 SE. Had I bought an Aero 9.5 before January , with the present extras( now standard) it would have cost near £32k. There *certainly would not have been that kind of 'serious' money in the Piggy Bank , so I would have had a long wait, not to mention , no holiday, food, drink or clothes !!!! Could always take in lodgers and do *ironing i suppose !! * * * *Be interested to hear how you get on with your dealer. I have been to Squire Furneaux, even though they are miles from where I live)Rob[/b]Hi Rob,

So far, so good, apart from a couple of minor niggles that I hope to get rectified at the first Service. Will probably take it for an Oil/Filter change at 1000 miles (not that I'm nannying it or anything

The teething problems so far are as follows:

Slight Wind Noise Driver's Door at >60mph - (Door is perhaps too high - the back end is about 3mm above the front of the rear passenger door)

Slight Metallic Clunk on release of Brake Pedal (sounds like the pedal hitting the top stop. V.minor, but I've not noticed it on my previous 9-5s)

Shift between 1 and 2nd (and occasionally 3rd) isn't quite as smooth as my 4 spd auto at light throttle settings/low speeds 15-20mph - ie driving very gently round a housing estate. It was impossible to tell the old 4 speed had even changed gear under the same conditions without checking the rev counter

Moving the auto selector from P - R - D is a little bit stiff/and the car lurches a bit more than the old model on engagment. Might settle down with some miles on it.

Some Vibration at idle in Drive that I didn't have on the old car.

And I've today noticed a "Groan" when switching off, which I suspect is the A/C expansion valve as I've seen similar mentioned on TSN.

Other than that, I'm very pleased. Fit/Finish is excellent. I'm even becoming fonder of the Silver dash. I hated it when I saw it on the Demo with Beige interior as it clashed terribly, but with the Charcoal interior it looks very nice. I'm still considering putting a Walnut dash in though, as I can't reconcile fake aluminium sprayed plastic with the class of the car

I too got mine as the new upgrade spec, with Bi-Xenons, Memory Electric Seats, Heated Front and Rear, Park Assist, Met Paint etc as standard - nice deal The only option I added was the Rain Sensor wipers, but have not had a chance to see those in action yet, as mercifully it has stayed dry since monday. The only slight regret I've got is not specifying the AS3 audio. I've always been pleased with the AS2 in the other cars, but part of me is saying I should have sprung the extra 350 odd quid it would have cost for the upgrade. That said, I'm not overly bothered.

Handling is much much improved over the older models. The car now corners virtually flat, turn in is quick and the sports seats are very supportive laterally. The ride quality is slightly compromised over my older SE though, with the lower/stiffer suspension and low profile 17" wheels of the Aero, but not unduly (can't have everything!). Noticeably more cabin noise in the Aero though - mostly tyres I think. However, I can safely say that the sportier drive more than makes up for it.

The Bi-Xenons are awesome, though I do worry about the likely cost of replacement! They have auto levelling, that when you switch them on, makes a swish up and down movement, and have the familiar blue tinge at the top edge of the beam from the diffraction in the projector lens. Very sharp cut-off pattern, but awesome lighting power. The strobe for about half a second when you switch them off (presumably as the arc collapses) which looks kinda weird . The headlamp covers are now plastic, with no wipers, just high pressure jets that popup out of the bumper. Park Assist is excellent - really really good, and very repeatable. I think my fave gadget at the moment though, has to be the LCD Rear View mirror. A simply outstanding accessory!!! At dusk, it is magnificent to see a greenish hue tint the mirror lens as it gets dark outside, and to see it darken further as lights shine into it. It is executed brilliantly. Also clever is the way it is linked to the gearbox (if factory fitted), so that when you select reverse, it lightens up again. Typically thoughtful Saab.

The other gizmo I like, is the way the passenger side door mirror can be angled down when reversing by the press of a button, returning automatically when the car is moved out of reverse. The only snag I noticed with the execution of that though, is that if tilt the mirror down and reverse, then drive forward a little, before reversing further, you need to press the button again to make it angle down, because as you've momentarily taken it out of reverse to move forward, it has reset itself. Better would have been for it to delay its return until a few seconds after it had been taken out of reverse if you see what I mean.

Anyway, lots of new toys on it to play with, and I'm sure you'll be very pleased.

As for the dealer - I've used Buckingham & Stanley of Cambridge for my last 3 services, and bought the new Aero from them. I've been exceptionally impressed with the quality of their work, their courtesy, their prices, and their aftercare so far. It's too early to say what they'll be like with aftercare with the new car, but I was certainly satisfied and confident enough to buy it from them. I got an excellent deal from them as well - better/as good as the European Import companies, who are struggling to match the new upgrade spec car in the UK for value, especially with all the extras and reduced price in the UK. Gave me a good Part Ex deal as well on the old one.

Best regards,

Simon

Now that is a big post!

Very interested to hear on the features of the new Aero. Didn't know about the LCD mirror - sounds excellent.

Glad they've sorted the handling - that is one thing my Carlsson is very skittish on. I'm hoping to be able to afford one of these 9-5 Aero's as a second hand buy in a couple of years time. (Don't hold your breath though! ).

Hope you get the niggles sorted with no problems.

PS is it a Saloon or a Wagon?

Kevin Mc

Originally posted by kevin (kprm77):
Now that is a big post! * * *

Glad they've sorted the handling - that is one thing my Carlsson is very skittish on. I'm hoping to be able to afford one of these 9-5 Aero's as a second hand buy in a couple of years time. (Don't hold your breath though! * * * ).

Hope you get the niggles sorted with no problems.

PS is it a Saloon or a Wagon?

Kevin Mc * * * * * [/b]Hi Kevin - it's the Saloon. I've always found the saloon is tardis like in the amount of stuff they'll hold! (You should have seen us last week at Heathrow having just come back from the States - 2 large roll on upright suitcases, one roll on Garment Carrier, one roll on Carry On Case, two huge 36x18x18" soft bags, 3 x rucksacks, 2 pairs of skis, 2 kids, 2 adults and a partridge in a pear tree All inside the car, no roof rack. Kids were a bit squished, but hey

I should caveat that the niggles are fairly minor - I'm being hypercritical, as having owned 3 x 9-5s before, I know it inside out. Someone new to the car probably wouldn't even notice my quibbles With only 100miles on the clock, I'm sure things will settle down a little with time.

Have you had a test drive in one? Perhaps you shouldn't I wasn't going to replace my SE until I foolishly decided to try out the Aero. It's a marketing man's dream, and in one of their adverts I heard them say "people who test drive a Saab, usually buy one". How true that is with the Aero!

Simon Watkins
SW02HOT '02 9-5 Aero, Steel Grey

I've driven Rob123's 9-5 2.0SE, though not a 9-5 Aero. I'm sure Rob will get a pleasant surprise (and a push into the back of the drivers seat ) when he takes delivery.

My 9000 Carlsson is very fast, though a bit, errm, no, ...totally unrefined! Couldn't drive that thing day to day without losing my licence!

No way I could afford a new 9-5 Aero. Hmmm, there is the equity in the house.....

Kevin Mc

I'm sorry to say that I'm a particularly strong hue of green right now hearing all this 9-5 talk. I've loved all my Saab's (especially the t16) but the thought of a black 9-5Aero HOT makes me shiver...
are they really as spectacular as they sound ???
I hope so. Enjoy!!!

Don't tell my 99 I said that...

John.

'80 900 GLe
'85 900 t16
'83 99 GL

Hi Simon, Thanks for going into so much detail regarding your car. Interesting about the light coloured dash. I hated it in the photos and said so in a another 'post'. Then found it not too bad in the flesh. Think I will go for a 'wooden 'dash' but it was never a factory option, so have to buy it in later.Like the light coloured dash in the Arc literature, Turners Hill doing a good price on these at the moment. If you do think again of changing maybe we could 'batch' buy. Would mean some 'white' dashs up for grabs too.
Good luck with the car. I have gone for the manual.
Rob

Hi Rob,

No problems. I have located a very good price on a Dark Walnut dash (£240 fitted), and I'm considering that - but I'd keep the Silver dash for when/if I sell this car. The reason being that I'm considering drilling the dash panel for fitment of a Nokia Car Kit phone holder, as I don't much like the bulbous handset mount that Saab makes that protrudes into the passenger footwell; if I keep the original dash, I can put it back as new when I sell it. (Though I may chicken out and just buy the handset mount from Saab anyway

My source had 4 of the Dark Walnut dashboards left at that price last weekend, (Would you (or anyone else) for that matter be interested? Contact me via email if you want one, and I'll put you in touch. (I'm not being cagey, it's just that I need to reserve one myself!)

I've also found someone prepared to do new 9-5 CD Changers for £250 fitted, which seems a good price, though I'm not really sure I want one, having survived 3 previous 9-5's without!

Simon Watkins

Would be really interested in a Walnut dash, would need to have it fitted by your man though. Like you, would need to keep the old one should it have to go back into the car at a later date. Have a Cd Auto changer two months old, so the plan is for it to go into the new car. Really do like the changer, load up and away you go, great idea, would hate to be without it now . Also had a 12v socket for a box so will ask for one of those again too. Here is my email , would be pleased to have details and maybe order a Walnut dash, then it would start to look a bit like a real Saab rob123@ntlworld.com<br />
Many thanks , have also sent you a private message a few days ago, not read yet.

Rob.

Originally posted by santeria589:
I'm sorry to say that I'm a particularly strong hue of green right now hearing all this 9-5 talk. I've loved all my Saab's (especially the t16) but the thought of a black 9-5Aero HOT makes me shiver...
are they really as spectacular as they sound ???
I hope so. Enjoy!!!

Don't tell my 99 I said that... * *

John.
[/b]You're not the only one! http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/icon5.gif

9-5 Aero is quick? Pah!

Watch this space

Hmm, I've gotta be honest, if I had £25K+ on a new car I would rather have have an EVO VII. Maybe I am a boy racer at heart

Still, I'm with Kevin, I'm gonna wait a few years. The older 230bhp 9-5 Aeros will probably depreciate very quickly now that they've been superceded more or less. I reckon the 250bhp'rs will hold value tho .. I imagine thats what the guys above are hoping.

Originally posted by 1989, a good vintage? (Jason):
9-5 Aero is quick? Pah!

Watch this space * * *

Hmm, I've gotta be honest, if I had £25K+ on a new car I would rather have have an EVO VII. Maybe I am a boy racer at heart * *

Still, I'm with Kevin, I'm gonna wait a few years. The older 230bhp 9-5 Aeros will probably depreciate very quickly now that they've been superceded more or less. I reckon the 250bhp'rs will hold value tho .. I imagine thats what the guys above are hoping.[/b]Evo - that ugly boy racer thing with wings. (Aren't those the things women's panty liners come with? ) Yuck. Not the car for me I'm afraid. Perhaps I'm getting old, preferring understated performance to ICE loaded, Winged beasts

Regards the depreciation issue, my first thought on px'ing my old one was ouch! However, as a % of it's full retail price when new, I got 46% from the dealer after 3 years, which isn't bad. And when you consider that no-one pays full retail for a Saab, the real depreciation was more like 50% of what I would have to have paid had I not got it through the IDS scheme. That's up there with the best of them. Had I sold it privately, I may have been knocking on 55% of retained value after 3 years. Sure, not a great investment, but better than many cars on the road today.

Actually, I was mulling this depreciation thing over the other day - typically, when a dealer gives you a price, you'll get very very little credit, if any, for extras on the car. Given that Saabs are so well specced and thus don't need that many extras, that means very little money is wasted when it comes to part ex time.

Now with a BMW (say ), just about everything is extra, and to bring it up to say Aero standard would costs thousands on top of the base price. Come trade in time, and the BMW isn't going to look such good value. Another thing - the book depreciation figures don't typically account for those extras, but I believe are calculated on the average price being paid for traded cars, versus RRP for the car. There is thus an artificial boost given to BMW/AUDI/MERC cars, as the RRP for the car is seemingly low, but extras need to be paid for at purchase time that don't form part of the depreciation equation.

Because the extras variable seems to be conveniently omitted in the calculation, your 25k RRP BMW w/5k of extras, is shown as having a retained value of say 12.5k after 3 years or 50% of its original RRP. It has really depreciated by a further 5k, because you'll get virtually none of that back in part ex. The BMW, has really only retained 41.6% of its original true cost. Whereas a fully equipped as standard Saab suffers none of this. It's a conspiracy I tell you!

Anyway, at the risk of protesting too much, I bought the Aero for pleasure, and if it is worth 50% of what I paid for it in 3 years time in part ex against whatever it is I buy next time, I'll be a happy man. A car is rarely an investment vehicle <groan>.

Simon Watkins
SW02HOT '02 9-5 Aero, Steel Grey

Just you wait Simon.....

I'm going to buy a sensible Saab..... just for another two years, and then in 2004 I'll race your Aero across Cambridge (avoid those speed traps) in my shiny new 9-3X.... 4WD, 7-speed sequential box.... 300bhp turbo.....

http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif

H.

Originally posted by Redleicester:
Just you wait Simon.....

I'm going to buy a sensible Saab..... just for another two years, and then in 2004 I'll race your Aero across Cambridge (avoid those speed traps) in my shiny new 9-3X.... 4WD, 7-speed sequential box.... 300bhp turbo.....

* http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif * * * * * *:eek: * * * *

H.[/b]2 years eh? You'll have 12 months ahead of me, before I change mine again if I decide not to keep this one till it rots.
Will have to wait and see what I replace it with - depends whether or not Saab give me a loyalty discount on the next one or not I guess! Though if the 9-X turns out to be anything like the piccies, I suspect it won't be one of them i replace it with as I'm not overly partial to it I can't see it being a 9-5 replacement as it is - there is no room in the back!

Simon