SAAB Info/Audi comparison

[Tony Guttmann <tonyg@ms.unimelb.edu.au>]

I would like to thank Todd Hill, Scootb, Harrison Sapir, Ron Husak, JohnC,
Peter Golledge, Nigel Raby, Scott Fisher, P-O Selander, Mike LaRosa,
Bill Murin, Randy Welch, Stuart Friedman, Chris Quintana, Steve Kittle,
and anyone I've inadvertantly omitted.


I am now better informed about Saabs and the comparison with Audis.
Thought the list might be interested in a summary:

Saab site is www.saabnet.com (Not a patch on the q-list).
Conclusion seems to be that, like Audis, good ones inspire enthusiastic
loyalty, and bad ones will break your spirit and/or our wallet!

Also like Audis', the slush boxes of the '80s (3 speeders) are pretty
disappointing.
Saabs can chew manual gearboxes, and drop metal shavings from poorly
selected reverse (i.e. while going forward) into the diff!

Parts costs appear comparable. Early 9000's (< '90) to be avoided.
Engine harder to work on for some areas, easier for others (it's installed,
in the 900s back to front - and sideways in the 9000).

Turbo version good to drive and reliable with good cargo carrying
capacity. Check that turbo cars have not been hammered into the
ground.
16v non-turbo less powerful, but adequate, and more reliable.
Timing chain instead of a belt (hooray).

Handling not as good as Audi - more body roll, and more ponderous.
Equally safe in a crash.

Front end problems too frequent in both. 

Both companies seem to take engineering seriously.

Here in Australia Saabs are more common, and a tad cheaper c.f.
comparable Audi 80/90. As we never see snow, except when we make
a special trip to go skiing, quattro is not such an essential 
feature.
Both are expensive c.f. the US. A 1990 Audi 80 with the somewhat
gutless 2.0l engine sells here for US$5000 - $9000. A 1990 Saab
900i with the 2.0l 16v engine (less gutless than the Audi) will
go for $5000 - $7500. Also probably 80% of audis come with the
dreaded slushbox, c.f. 50% of Saabs

My conclusion? I'll be looking for both a 2.0l Audi 80 and a
2.0l Saab 900i with manual transmission, and will buy the first
good, well-maintained well priced example of either that I find.

(My wife's BMW Cabriolet 318i 1986 also needs replacement. But the
Audi 80 Cab. sells here for a really stupid price - like US$50k for
a 2-3 year old example, so it loks like another BM or a Saab convertible.)

Thanks again for all that valuable input. 

Tony Guttmann,