9000 CSE beats the Mercedes C class!

The current advertising campaign for the Saab 9-5 says that most people who test drive a Saab buy one. I figured this was just hyperbole but... I test drove a 1997 Saab 9000 CSE as a favour to a friend. I literally drove it to the Mercedes dealership to pick up a C-class I had planned on buying. Not too much of a mystery as to what happened I guess. The Saab blew away the C-class and ended up being the keeper. This was after reading all of the literature in which the Mercedes out performs the Saab in most categories. But the specs only take you so far...

The beautifully appointed interior compares favorably with all of the luxury cars I looked at. The interior controls are right at hand with the typical Swedish design elements that attract me: it is elegantly done just right without a lot of fuss and bother.

The exterior lines of the car are a little less stuffy than the Mercedes but still very traditional. (I must admit I am very partial to the 9-5 which was the re-design that took place in 1986. I think it provided a face lift for this car that was due.)

Most importantly the car drives like a dream. I commute in the car and drive it predominantly in the city of Seattle, (Traffic in Seattle is some of the worst in the nation!) but have taken it on several road trips as well. The 4 cylinder turbo is just the right mix of fuel efficiency and power for the way I drive. It is plenty exhilarating when you stomp on the gas, holds the corners through a winding mountain road, and will hold my family of four and their gear on a weekend getaway.

Here is what finally swayed me in my purchase decision: as irrational as it sounds, the Mercedes was the wrong image for me. I am only 35 and I am not ready for the staid "upper crust" image of a Mercedes. In Seattle at least, driving a Mercedes is making a statement. (Absolutely stupid that in a city where people drive around $40,000 S.U.V.s they consider you a snob in a $30,000 Mercedes but who said it needed to be logical!) The Saab gives me the driving experience I am looking for without the "baggage" associated with the Mercedes.

Buy a Saab to impress yourself. Buy a Mercedes to impress others!