MDork Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Some folks over in the exterior forum asked me to share some thoughts on the Turbo X vs Legacy since I've had one for the past few weeks (the X is my wife's new car)....so my thoughts are below. Some context...I've owned and enjoyed my LGT 5sp wagon for the past 3 years (still do). My wife traded in her 03 Saab 9-3 Vector so we were both already fans of Saab. Comparison: Exterior: Of course this is subjective but to my eyes the Turbo X is on another level than the Legacy. I really used to love the look of my wagon....it seemed unique and sporty. Now parked next to our Turbo X my LGT looks like its trying to take a dump. The rear looks so saggy its depressing. The lines on the Saab are much more aggressive and overall the shape is fantastic for a sport wagon. I'm also a huge fan of all the custom bits they made for the Turbo X...titanium-colored trim, retro-Saab wheels, unique exhaust and rear valence, front splitter. Winner: Saab Interior: Seats: I already knew Saab makes the best seats of ANY car. It doesn't help that Subaru put some of the worst seats in the Legacy. If you have not had a chance to sit in the Saab seats...don't tell me I'm wrong on this. I've sat in a crapload of cars...and Saab has the secret formula. Dash: The center stack in the Legacy actually looks better to me only because we didn't get nav and the Saab radio is the standard GM offering. The gauges on the Saab are better looking and the special turbo gauge in the Turbo X is very very cool and lights up at night when you unlock the doors. Cool detail. Materials: Overall the Saab wins this battle although the fake carbon in the Turbo X is a bit annoying...but then again so is the horribly fake wood in my Legacy. One other amazing bit in this car is the steering wheel. Super chunky. Audio: Bose in the Saab is a big let-down. I'm not thrilled with my LGT setup but it sounds better than the Saab to me. Utility: I don't know the numbers but I can fit more stuff in the LGT...Saab rear seats don't fold as flat Winner: Saab (thanks to the seats) Performance: Acceleration: My wife opted for the slushbox so my Stg1 LGT is much faster Handling: The Saab suspension is much better out of the box. Independent suspension is firm but still compliant whereas my beefed up sways make the LGT harsh over the horrible roads of Boston. The steering feel is a bit lighter in the Saab even though it has 235/45 18s stock. Saab has AWD and electronic limited slip differential. Braking: Saab has monster front brakes (345mm rotors) and the pedal feel is fantastic. Winner: Stock vs Stock: Saab wins Other stuff: Lights: Saab comes with Xenons that turn with the car...sounds like a gimmick but was very nice to have when driving through the backroads of Vermont at night Exhaust note: The Turbo X has an incredible sound. Winner: You guessed it....Saab Soooo...it looks like a landslide victory for the Saab but actually I think its a closer race and really depends on what you want out of a car (and what your budget is). I love driving the Turbo X but it feels a bit more sedated than my wagon...mostly due to the slushbox. I still love my LGT but if someone was to smash my car and I had to replace it...I would be scrambling to get one of the remaining 6sp manual Turbo X's left over. Couple of pics below for you guys... http://i36.tinypic.com/nvrzlv.jpg http://i38.tinypic.com/2woiozo.jpg http://i36.tinypic.com/21aicyf.jpg http://i33.tinypic.com/ajw9j4.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gmoe Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Good review. I like the TurboX for the most part. But isn't this still a GM/Chevy underneath? And that price!!! No thanks. 43K better get me something that absolutely cannot be compared to a 27K LGT. Couldn't DISAGREE more on the looks. It's "OK" looking but the overall "modern" theme or whatever comes off very forced with way too many weird angles and unclean lines. The things ass is up in the air like a frickin baboon. And those wheels!!! Ugh.. They belong on the space shuttle. Any Stg. 1 LGT is going to be faster regardless according to the reviews I've read. Go Stg. 2 for another few hundred bucks and the comparison is moot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDork Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share Posted November 5, 2008 They definitely share parts with GM but the car is still designed and built in Sweden. They developed the Haldex AWD system and will likely trickle into other GMs. Looks are definitely subjective...owning both I'm going to have to agree to disagree on that one. The Saab is so mean...and I am a HUGE fan of the wheels. The problem with Stg 2 is without supporting suspension and brake mods, you end up with an unbalanced car...and thats really the reason why the Saab is a better car. I recognize this is a Suby board and I had no intention of doing a show-and-tell based on all the negative comments on Saabs in the past but a handful of people asked so hopefully its useful for those who are open minded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heightsgtltd Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Thanks for the writeup its really interesting. I agree that the looks of the Turbo X are really mean and ones that I appreciate. My beef is more with the price as Saab is not in the same category as BMW, etc. anymore, nor does it offer what they do. I think some people on here forget that people dont always want to/have to mod cars to get what they want and that they want to buy something factory that does the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDork Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share Posted November 5, 2008 Yeah I would never pay close to sticker....and trust me it was not close. Keep in mind this car is for my wife so I wanted something that would be fun for both of us to drive, wagon, safe and relatively unique. When you look at new (2008+) sporty AWD wagons under $40K...there really aren't many options out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heightsgtltd Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Yeah I agree. At least they put a hot engine in their wagon. Audi discontinued the S4 wagon for 09 in the US, BMW doesnt offer anything hotter than the 328 wagon in that price range (good luck gettting a 535i wagon for under 60K). Merc isnt any better. Getting it way below sticker is a great deal. Something i would consider were I in that situation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gmoe Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 They definitely share parts with GM but the car is still designed and built in Sweden. They developed the Haldex AWD system and will likely trickle into other GMs. Looks are definitely subjective...owning both I'm going to have to agree to disagree on that one. The Saab is so mean...and I am a HUGE fan of the wheels. The problem with Stg 2 is without supporting suspension and brake mods, you end up with an unbalanced car...and thats really the reason why the Saab is a better car. I recognize this is a Suby board and I had no intention of doing a show-and-tell based on all the negative comments on Saabs in the past but a handful of people asked so hopefully its useful for those who are open minded. Never meant to come off closed minded about it, sorry if it came off that way. Just giving you my opinion. I actually like the car. Just not for that kind of $$$$. That's MUCH better/fancier/faster car territory for me. Even not paying sticker. Huge premium for the badge I guess is my point. Agreed on the unbalanced Stg. 2 statement. Still... upgrade the suspension and brakes for what..... $1500 or so? There's still PLENTY of $$$ between an LGT and the TurboX. So that alone wouldn't make the Saab even close to better to me. I guess what you get for that kind of $$$$ and the GM "parts" is my issue with the X. I think it's more than some parts sharing though. The 93 is essentially a Chevy Malibu isn't it? The X shares a lot with the 93 right? Same chasis etc.? Yea, looks are most definately subjective. To each their own for sure. If you (and more importantly...your wife ) like it, than awesome. I just personally prefer an understated/clean/simple look to flares and notches and drastic angles all over the place to make a car look mean or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gire Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 This Saab is a great looking car, and a solid performer. You called it with being better balanced. But that just goes with buying a more expensive car with more options / technology out of the gate. Tint the windows on that thing and you have a Vader-mobile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j255c Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 ^ Gire who are you and how do i change my name. 06 TB EVO IX SE stock turbo monster subaru hater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 for this to be apples to apples, you would have to be comparing the Saab to at minimum an '08 specB wagon. congrats on the new car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDork Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share Posted November 5, 2008 Never meant to come off closed minded about it, sorry if it came off that way. Just giving you my opinion. I actually like the car. Just not for that kind of $$$$. That's MUCH better/fancier/faster car territory for me. Even not paying sticker. Huge premium for the badge I guess is my point. Agreed on the unbalanced Stg. 2 statement. Still... upgrade the suspension and brakes for what..... $1500 or so? There's still PLENTY of $$$ between an LGT and the TurboX. So that alone wouldn't make the Saab even close to better to me. I guess what you get for that kind of $$$$ and the GM "parts" is my issue with the X. I think it's more than some parts sharing though. The 93 is essentially a Chevy Malibu isn't it? The X shares a lot with the 93 right? Same chasis etc.? Yea, looks are most definately subjective. To each their own for sure. If you (and more importantly...your wife ) like it, than awesome. I just personally prefer an understated/clean/simple look to flares and notches and drastic angles all over the place to make a car look mean or whatever. You could say the 9-3 is essentially a Malibu if you believe the Cayenne is essentially a Toureg. They share the frame and the engine block (same block as the CTS)...but the turbo system is designed by Saab. The suspension is unique. The brakes are unique. Body and interior are unique other than the radio and the commodity bits (like carpet, seat rails, stuff like that). People act like its a bad thing that Saab is owned by GM but in reality the cars are much better made now than they were before. Not to mention the fact that the new Malibu is actually an excellent car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobE Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Thanks for the write-up. Ill definitely have to go check one out. http://i33.tinypic.com/ajw9j4.jpg did you leave your car idling for this picture? http://newenglandsubarus.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig Pen Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 very nice write up.. makes me want to go take one for a test drive... im liking the styling... very classy and aggresive... makes me wish they still made legacy wagons, while i agree with you the saab is a better balanced car then the legacy, i wonder if that would change had you been comparing it to a 09 legacy wagon... what ever happened to the saabaru wagon?... i have to say i am a fan of new saab's across the board.. i do think they need to drop the sticker price however.. i would think the gm buyout would have helped them save production costs to keep unit cost at a minimum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDork Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share Posted November 5, 2008 Thanks for the write-up. Ill definitely have to go check one out. did you leave your car idling for this picture? HA! No but some cop came over to me to see if I was with "the press"....I let him know I was just a random dude with a big camera Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 As for seats - it all depends on who you are if you like them or not. And same with suspension. Many people I have met complains about the Saab having a too soft suspension. The suspension of an Impreza STi is a bit stiff, but all is forgiven because it handles so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDork Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share Posted November 5, 2008 As for seats - it all depends on who you are if you like them or not. And same with suspension. Many people I have met complains about the Saab having a too soft suspension. The suspension of an Impreza STi is a bit stiff, but all is forgiven because it handles so well. Do you know if it was a Turbo X? The base 9-3 is definitely much softer...the X has the stiffest of all but still reasonably comfortable. For the seats...I'm not alone in my opinion. Every test I've seen of the Saab lists the seats as being incredible. If you haven't tried them...then you don't know what you're missing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanboy Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 MDork, did you check out the 328xi wagon or A4 Avant? Like the concept of the Saab, but it seems too little for too much money. Probably take the acceleration hit and look at the above in the 35K price bracket, which is what I assume the Saab is being discounted down to. -B http://www.standardshift.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDork Posted November 5, 2008 Author Share Posted November 5, 2008 MDork, did you check out the 328xi wagon or A4 Avant? Like the concept of the Saab, but it seems too little for too much money. Probably take the acceleration hit and look at the above in the 35K price bracket, which is what I assume the Saab is being discounted down to. I looked at both but I'm not really a fan of A4s for lots of reasons. The 328xi was more interesting but at the end of the day we both like the Saab better for all the reasons in my review. They're both fine cars but just didn't have any emotional connection for either of us. There's something more interesting about having 1 of 200 Turbo X wagons as well...so we were really just deciding between the 9-3 Aero XWD and the Turbo X. Other cars we shopped: Subaru Tribeca - really disappointed in how bland and boring this was Subaru Outback - Best value but I really didn't want another one, Outback really doesn't excite me like the Legacy (sorry Outbackers) and couldn't deal with more crappy seats Buick Enclave - big and not fun to drive but otherwise very nice Mazda CX7 and CX9 - Bad seats and didnt like the looks - super cheap though Audi A4 avant - Feels smaller, not a fan of the car in general BMW 325xi - Good car, iffy looks, super common, more $$ with options Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobE Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 ^ Gire who are you and how do i change my name. just PM Tide or Gumby. one of them should do it for you because you donated. http://newenglandsubarus.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heightsgtltd Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Who is your daddy and what does he do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.