Confession...

[Tristan]

I have an unfortunate and shameful confession to make:

On January 4, 2010, I bought a very well used Saab 900 SE.  I love Saabs a lot, despite the repair costs.  Most of my friends who originally laughed at the decision end up saying that it is a nice car, and it has served me well so far.  Knock on wood.

That's not the confession. 

The confession is that I have not set foot on a bus or train ... since I bought the thing.  And I do not miss it much.  Maybe it's the cold weather, maybe it's the fact that my commute is reverse flow (not much traffic), maybe because I now can have lunch with my girl and still get back to work on time...whatever it is, it's very different from how I imagined myself. 

I have a book in my living room called "Live Well Car-Free" or something to that effect.  I have never actually owned a car, and the presence of cars in my family has been minimal.  I didn't even feel right getting rides from people or sitting in one on display somewhere ... just didn't feel natural.  Couldn't wait to hop back on a bus or train and "sit up normally".

I would have said something sooner but I thought it was just a phase, that I would just shake it off...but so far, the price of gas hasn't killed me, insurance is reasonable, and maintenance hasn't been a problem.  Again, knock on wood.  So far, I have a car, and ... it's okay.  In fact, it's great - the thing drives like a bicycle (turns on a dime, stops on a dime) and purrs like a cat.  There are a few kinks to work out, but it was worth every penny so far -- and most say that I really got a steal.

I'm hoping that maybe it is still the whole new thing, and once it warms up, I'll be back to my old self, or at least close to it.

[Tritransit Area]

NOOOOO!  Tristan, say it ain't so!

However, I can relate.  In April of 2009, I purchased the first Brandon-mobile, a Pontiac Vibe, which has been serving me quite well.  I'll admit that my tolerance level for SEPTA's shenanigans has dropped quite a bit.  Honestly, outside of the occasional fan trip or excursion to Center City Philadelphia when they charge parking, I don't take transit much. 

Of course, considering that I do work in the industry to promote transit use, I may make a better effort (when it's warmer) to use transit for my commute.  Too bad the bus is so inconvenient, though, especially out in suburban Philadelphia.

Funny thing - I kinda like the look of the Saabs, but I was scared away by people yelling about the repair costs.  Oh well, at least I can claim patriotism by buying a car built in the United States.

[Tristan]

Yea out of components from where? :-)

Repair costs on this car...well, I don't plan on using OEM parts, and I have a lot of connections, so ... yea, Saab repairs with Saab parts done by Saab dealers are rough as hell, but not so bad with aftermarket stuff.

[Tritransit Area]

LOL!  Okay, so my car also speaks Japanese with its Toyota parts, hehe.

I do need to start finding "connections" for maintenance, though.  It's amazing how fast the miles rack up when you have a super commute.  Plus, it'd be cool to have someone who I can point to and say "yeah, that's my mechanic."

[Tristan]

Try the Driver's Lounge before peak pullout.  You can find just about any service you need from their side jobs!  Here we have mechanics, detailers, contractors, some musicians...a dump truck driver...the list goes on and on.  We don't have any barbers though, rideonrulez.

[WayneNYC]

Tristan -

First... Congrats.  Your Saab looks pretty good.  I don't know why I was thinking it was a Saab 9-3, which is the successor to the 900.

Like you and many of the others here, I grew up being a transit fan.  However, I always knew I'd own a car in my adult years.  Even in NYC where it's a chore to own a car, I never regretted it.

Here in the DC area, my plan is to always own a car.  I could probably go car-less in NYC which I'm sure is because I'm spoiled in terms of transit.  24/7 bus and subway service to nearly any part of the city and frequent service at almost any time of day or night.

As a motorist, I definitely enjoy the convenience, but I'm happy that I never became the selfish motorist type.  Years ago, one of my co-workers used to ride in with me most days and she'd always say that I was "polite to buses".  She said that because I'd always let a bus merge into traffic, make a left turn etc.

I would be happy to ride mass transit to work and I did it often when I lived in Silver Spring.  However, it can difficult to do things in the DC area without a car.  Now, I drive to/from work at leat 90% of the time.  If I did transit, I'd have to take a bus to Metrorail and then the GUTS shuttle bus afterward.  For me... that's too many "hops" and time for a trip I have to make 10 times per week.  Another option is to park at the Metro station which is incredibly expensive, not to mention the ride itself being pretty pricey.  Those options make my car much more attractive to me for commuting.  If the folks hadn't been successful in keeping Metrorail out of Georgetown, I'm pretty certain that I would've used it regularly to/from work. 

Congrats again. 

[Nabinut]

It's not dirty to say you don't miss riding transit or that you enjoy the advantages of having a car. all you're doing is relating the experience and feeling of freedom which has made the automobile the king
Even I one day would like to own a car. I imagine it's nice not to organize your life around a bus schedule.

As for you getting back "into" riding transit once it's warmer, it's easier said then done. Just think that on a 90+ degree day, not having to share A/C with upwards of 50 people or even waiting out in that heat and humidity. Just remember where you came from...and not morph into one of those transit-hating road ragers

[aznboy4305]

Congrats on your corner store purchase. Its a very decent car for what you paid for it, and it is in better shape than my car in many aspects despite it being 8 years older.

Like many others on this board, I grew up riding transit as my primary form of transit. I didn't get my first car (a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria) until about 2 years ago. So far its been serving me very well although it has had its share of electrical issues. Maintenance has definitely taken a cumulative toll on my wallet, as well as gas. I keep a record/log of every fill-up I've had since I got it. If you do that and make it a regular habit, you'll see some Very interesting stats and trends from it.

I am able to say however, that I don't use my car very often. Even while I'm here in Indiana, I only use my car for two purposes; to get grocery and do laundry. I still use the bus to get to and from classes and work. On average, I only touch my car about 2-3 days a week. For a vehicle averaging about 11-12 mpg during the winter, I only fill it up once every 3-4 weeks.

[metroman177]

Nabinut hit it on the head especially 'bout the haters....I tell people to try transit at least once a week and give the car a rest. Heck I wouldn't own a car if I could take my bus home...LOL....neighbors wouldn't like it though...did it with a Trailways one time, and was only there a couple hours. Anyway transit and POV (privatily owned vehicles) can co-ex.. Congrats on the Saab and remember your second auto...a flx,gillig, nabi,new flyer,etc.   

[rideonrulez]

We don't have any barbers though, rideonrulez.

ROFL Yea the barber shop in the restroom at Silver Spring garage!!

Congrats on the car and I don't blame on your purchase of one. Living in the DC area you do need a car. Of course I had one when I was living there because the service sucks and does not take you everywhere you would want to go at the times you want. But currently I don't own a car and I'm very proud to be a dependant transit user but I also live in a transit friendly city. 

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

I thought they gotten rid of that barber shop in that garage.

I wonder if I still have my locker there. . . .  hmmmmmm


I remember going thru my divorce, the judge giving the soon to be ex the only car we had, I asked the judge, how was I going to get to work?

"The DC area has a very transit friendly transportation network" she told me. "You can catch the bus to get to work"

"But your honor" I pleaded with her. "I AM the bus."

The Ex & her lawyers confirmed w/ the judge, that in fact, I did drive a bus & that my work schedule was that when i reported to work, there were no buses running. .  so I got to keep the car. The bad thing was that my evening run, I drove past her office 3x a week. When it got time to change assignments, I left that assignment & she objected having to pay the bus fare. (WHOOPS. .  I forgot to tell her I changed assignments).

[Tritransit Area]

Congrats on your corner store purchase. Its a very decent car for what you paid for it, and it is in better shape than my car in many aspects despite it being 8 years older.

Like many others on this board, I grew up riding transit as my primary form of transit. I didn't get my first car (a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria) until about 2 years ago. So far its been serving me very well although it has had its share of electrical issues. Maintenance has definitely taken a cumulative toll on my wallet, as well as gas. I keep a record/log of every fill-up I've had since I got it. If you do that and make it a regular habit, you'll see some Very interesting stats and trends from it.

I am able to say however, that I don't use my car very often. Even while I'm here in Indiana, I only use my car for two purposes; to get grocery and do laundry. I still use the bus to get to and from classes and work. On average, I only touch my car about 2-3 days a week. For a vehicle averaging about 11-12 mpg during the winter, I only fill it up once every 3-4 weeks.

[/b]

WOW!  11-12 mpg?!  Good grief!  I do try to keep track of my mileage whenever I fill up, particularly since fellow Vibe owners go around bragging about the insane amount of MPG they get, such as 33  MPG.  (My best is 28 mpg, but I travel at a good clip). Since winter began, I noticed a drop interestingly and disappointingly enough (I thought it would improve since A/C wouldn't be necessary!).   I do fill up twice a week though thanks to the distance of my commute (40-something miles RT), and taking mum to work (20 something miles RT), not to mention I let her use it on the weekends since her car is down and out.

So, do people slow down when they see your car?

To Tristan: It seems like you got a stellar deal!  When I was shopping I heard that sometimes you can find older cars that are in much better shape than some of the newer ones that are out there. 

Also, a barber shop at Ride-On HQ?!  Awesome, at least you can ensure that your drivers are clean cut and professional.

[Tristan]

Wayne, there's virtually no visible difference between the 900 and the 9-3 except for the grille, so I can see how you could be confused.  That's one of the virtues of this car -- the design went unchanged for 9 years, so my car could easily pass for something made in this century :-)

Wayne, I'm transit-friendly myself, but...I don't find myself sharing a lane with a bus regularly.  Maybe it's because I live in VA.

I've been tracking my fuel economy as well and it stays in the low 20s.  One disappointment of only...I think two that I have about this vehicle is that it has the GM "54-degree" V6 (jointly designed by Saab and GM specifically for this car) engine, which gives me more horses than I need and uses a timing belt instead of the more reliable timing chain that pure Saab engines are known for.  That V6 is the largest engine (2.5 liters..um, litres) that Saab offered and is standard on the SE model.  I would have preferred a smaller engine because I'm not a speed demon; I still wonder why speedometers go past 80 MPH.  The smaller 2.0 and 2.3 L engines get a couple more miles to the gallon. 

But, for the price and the features of the SE model, I guess the sacrifice is worth it.

[aznboy4305]

Tritransit Area - Yeah I get about 11-12 mpg over the winter, over the summer it usually picks up to around 13-14 mpg. I think its got something to do with the gas mixture they use during the winter, plus the increase in idling times. But that is all local driving. On the highway I get anywhere between 24-30mpg, I once recorded 32.2 mpg on a trip to and from Champaign, IL. And thats including one day's worth of in-town driving over there.

And yes on occasions I do see people slowing down, letting me in when they have complete right of way, etc.

[Tritransit Area]

I've been tracking my fuel economy as well and it stays in the low 20s.  One disappointment of only...I think two that I have about this vehicle is that it has the GM "54-degree" V6 (jointly designed by Saab and GM specifically for this car) engine, which gives me more horses than I need and uses a timing belt instead of the more reliable timing chain that pure Saab engines are known for.  That V6 is the largest engine (2.5 liters..um, litres) that Saab offered and is standard on the SE model.  I would have preferred a smaller engine because I'm not a speed demon; I still wonder why speedometers go past 80 MPH.  The smaller 2.0 and 2.3 L engines get a couple more miles to the gallon. 

A V6 sure would come in handy when you need to merge onto that Capital Beltway before the wall of traffic (that won't wave you in, btw) reaches you.  I kinda do that battle daily on the turnpike.  It might be a reason why my gas mileage isn't as great as it could be.  Nowadays I'm seeing about 22-26 mpg, with predominantly highway driving at a rapid pace but also with some local driving as well. 

The first and last time I drove in MD, though, I discovered that I might be considered an agressive driver down there anyway (except on the Capital Beltway - boy do those people fly!).

I still wonder why speedometers go past 80 MPH.

How else would you know if you are pushing 100 mph?