Freezing HUD

This morning the temperature was -17 °C. It was freezing cold. I think that even the Head-Up Display longed for summer:

Back in a land of Saab

I'm back in cold and wintry Norway after a week of summer temperatures on the Canary Islands. And it felt good to be back in my Saab! I've been driving a Citroen C4 rental for the past week and even though it's not fair to compare that car to the Saab 9-5, I still do.

(This was not the car I drove, but it looks similar) 

First of all, when I got in the Citroen C4 and closed the door I was surprised by the "tin can" sound. It made the door feel cheap and weak. The interior was full of hard plastic. I started the car and grabbed the gear stick. It felt wobbly. But when driving off I was surprised by the responsive petrol engine.  Getting out on the highway the car accelerated okay, but there was some engine noise. I think the car was set up with gear ratios that makes the engine feel responsive, but at the same time it gets noisy. On the highway the car felt a bit unstable when going over 120 km/h. And the engine noise was massive. So it's definitely no highway cruiser.

It was an okay car, but after driving Saab for the last 8 years, I would never trade any of the Saab's I've owned with the Citroen C4. It feels very good to be back in my own Saab 9-5. I am a very happy owner. :) 

10 reasons to buy a new Saab 9-5

1. It looks damn good! The front is masculine, the rear is sexy and the profile is elegant.

2. It is a damn good car! Yes, the classic 900 was a great car, but I am afraid it is history. The new 9-5 is the present and the best car Saab has ever made and it is on par with the best the Germans can offer.

3. It's good value for your money. Cheaper than Audi, BMW and Mercedes. At least when you compare cars with the same level of equipment.

4. You will get a different car than your neighbors (That is if you're not living in Trollhättan...)

5. You will join a relatively small crowd of fortunate people who have discovered the joy of driving a Saab.

6. It is the safest car Saab has ever made. And since the previous 9-5 was one of the world's safest cars, this new one is probably also a rival for a top podium position.

7. You can get it with a two stage turbo diesel engine and cross wheel drive! For the first time in Saab's history, you can get the economy of a diesel engine and four wheel drive. Add the great DriveSense damping and you will want to drive and drive and drive and your wallet can actually handle the fuel cost!

8. You get Saab's latest design of their well known interior ergonomics and comfy seats. Another reason to drive and drive and drive.
 
9. You get the best Head-Up Display on the market. And trust me, once you get used to the HUD you will always want a HUD!

10. Not only do you get a great and rare car. You also get to support a small company that against all odds is still alive and fighting with the giants!

What are YOUR reasons for buying a new Saab 9-5? 

No Saab's land

I'm a long way from home and I miss my loved Saab so...
The only sign I have seen of Saab here is this:

Mem Saab - Indian cuisine

Mem Saab was good, but not exactly what I expect from a Saab :)

Measures against the cold

Monday this week I did an upgrade that will be very welcomed in the months to come. What I got was a DEFA electric block heater and an interior heater too. The block heater is a 600W heater element that heats the water and thereby the engine. When starting in cold weather pre-heated water is good both for the environment and the wear of the engine. The connector is in the front beneath the license plate:

Inside in the cockpit a 1350W interior heater is installed beneath the glove compartment:

The interior heater adjusts the power depending on the suction temperature. Both the block heater and the interior heater is electric and only enabled when the car is parked.

On other words, I and Oakie is set for winter! :)

Finally winter has arrived and it is great!

Winter has undoubtedly arrived here in Norway. The past week it has been snowing and the temperature has been below zero more or less every day. Yesterday morning on my way to work it was snowing and the driving conditions were wearing:

My car is front wheel driven and has the two litre 160 HP diesel engine. It feels extremely safe and steady when driving on ice, snow and slush. I have to admit that I've always felt that the old 9-5 was a better car on winter roads than the current 9-3. The old 9-5 always felt a bit more stable and balanced on snow and ice than the 9-3. I am glad that this new 9-5 feels just as safe as the old one.


For winter tires I got the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R studless in dimension 215/55-17. With these tires the car got an incredible grip. I have to push the car quite hard to make it skid. And the car has such good balance that the chassis corrects small skids without the ESP being activated. I am very impressed by the cars qualities on winter roads. You may know that Saab always starts on ice roads when they set up the chassis of a new car.


In conclusion, I can recommend this car for anyone driving on winter roads.

The Head-Up Display

Last month I wrote a owner's review of my new Saab 9-5. You might remember that I wasn't totally convinced that the HUD was all good. Now, five weeks later, the HUD is starting to feel like a necessity. The past weeks I have had it on constantly and I more or less have stopped looking at the speedometer. Why should I take my eyes off the road when all the info I need is there on the windshield?

When you start the car, the HUD displays the good old SAAB logo:

You can chose between three different views on the HUD.


Speed and RPM:

 Speed:

Speed and temperature:

The HUD works with the front park sensor and gives a graphic display of the distance:

Close enough!

It also display navigation information:

Setting the cruise speed:

In addition to speed, temperature, RPM and the different information shown above, the HUD also displays a high beam symbol if you have the high beams on and it tells you when the traction control system or electronic stability program is activated. It also shows different alerts.

I can honestly tell you that when I get my next Saab, I will get the HUD again. So Saab, please include a HUD in the upcoming new 9-3!

A rare car

I've been to the land of Saab for a few days. I saw lots of Saabs, but no new 9-5s. It's still a rare sighting in Sweden. In Norway too for that matter. I've had my car for over six weeks now and I haven't seen another new 9-5 yet. Except for dealer cars.

Winter is on it's way and one morning last week the temperature was below zero and the roads were slippery. I tried my best to make the car skid, but I couldn't! I guess the Nokian tires and the car's construction were just too damn good :)