Learning to drive manual/should I buy this car?

[Throckmorton]

I thought it had the same 58 degree V6 as the Saturn

 

[Arkaign]

I thought it had the same 58 degree V6 as the Saturn

Unfortunately not (depending on how you look at it).

An '03 9-5 Aero will have a 2.3L Saab Turbo motor B235.

A same-year Saturn L-Series will have either a 4-banger 2.2 Ecotec, or the L81 V6 that you're talking about. The 'Aero' Saab cars almost (always?) are turbo models.

 

[Harrod]

All 9-5's come with turbo's. The Aero's come with TD04's, and the LPT's come with GT17's.

 

[Arkaign]

Very interesting! Looking at the power output, it's odd that they offered different motors at all.

The most research I've done lately on a Saab was the 9-2x, the Saabaru

 

[Harrod]

Very interesting! Looking at the power output, it's odd that they offered different motors at all.

The most research I've done lately on a Saab was the 9-2x, the Saabaru

That's what I was looking for when I bought mine, but I got mine for next to nothing, so I got it instead, not all of the 9-2x's are turbo.

 

[Arkaign]

That's what I was looking for when I bought mine, but I got mine for next to nothing, so I got it instead, not all of the 9-2x's are turbo.

Yeah I think that's what confused me, with the Aero (and a couple of other models at certain times IIRC), the Aero is the turbo model, and the base or linear or whatever is NA.

The 9-2X is sweet, but it's basically a WRX in almost every way. Not really a true Saab by any stretch. Pretty cool but hard to find.

 

[nitrous9200]

I'm back again with a few questions.

So far, I've only been driving the car for about a week now but I'm enjoying it.
My only trouble is more often than not, my 1st-2nd shifts are pretty jerky and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Usually I make the shift, rev it up slightly and let off the clutch somewhat slowly while giving it a bit more gas; sometimes it's fine, other times it isn't.
I'm also constantly thinking about wearing out the clutch as I'm never too sure whether I'm holding the pedal down for too long, don't know if there's anything I should be doing to preserve the clutch.

 

[basslover1]

You sound like you're treating your 1st to 2nd shift like you treat your starting from a stand-still.

1st to 2nd is clutch in, shift, clutch out, back on gas. No need to feather the clutch and balance the gas while you're already driving.

Holding the clutch pedal down while not moving won't wear the clutch, but it can wear the throw-out bearing. Shifts should be a fluid movement. When I shift, I jab in the clutch pedal then shift and release the pedal all in one movement. I don't hold the pedal down between shifts, it's down to the floor then back up again in maybe a second.

Unless you're constantly dragging the pedal or just being dumb, a clutch should last a good while, I'm still on the stock clutch at 130k miles and I have zero slippage as tested by driving 35mph in 5th, gas flat to the floor. Doing this will point out any deficiencies in the clutch as this puts a really heavy load on the drive-train.

 

[cheezmunky]

If the car is jerking, the revs are probably a little too high when the clutch engages (pedal is released). It's a delicate balance and the 1-2 shift is by far the hardest to master. You've only been driving a week; just give it some time and pay attention to what works and what doesn't. You'll get it down.

 

[nitrous9200]

Thanks a lot for the advice. I've been out trying it for the past hour and when I remember to do it your way it's much smoother. I guess I'll get there eventually.

If the car is jerking, the revs are probably a little too high when the clutch engages (pedal is released). It's a delicate balance and the 1-2 shift is by far the hardest to master. You've only been driving a week; just give it some time and pay attention to what works and what doesn't. You'll get it down.

Makes sense. Thanks!

 

[basslover1]

Thanks a lot for the advice. I've been out trying it for the past hour and when I remember to do it your way it's much smoother. I guess I'll get there eventually.

You'll get the handle on it eventually, you just need to drive it to get a feel for the car. Best advice I can give you is to stop looking at the tach. Learn how the car sounds at certain RPMs so you know where it's at without have to look at the tach.

My 1st-2nd shifts are usually done around 3k RPMs, it'll get me to about 20mph and at the same time I won't be left dogging it in 2nd gear when I shift. That shift can be a bit tricky because the RPMs can drop pretty quickly, and if you mistime the shift, when you let the clutch out you'll get that jerkiness as the engine recovers.

You'll get it soon, just have to keep driving.

 

[amdhunter]

Haha, I learned how to drive a manual in 15 minutes because it was either do that, or take the bus to work.

F the bus. It took me an extra 20 minutes, but I drove that sumbitch to work.

 

[96Firebird]

What RPM are you shifting at out of 1st? I'm not sure what the norm is for Saabs, but I shift at 2k RPM in my Trans Am. But that is also a 6-speed, and I have enough torque to continue accelerating at 1500 RPM in the next gear. In my old V6 Firebird, I shifted at 3k RPM when I first got it, and then switched to 2500 RPM when I got used to it. You'll get the hang of it, and you'll probably change your driving style after a while.