a Ge PSA From page 33 lower or raise by pressing and holding one but- ton. Two littches on the windshield header are disconnected manually and the button on the center console does the rest. The top automuti- caily lowers into a compartment underneath a cover behind the rear seats. Though most con- vertibles have very little trunk room left over with the top lowered, the Saab has enough for - sabout four grocery bags with room to spare, With the top down and the windows up, there's surprisingly lithe wind buffeting in the front seats, however rear passengers will find it rather breezy. The well-crafted top seals well when raised, and features an inner lining for noise and temperature insulation. My biggest concern with this car is the lack of rear visibility with the top up. The rear deck is high and the rear glass window is rather nar- row. In addition, there are no rear three-quarter windows. This makes lane-changing and paral- lel parking a cautious, nerve-wracking experi- ence as one tries to guess whether there's another car or a person hidden in the blind spot. Fortunately, the rear window is made of glass, not plastic, and has a standard rear NTE RARE AREAS TA PRE ML IO L M ty Si aE IRR LON ee LAER dH defroster for those fongy days. My test car was equipped with the optional 170 horsepower dual overhead cam V6 engine. During acceleration and while cruising, this engine is extremely smooth and quict, Isa great highway cruiser. But at idle. it’s a tad noisy, and a little too rongh for this class of car. The four-speed automatic trans- mission is well- suited to this engine, changing quietly and smoothly, but kick- down response is a little slow. The transmission fea- tures Sport and Normal modes, however there’s no on/off overdrive switch to lock out fouth gear. The 900 features disc brakes on all four wheels with ABS, and they offer more than adequate stopping power. The convertible body is stiffer than the pre- vious gencration — 70% stiffer according to iG reeZz 66 With the top up, there's plenty of headroom and legroom for both front and rear passengers... 99 AUTO ADVERTISING 980-0511 AUTO CLASSIFIEDS 986-6222 LER AT AE OTM RS MF SUED LL LEER TEES NS RIES ARETE LG ABD HN OS TLN IRAE ELIE BMH ERENT NLT t Saab — but there's still some body flexing over rough roads. The 900's interior offers a modern, fat- black dash with extra-large buttons and easy- to-read, white-on-black lettering. Both the cli- mate-control and trip computer use un aniber LCD dispiay to indicate operating functions, while the round speedo- and tachometer use a simple white-on-flat black layout. The steering wheel is telescop- ic and the driver's seat is adjustable for height, so the driver can obtain an optimal driving position. However, the steering wheel partially obscures the stereo and heater controls, no matter what position it's in. An AM/FM radio/cassette player i is standard equipment, but a CD player isn’t. As with past 900 models, ‘the i ignition iit Boas COMPLETE BRAKE erat switch is located on the floor between the front sets. So are the power window buttons and the convertible roof button. There’s also a switch that lowers all four windows at once. The 900, availuble in § and SE trim levels, comes well-equipped, Standard features include: dual airbays, leather upholstery, power sunroof, an anti-theft alarm and engine immo- bilizer, heated power-operated driver and pas- senger seats (with optional heated rear seats), one-piece fold-down rear seat, power windows, heated outside mirrors, central locking, 15-inch alloy wheels, headlight wiper/washers, and two cupholders inside the center console bin. Watch those seat heaters, though. There's only one heat setting, and it’s hot. Traction control, to control wheelspin in slippery conditions, is standard on models equipped with the V6 engine. it can be turned off via a button on the dash. The base price of the Saab 900 S convert- ible is $43,995, while the better-equipped SE goes for $53,590, including freight and dealer prep charges. That’s about $10,000 more than comparably-equipped 900 hatchback models —- a substantial premium for that wind-in-your hair feeling. — MUFFLER WITH a ' | FEM GUARANTEE $ 77 ‘REUNE-MO0ST CARS ; * HEAVY DUTYAMOST CARS * METALLIC PADS & FWD EXTRA * CLAMPS, NAHGARS, WELDS EXTRA doesn’ t have to i Lt@ be a rough ride WHY DO I have such a tough time merging onto the high- way? In my experience, the most com- mon error in the merge situation is made by the driver trying to merge; he or she is driving much too slow- ly. If you want to enter highway traffic that is travelling at 80 km-h (50 m.p.h.), you rust accelerate to that speed before you enter the traf- fic flow lanes. This is why on-ramps are called acceleration lanes. For many drivers, accelerating on thé on-ramp is a frightening thing to do — the sensible thing to do if you are worrying about smash- ing into one of those fast moving cars, it would seem, is to slow down. But that’s just not what you should do. Shaun Conlin SIGNALS It helps to understand exactly who has the right of way in this sit- uation. This will come to a shock to many, but the car merging has the right of way (Two roads meeting at any angle is considered an intersec- tion, and when there are no signs posted, the car on the left shall yield to the car on the right). I've seen many cars give way to merging traffic whether they know they're obligated or. not. This is known as that dying creature “com- mon courtesy”, and [ applaud all who show it. For the driver on the highway ply easing off the throttle usually creates enough room for the accel- erating merging cur to safely get into the traffic flow. Changing lanes helps also. One final note: The word “yield” literally means give. Never “take” the right of way; accept it when given. And try giving more often. Pretend it’s always Christmas on the highways and byways of the Lower Mainland. Shaun Conlin is the owner/oper- ator of Upper Levels Driving School, To reach Shaun regarding a driving tip or question, call 984- 8688, Nature conveniently provides each of us with a cage speedy a amotake Centre _ skeleton is fleshed out, front and rear, with impact-cushioning who sees a car trying to merge, sim- “Our 36th Year” Boothe Bs bed A.R.A. i.€.8.€. APPROVED CENTRE *& FRONT END ALIGNMENT # * SUSPENSION *& FRAME REPAIRS xEstimestes, Consultation xf 985-7455 : to protect our vital organs. Unfortunaly, that cage was not designed to withstand road accidents. Peer beneath the surface of the new Saab 900, and you'll discover one that is. A rigid, unitized enclosure of reinforced 7 Steel surrounds the passenger compartment. That crumple zones. While an ingenious network of ribs and pillars provides enhanced side- impact protection at the flanks. Visit our showroom today to test-drive the new Saab 9008. It’s a car designed to give comfort to that other important part of your . anatomy. The mind JOHN FLETCHER CROCK