Toly

Today I went for a Saab 9-3 convertible test drive. Figured no better time to buy a convertible than now And, to say the truth, I was most impressed with it. I tried the Aero trim, but it didn't make me happy. The V6 engine seemed quite dumb, and it was a disappointment. Then I tried a I4 turbo, automatic. Boy, is that car fun! The steering is fabulous, and the engine revves up quite nicely, quickly finding the sweet spot in the powerband, the turbo kicks in with most satisfying boost, and the car is a blast to drive. The whole works seemed wonderfully put together. I then took to the same curvy road in a park in my RX8. Yet, I liked the ride in Saab better. Yes, it gave me more smiles than a run in a beloved 8. Where Saab was going 25-30, RX8 ripped the curves at 45-50, devouring the road, but it felt stiff and bumpy. The third gear felt too high, second a bit too low, and while the whole trip was over much faster, I savored it more in Saab, with it softer suspension, it called for a slower drive, savoring every twist in the road rather than devouring it. On the highway the turbo 4-banger revves high, with nice pick up, and reminds of Renesis in many ways. RX-8 is more performance-oriented, less so on comfort, and while under hard acceleration, cornering and braking, RX8 can give Saab its butt many times over, my own butt felt happier with Saab, with its more peaceful, confortable yet spirited and fun ride. And that was with the top up.

Numbers will tell that a FWD, automatic family coupe ain't in the same league as a perfectly-balanced sports car. But to me, it felt, I found a car that's a worthy alternative to RX8 on a fun to drive factor. And I've been driving RX8 for over three years and would not trade it for a BMW of any breed.

zoom44

but it's really just an imprezza in saab clothes right? you can buy the sti for less

RWatters

iTrader: (5)

I think that's the 9-2.

ANZ

Yeah, I had a 9-3 before I got an rx8. The turbo gives you a nice kick especially coming from an NA car but I found the car unsatisfying in many ways. But 9-3 convertibles are one of the better convertibles out there.

pdxhak

iTrader: (2)

I have had 2 Saabs. A turbo 900 Conv and a 9-5 Aero. Great cars!

NErx8

My fiancee and I own a 03 Vector 9-3 (now called the aero trim), which is the turbo 4 cylinder. Awesome car, fast and loads of fun : )

Toly

Can you kindly elaborate on what you found unsatisfactory? Cuz all I had was a quick test drive and nearly fell in love with it.

NErx8

You might want to check out these forums for some good info on Saabs in general. We've already put on a couple thousand miles in the short time we've had ours and it's been a blast. Only issue we encountered was a problem with the heat, but I was able to fix it in a couple hours without having to replace any parts. Seeing as how we purchased a used 03, nothing out of the ordinary for a 7 year old car : )

tjbourgoyne

Thanks for posting. I've always had affinity for Saab. Sad you know who ruined it.

ANZ

The whole car did not feel like it was well put together. See my comments in this post
https://www.rx8club.com/general-automotive-49/gm-failed-sell-saab-brand-discontiune-188006/

That was a few years ago and my 9-3 was 2001. Maybe the newer ones (2003+) are better.

Don't get me wrong - it was not a bad car especially for the price. I did not have any major reliability issues like my buddies did with their 9-5's. It was fun to drive but there were design "features" I found annoying.

SheffieldSteel

I came pretty close to buying a 9-3 Aero (not convertible, mind) a couple of years ago. At the end of the day, the overall feel of driving it was was fine, not exciting but fine. I have to say, though, expected a 2.8 V6 turbo to feel a bit more monstrous, and the interior wasn't nice enough - it just didn't feel like it was worth $30,000+. The interior of the new RX8 seems nicer, and I saved a big pile of money.

I hope that in a couple of years Saab will have recovered from its GM related woes... and I'll be looking at them again with interest.

Clavius

Stay away from any pre 05 Saab's. They are nightmares and I speak from experince since I work at a Saab Dealership atm. Electrical problems up the wazzoo!! That and as of right now with Saab being bought by Spyker getting parts is a major pia for some of the older cars atm. The newer 9-3 convertibles are nice but sadly suffer from GM penny pincher buzz-kill. The dash for instance stands out the the major kill factor for alot of people.

The ride in the Saab's I've found to be nice but nothing like the 8 but better than other cars I've driven. If your looking for a new car should ask if they have a Turbo-X on site :D Now that is a beast and a half!! If I had the loot I'd scoop one up.

Also:
New 9-5 coming out around April
New 9-3X coming out soon
New 9-4X beginning of 2011
New 9-5 Sport Combi beginning of 2011

Clavius

That's the 9-2 Zoom.. your slipping in your old age
Also Subaru snagged some suspension tinkering that Saab did for use on their own imprezza.