Saab 9-3 Linear 2004 Review

The questions are simple and easy. Is the 9-3 any better with more value, and has it been trumped by any new arrivals?

The easy answers are yes and no. It is better and there is nothing newer and classier to jump in front of the Linear.

But that doesn't mean the elegant Saab is at the front of the pack jostling for sales towards the bottom end of the prestige new-car scene. We described the 9-3 as a Swedish Camry when it first arrived, and it's still more like a Camry than a Bentley.

The 9-3 Arc was rated as a four-star car when we sampled it as a total newcomer, while the sporty high-boost Aero turbo got three out of five. We have changed the test scale since then, to make it more informative and split cars which would have shared the same stars but not the same ranking, and the Linear rates a 16-from-20 score against rivals including the benchmark BMW 318i and Audi's A4 on 17 and the cheaper Honda Accord Euro on 18.

The difference for the Linear is that Saab isn't asking too much for a car which is solid but not a standout, and that's what should make the latest 9-3 a more sensible choice for a lot of shoppers. We would even put it ahead of some of its siblings.

It also lines up impressively against the Audi A4, which was Saab's target. The Swedish company accepts that it's unlikely to win business from BMW or Benz buyers, but believes Audi shoppers are each-way voters who can be tempted by a value deal.

The Linear comes with a low-boost turbo engine which Saab calls the 1.8t, even though it has a full two litres of lung capacity, and a price that's been trimmed by $1000. That makes the bottom line $47,900.

The rest is unchanged, which means a solid, safe sedan body that won a five-star crash rating.