2004 Saab 9-3 Reviews

As most of us trade the pool and beach for the doona and heater, there are many drivers scooting around town with the roof down. Are they mad? Are they warm-blooded freaks? Or are they just posers?It was time to test it out and the Saab 9-3 Aero convertible was the guinea pig.The information display reaffirmed the chill factor -- registering 12C outside.While the engine warmed up, the seat warmers did the trick and my back and legs instantly thanked the inventors of such a wonderful device.The dual-zone climate control airconditioning, which can reach up to 65C, directed the warm air to my face, feet and body by a turn of a knob and push of a button and immediately took the chill away.Then it was time to drop the top and experience the joy, or insanity, of driving a convertible in winter. My finger momentarily wavered as it headed towards the roof release button but 20 seconds later as the Aero's 155kW of power and 300Nm of torque were employed to full use, I could hear the winter leaves flutter above.Wind interruption was minimal and I felt more like I was in my lounge room snuggled up in front of the fire than cruising the streets in a convertible on a wintry afternoon. The new Saab 9-3 is a vast improvement on the old model. The Aero model is even more of a delight with more guts than its base-model counterpart, the Linear, and has a few extras inside.With all convertibles it is rigidity that makes or breaks the car.Saab says the body rigidity of the new 9-3 is 300 per cent stiffer than the old model and this makes it substantially more resistant to skuttleshake or flexing.The improved suspension soaks up road bumps nicely although there was a bit of body shake on rougher suburban roads while playing dodge the pot-hole.The automatic transmission took a little while getting used to. Saab's low-boost turbos mean you don't have to work them hard to get a result. It is easy to get caught out in a higher gear with nothing there, only to surge forward when the boost comes on, creating a rather rocky and inelegant ride display. It is just a matter of getting used to this power surge. The automatic gear shifting, generally, is quite smooth. The two-litre turbo is well matched to the car, not too heavy but not too light.While the 9-3 doesn't really look that much different from the outside the interior benefits from more space.But while four average-sized females fit quite well, four average-sized blokes have a little more trouble.The interior design reflects the flowing lines of the exterior and the driver is greeted by the Saab Information Display (SID), which is positioned high up on the fascia near the base of the windscreen, as close to the driver's field of vision as possible.The SID reveals time, outside temperature, radio settings, warning signals and information from the profiler function and the car computer.This display requires minimal distraction from the road and the clever design of the main instrument panel, which arcs around you, shows everything clearly.However the numerous buttons on the centre dash display, which make a driver feel as if they have mistakenly jumped into the cockpit of a jumbo, seem unnecessarily cluttered.The 9-3 has plenty of safety features including dual front airbags that inflate according to the severity of the crash, side air bags, whip-lash reducing head rests, roll bars that pop up in the event of a rollover, anti-lock brakes and a slide control system.The winter convertible experience is pleasant and takes the versatility of the drop-top a little step further.

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.

Gone also is the messing around with latches and hooks and the need for a strong wrist to yank the handle on the roof forward enough to clasp the hook when putting the thing back up.Lined, mechanical roofs have become the way to go and they are not only convenient and effective, but provide a robotic-like entertainment for passers-by as various bits lift, fold, stretch and finally settle.One of the best displays is from the latest luxury drop-top from Saab – the 9-3 cabriolet which sells from $72,900..Press a button and the top, with its heated glass rear window, is out of sight within 20 seconds. And you can drop the top on the move up to 20 km/h which was particularly convenient when I had to move off at the traffic lights midway through a roof closing due to a quick but solid rain shower.When the roof is stored away, there is still room for bags and bits and pieces in the boot but it would be pushed to fit a large golf bag and clubs.And while on space, the roominess of the cabin is welcoming. There is ample leg room up front and even if you retract the front seats as rearward as they can go, there still seems to be stretch room for taller shapes in the two backseats.Access to the rear seats from this two-door car is no hassle. Drop the top and it does get blustery in the back with the wind swirling around the cabin. Hats and or scarves are a prerequisite. It is even windy up front so it would benefit from the optional wind deflector.When the roof is up there is a feeling of being in a fixed top car partly due to the rear glass and also because the roof lining is so well done.With its wedge-shaped profile the 9-3 cabriolet is a gorgeous looking car whether the top is up or down and there is no question about it getting admiring second glances.The good looks continue inside. Leather seats (with heating) and Saabs own jet-inspired dash and centre console design which these days is considerably modified compared to the pre-GMH days looks impressive and is also effective.So is the airconditioning with its large vents.Cruise and audio controls are on the three spoke steering wheel, theres a single CD player with the six-stacker adding $750 to the price, information display, plenty of storage and front cup-holders.And, safety-wise, there are pop-up roll bars hidden behind the rear passengers and a strengthened A-pillar if the car is involved in a roll-over.Other safety features include front and side airbags, active head restraints and seatbelt pre-tensioners.But the cabriolet is not only looks. Saab is quick to point out that this car was designed with the driver in mind.It is three times more rigid than the car it replaced which adds to the driveability and handling as well as working towards minimizing any shakes and rattles.Under the bonnet sits a two litre lightly turbo-charged four cylinder engine that develops 129kW of power and 265Nm of torque and guides the cabriolet along with enthusiasm especially considering it has to carry around more than 1600 kilograms.Right from the moment you take off the car feels strong and solid without losing refinement. The test car was mated to a five speed automatic transmission with a tiptronic-type mode (Sensotronic to Saab) so that gear changes could be made manually simply by flicking the lever forward or back.It is great fun to use but the gear changes work well with smooth shifts when it s left in automatic mode as well.Fuel use ran at about 10L/100km from the 62 litre tank in a mix of city and freeway driving.The suspension on the 9-3 cabriolet is light years ahead of the car it replaces. Gone is the floundering floater with more than the occasional squeak and rattle to be replaced by a much firmer, neater and just plain nicer, ride. It takes bumps, tram tracks and ruts in its stride without losing comfort and composure.This is a car to drive confidently and if things go a bit awry there is a range of driver aids to help like anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability program, cornering brake control, brake assist and electronic brake force distribution.All up there is little to criticize in Saab's latest offering. Perhaps there is a tad too much wind noise even when the roof is up but it is not difficult to live with.The price is well inside the ball park, especially with the equipment levels and, after all, it is simply a really attractive car to look at and it is fun to drive.