2004 Saab 9-3 Cabriolet Road Test

Trading Quirkiness for Refined Performance

"You can have my gun when you pry it out of my cold, dead hands," is a quote from screen legend Charlton Heston in relation to his opposition to gun control. My road test

It didn't take long for me to become attached the wonderful new Saab 9-3 Cabriolet. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

review of the 2004 Saab 9-3 convertible has absolutely nothing to do with gun control, or for that matter Charlton Heston, but I liked the quote and the car so much that I contemplated calling Bob, the GM rep that supplied it, and telling him that he could have it back when he pried it out of my cold, dead hands.

After pondering the potential legal consequences of such a declaration, my hands warmed up and life returned to my soul. I have since returned the Saab but kept the wonderful memories; memories of motoring topless, or should I say roofless, on sun-filled days.

The only time the roof showed itself during my test period was when I put it up for the sole purpose of a short drive to evaluate its fit and effectiveness - which by the way is very good given its soft-top design. Saab has done a tremendous job of creating a fabric convertible that mimics a retractable

I kept the roof down for pretty much the entire week I had the car, there was just no other way to spend the sun-filled days. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

hardtop for interior noise. The Swedish automaker has also done an outstanding job engineering the retraction process - a marvel that completes its entire function in no time at all with only the push of a button.

Once the roof is down a hard-shell tonneau cover perfectly positions itself over what would otherwise be a gap behind the rear seats, creating a seamless connection between the exterior body panels and the vehicle's interior trim - very impressive indeed. Saab has certainly taken care to ensure its 9-3 convertible exhibits a clean, well-integrated top-down finish.