And that last item is something that the 9-3 executes with constant aplomb. It's wonderfully balanced, with enough direct response dialed into the steering to allow for quick lane changes but not so much to make it nervous at speed. At full throttle only nominal torque steer is noticeable, often the bane of front-wheel drive cars. This may have something to do with its only adequately powered 2.0-L 4-cylinder engine. Sure it's turbocharged but at 175-hp it pales in comparison to the standard engine offered by the Infiniti G35 for instance. While the 260-hp Infiniti's base price is $4,500 higher, it costs exactly the same as my equivalently optioned 9-3 - not factoring in the $1,400 automatic transmission that replaced the standard 5-speed manual. Still the 9-3's 195 lb-ft of torque, important when mated to auto gearboxes especially, is no match for the G35's 260.
The 9-3's automatic transmission is wonderful though. It's as smooth as a baby's backside and when applying the Sentronic manual shifter, steps through the gears with positive, well matched intervals. More so it doesn't cut out abruptly at redline or shift on behalf of the driver, but holds the gear without interruption - a feature I've only before experienced on Porsche's highly advanced Tiptronic. I don't usually use sequential automatics when driving around town, as I find them often more of a hindrance than a benefit. The 9-3's, however, got plenty of use. It helps optimize the little engines peak horsepower while increasing the car's overall fun factor.