Dad's view
A fairly fun vehicle that makes you feel quite at home best describes my time with the Arc. There is ample power from the turbocharged four-cylinder engine and it makes me wonder what the Aero model with 250 horsepower is going to be like when the Arc is so responsive with considerable less energy.
This is a car that is meant for the highway. It is fun to drive modestly on heavily contoured roads, but the body roll is notable and the stability control system lets you know who is the boss. In this model, I would go with the automatic. There is very little gas mileage penalty and I didn't care for the shift linkage, although the clutch was easy to modulate.
Young working male's view
Nice sound system, but my favorite feature was the way the Saab melted into the landscape. No one saw it, paid any attention to it, or sought it out for special treatment. More than once a motor patrol officer flew past me to capture a victim in a more noticeable vehicle. Very cool. It also parks very easily and has wonderful rear view mirrors that give superior visibility once you get used to the unusual bend in the passenger side unit.
Inside, the drink holder comes out of the dash and looks way too fragile. I wouldn't want to put anything heavy in it. There is another in the center console, but the center mounted ignition key gets in the way. The seats are better than good, but the leather looks cheap. I would cover them up right away. The cargo area has nice tie downs and the rear hatch is easy to open.
I liked the Saab. It isn't my type of car, but it has its appeal. The engine has more than enough power and the 18.5-gallon tank makes 500-mile trips a possibility. It is quite functional, and that is probably its most notable feature.
Check out my online site if you are into modern music. I have a couple of free downloads, too. http://www.csulb.edu/~aross/