Lovely powertrain, what happened to the ride?
My 9-3 Aero features the turbocharged 2.8L V6 mated to the Sentronic 6-speed automatic transmission. Together, they form quite the pair. The V6 is sophisticated, refined and velvety. It also sounds muscular with a low bassy tone. Power delivery is linear and little or no lag can be felt. The slush loves to swap gears. It will eagerly maintain or dump a gear depending on the demand put forth. I did find it to react slowly on occasion but more often than not, it was on the ball. The 4-wheel disc brakes are up to the task although the pedal is devoid of feedback and soft especially in the first third of its travel. Steering is light with good responsive precisions.
If you are thinking about buying this car, make sure you test-drive it over a typical Montreal road. Here, you may find that the 9-3 looses a large portion of its lustre. The suspension's setup is very stiff and unforgiving; the slightest irregularity on the road seems amplified throughout the cabin. On the other, a long flat stretch of highway will have you dreaming for an endless road trip; the 9-3 is firmly planted and exceptionally stable. I am bothered by this because I recently tested a Volkswagen GTI, a die-in-the-wool affordable sports car and its suspension displayed perfect balance between handling and comfort.
Saab vs. BMW vs. Audi
At over $43,000, the 9-3 SportCombi Aero is a tough and not-so tough sell. It is basically the same price as an A4 2.0T Avant and a 325xiT. The interesting thing is that it offers a more powerful engine and more equipment than the other two. Problem is that for the same price or $5,000 more (which is not much in this price range), you can get yourself a BMW or an Audi. To just about everyone, the brand image is more important and unfortunately for Saab, it simply does not measure up to its European counterparts. This explains why there are so few on the road.
I am sorely disappointed in the 9-3 SportCombi. Perhaps my expectations were too high but, then again, I believed in everything I saw on the product, I did not make anything up. The car is still remarkable though not sufficiently up to task.
The base 9-3 SportCombi retails for $36,400 and reaches $47,200 for an Aero automatic with the Aero Touring package (as tested).
Good stuff:
Nice refined engine
Quick 6-speed automatic transmission
Not so good stuff:
Interior rattles
Harsh ride
Competitors:
BMW 3-Series
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Volvo V50 / V70
Audi A3 / A4
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| (Photo: Olivier Delorme) |
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| (Photo: Olivier Delorme) |
Saab vs. BMW vs. Audi
 |
| (Photo: Olivier Delorme) |
I am sorely disappointed in the 9-3 SportCombi. Perhaps my expectations were too high but, then again, I believed in everything I saw on the product, I did not make anything up. The car is still remarkable though not sufficiently up to task.
The base 9-3 SportCombi retails for $36,400 and reaches $47,200 for an Aero automatic with the Aero Touring package (as tested).
Good stuff:
Nice refined engine
Quick 6-speed automatic transmission
 |
| (Photo: Olivier Delorme) |
Not so good stuff:
Interior rattles
Harsh ride
Competitors:
BMW 3-Series
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Volvo V50 / V70
Audi A3 / A4
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