It's a good thing the ventilation is that good, because like in a fighter, the car is quick in acceleration, cornering and stopping. If you are going all out with a passenger in the car, there is a tendency to become a bit ill-feeling. Ventilation helps keep lunch where lunch is supposed to be. In cases like this, individual climate control is an added benefit.
Engine
To make a car this sudden, it needs power, and the 9-3 XWD has a 280-hp, turbocharged and intercooled V6. The turbo starts to spool up almost immediately off idle and stays on full boost up to redline. When the automatic shifts, I can't feel any boost loss and the cycle just repeats itself for the next gear.
One of the major advantages of all-wheel drive in situations like this is that torque steer, which is normally present in high-horsepower front-wheel drive cars, is conspicuous in its absence. The car does not try to move about in its lane (unless it is on ice and then all four wheels have a go at going in different directions) and just presses you back in the seat.
Suspension
The other part of going fast is getting around the corners, and the Saab has the suspension for this, too. In fact, Saab engineers seem to have figured out how to keep the car comfortable on rough roads and get it around corners without much body lean. The AWD does help, but the engineering has to be right, too!
Driving
When you need to go slow, such as getting groceries or when the police are following you and looking at the car, the 9-3 XWD is very comfortable. Mirrors are large so that you can see traffic clearly and the greenhouse has large windows that help keep blind spots to a minimum.
Throttle tip-in is such that you can ease away from a stop with the best of the blue rinse set. If you really work at it, you can actually get up to 50 km/h without using any boost at all. City traffic can be handled with ease, thanks to the 6-speed automatic and the absolutely huge disc brakes that make you feel like you've stopped on a dime.
Saab has hit on the right combination of quirky, comfortable and quick. If you love being an individual, this is worthy of a test drive.
photo:General Motors
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| The turbo starts to spool up almost immediately off idle and stays on full boost up to redline. |
Engine
To make a car this sudden, it needs power, and the 9-3 XWD has a 280-hp, turbocharged and intercooled V6. The turbo starts to spool up almost immediately off idle and stays on full boost up to redline. When the automatic shifts, I can't feel any boost loss and the cycle just repeats itself for the next gear.
One of the major advantages of all-wheel drive in situations like this is that torque steer, which is normally present in high-horsepower front-wheel drive cars, is conspicuous in its absence. The car does not try to move about in its lane (unless it is on ice and then all four wheels have a go at going in different directions) and just presses you back in the seat.
Suspension
The other part of going fast is getting around the corners, and the Saab has the suspension for this, too. In fact, Saab engineers seem to have figured out how to keep the car comfortable on rough roads and get it around corners without much body lean. The AWD does help, but the engineering has to be right, too!
Driving
When you need to go slow, such as getting groceries or when the police are following you and looking at the car, the 9-3 XWD is very comfortable. Mirrors are large so that you can see traffic clearly and the greenhouse has large windows that help keep blind spots to a minimum.
Throttle tip-in is such that you can ease away from a stop with the best of the blue rinse set. If you really work at it, you can actually get up to 50 km/h without using any boost at all. City traffic can be handled with ease, thanks to the 6-speed automatic and the absolutely huge disc brakes that make you feel like you've stopped on a dime.
Saab has hit on the right combination of quirky, comfortable and quick. If you love being an individual, this is worthy of a test drive.
 |
| City traffic can be handled with ease, thanks to the 6-speed automatic and the absolutely huge disc brakes. |
photo:General Motors
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