2003 Saab 9-3 User Reviews

A New One With Warranty Is The Way To Go. A 2003 Convert. W/80k Miles For $7k Is A Good Deal — I purchased a used 93 SE 2003 convert. extermely cool smooth drive. Almost no engine noise or vibes... SID was gone when I bought it, so can't complain, but I do want to replace that. Internal and external car was very well maintained, looks almost new. Mechanically, the SPORT switch is like warp speed... with Michlens, the road hug is like no other... it's amazing all this from a 4 cly. engine. The things that seem to be a common theme in negative reviews, like the poor cup holder (spilled a complete cup of boiling coffee.....) the light switch and roof switch hard to reach when driving... No elec. windows huh, in 2003, and the trunk lock is a real enigma... all this one adjusts to to have the sport ride I've described. I do not venture to far from home, as the roulette will it start will it not start is very intimidating. It's the only thing negative I have to say... I'm told it the crankcase position sensor... three times in four months. Not a good average... Overall I'd give this SAAB 4.5 out of 5. HOWEVER that balsted engine light just will not go out, and I'nm trying to fix it myself, as I've read all the horrr reviews about sensors being replaced but not correcting the probles. Most disturbing is the It seems to be a tempermental car. I've had it four months, and while nothing has broken down... it seems like a roulette wheel when you turn it off... and expect it to start again. For this reason I'm afraid to venture more than shouting distance that my wife would asst. me in seeing how i bought a man car...

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)

Saab — Comfortable, yet quick! Has given no problems since purchased, and is still as good performance wise. Nice leather seats, aircon, and of course, it's very safe. Would prefer a little more fuel economy, but that's about it. All in all, I'm happy to keep it for a while longer. That said, if somebody offered me an Audi S5, well...

High Maintenance But Worth It...fun To Drive! — This is my first SAAB. I was a JEEP girl before this. Both can be pretty high maintenance but I definitely have a different relationship with this car and the mechanics who work on her. Mostly it's just made me more tuned into regular maintenance stuff. My biggest complaint is that it is noisy on the road...and my CD player jammed up so I lost one of the ways I dealt with that. I got a great price on it used at 54K and until the transmission and radiator repair I stayed ahead of the curve on value. The jury is still out depending on what is next...but it is definitely fun to drive.

Owner for 2 years, 4 months

Miles Driven per Year:25

Saab. Born From Jets. — Well where do I start? I just recently aquired this car but I've been nothing but impressed with it so far. Like most European cars they can be a little difficult to maintain and parts are far from cheap. I luckily have not had many problems with this car. It has a few occasional problems that resurface every now and then such as lock system troubles and regular maintenance. This should be pretty standard though on a daily driver for anyone though. The car has a beautiful design that is both aggressive in its stance and also provides a little bit of elegance. The car is only a turbocharged 4 cylinder with a automatic/manual transmission. The tiptronic shifter makes moving through gears in the manual mode seem effortless and easy with a lot of great pick up. In automatic it pretty much performs the same in regards to shifting through the gears, but like most cars, the standard is usually faster. I usually put it in standard when driving off the highway and then switch to automatic for better highway economy. For a 4 cylinder turbocharged engine though it really goes! I've not had a chance to clock times but it can get up to 70+ mph in no time at all meaning if you wished to drive like a bat outta hell you relly could! :P I personally have not been able to really open it up, but my record last recorded by my gps was 139 mph for top speed. Thats a little fast for highway driving but I did it and the manufacturer promises the car's ability to push at least 172 mph safely with a governor set at 180 mph. I personally would have no desire to go that fast but man would it be a blast! 139 mph was fast enough for me and the car handled beautifully at those speeds. The car itself seems to lower onto its suspension making the drive smooth at those top speeds so much so that it doesn't even feel like your going what the speedometer says you are going! In the city though you might want to also drive a little slow so not to bottom out with the lowered suspension. I think it puts out an approximated 256 hp at the wheels although it takes a while for the turbo to spool up and most of your power won't be felt in the higher gears until you pass 6500 rpm. The first three gears can really go though. Its a 4 door sedan with the ground-effects and lowered suspension giving a very low profile look. Sleek curves also make the car look amazing. It has 17.5" rims that are multi-spoked that come from the Saab 93 Aero, a sunroof, power windows/locks, twin leather bucket seats in the front and sport seats in the back, white xenon headlights and foglights. Also it has a very beautiful dark grey paint that looks absolutely amazing when clean! It handles beautifully in tight turns and just seems to grip the road that much better the faster you go. Its a car that in addition to sporting an aggressive look just says that your here for a casual drive through the country as well. It offers a complete balance of sport and luxury and is an amazing drive. Jump into one if you have a chance, I dont think you will be disappointed.

Sexy — Great car overall... if they fixed the electrical problems it would be perfect. Could use a little more power under the hood but otherwise can own other cars in its class. Amazing breaking and handling.. vest car ive owned in the snow.

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)