2008 Saab 9-3 Reviews

Performance - It accelerates very well but loses traction in first gear. The braking is very responsive but not too sensitive. The handling it sporty, but a little numb. It tends to understeer a little under extreme maneuvers. I have no complaints about the build quality, however it only has 4000 miles on it. I guess the flip out cup holder on the dash could be sturdier.The interior styling is excellent, however I'm not a huge fan of the two-tone seats. I love the look of the steering wheel. The exterior is also very nice. I don't necessarily like the side profile, but I am a coupe guy. The front is very eye-catching and the white taillights look excellent. The gas mileage is a big negative. For the horsepower, it should get much better mileage. I average about 16 in the city. I know of other cars with 300+ horsepower that get the same city mpgs. I have never taken it to the shop, but Saab of Troy offers free service (oil change, check up, etc.) so that's a plus. The car is very fun to drive, especially with the stick shift; however, the shifter and clutch have very long throws. The shifter also does not operate very smoothly. I love the low-end torque and the almost non-existent turbo lag. Overall, it is a fun car with some great styling cues.

I drove about 12 cars over a 1 month period.  From Volvo, BMW, Audi, Subaru, Cadillac,
VW, Acura, even Ford ....  the list goes on.   My 2nd choice was a Subaru Legacy GT specB,
but they couldn't find one with a stick on the east coast.  So I finally hiked 30 miles to my
nearest Saab dealer, drove the 9-3, and I knew that was it.  It is the ONLY car with:  
manual transmission, 200+hp 4-cyl turbo, NO navigation(!), seat warmers (important),
except for the Subaru.   But for essentially the same price, I didn't see the Subaru holding
up as well as the Saab.  It just seemed...   to have 1990's fit and finish.  When I saw the
combi had the same mass, wheelbase, 0-60, etc.. as the sedan,  then that was the final
option that sold the wife.  (That is, I could spend the $ on this without the hastle.)  
Sometimes I wish I went for the Aero (only $1.8K more for equivalent options), but when I
fill up the tank and avg 30mpg, I'm convinced I did the right thing.

style, comfort, safety, performance, ....

Fairly rare, yet highly underrated. Turbo adds alot of power all around, and interior is very smooth.

This car can get up and go!!!!