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I am the proud owner (lessor) of a steel gray 2004 9-3 Aero convertible – six speed manual, fully loaded with all the bells and whistles (touring & cold weather packages, xenons), and thought I would provide a one year report for future Vert buyers on what IMHO is an outstanding and fun car. I leased the car in December 2003 in Seattle (Carter Saab in Ballard) and intend to buy it at lease end and keep it for 20 years (we’ll see if that plan works out). At the time I was interested in an automatic, (truth be told, what I was really interested in was a 1996 Porsche 911 glass-roofed Targa, but that’s another story) but the automatic transmission was only immediately available in the Arc. The sales rep told me at the time that this car was the only Aero convertible on the West Coast, and that Aeros were normally ordered with manual transmissions and fully loaded because that what Aero buyers wanted. That may have been just sales speak, but it worked and I was sold, and am now happy that I got the now-discontinued six speed transmission (it’s a blast to drive, and maybe the rarity will add to the collector car value, if the gear box doesn’t blow up). I had a problem with the shifter sticking in reverse for the first two weeks, but before I had an opportunity to take it to the dealer the problem went away. No problems since. BTW, at the time the loaded Aero w/ six speed was essentially the same price as the loaded Arc due to the premium on the Arc for the auto transmission. (Don’t ask what I paid – I’m not going to tell you. I didn’t know about this board and all the pricing tips from Mike Lynch and others).
Maintenance to date – oil change and tire rotation by the dealer at 10,500 miles – total charge $69.00. From 7,500 miles on (halfway to the “free” oil change) I mulled over whether the oil change was necessary or overkill with 100% synthetic oil, but after reading the endless (and inconclusive) debate on this board decided to go ahead and do it. The service advisor then informed me that they recommend the extra oil change at 7,500 miles ?? Go figure. BTW, I have the stock Pirelli Zero Rosso tires and with 13,100 miles have not noticed any wear, abnormal or otherwise. I was having problems with the remote fobs failing intermittently, so the dealer also replaced the batteries in both remotes and then reprogrammed (no charge).
Impressions – I love this car and drive it daily about 25 miles RT to work to downtown Seattle from West Seattle. I owned a new 1985 Saab Turbo for five years and sold it as I progressed into the child-rearing, muddy golden retriever SUV years (Isuzu Trooper, then Ford Explorer). The kids are teenagers now, driving their own cars, so I was ready for my mid life crisis vehicle. I should point out that I am 49 years old and am not ripping around the same way I did with the 85 Turbo, which may explain why I haven’t had any problems with the six speed and why the tires don’t show any wear. One of the things I like about Saab convertibles is the uniqueness – I have only seen one other 2004 Aero Vert in the greater Seattle area.
Nit picks – the Infotainment system is overly complicated for someone who wants to switch quickly between FM and AM bands (NPR to sports radio). You have to press the radio button, turn it to roll down to “change bands”, press it again, turn it again to select the band, press it again to accept. 5 steps to switch back and forth from FM to AM, plus you have to watch the screen to boot. Ridiculous. (BTW, if anyone knows a shortcut that I am unaware of, please let me know). On the plus side, the “entertainment” in the Infotainment system can be had while stuck in traffic and “surfing” the system to see what all the buttons and features are for.
Disappointments – since the Saab convertible is advertised as a “4 season convertible” I was disappointed to discover that I can’t use snow cable chains with the 17” wheels (due to lack of clearance in the wheel well – something about a brake line interference). I am not ready to spend $800 to $1,000 for a set of winter wheels and tires, plus have no place to store them off season. But now I can’t drive over the mountain passes in the winter if there is any chance of snow.
Driving – the car is fantastic on the freeway, but tramlines seriously on uneven city streets. I have to constantly watch and correct my steering when driving about 30 MPH through Seattle’s waterfront and industrial areas. I will do some tire investigations when the Pirellis wear out.
Upgrades – since my Aero is full loaded (I don’t think there are any options left off this particular car) there’s not much I need to do to upgrade it, although I am planning on installing a dash-mounted iPod holder and the Entadyne cable, and I need to get a windscreen to extend the top down days. It gets pretty cold on the freeway when it’s 65 degrees.
I’m sure I have provided plenty of cannon fodder for points and counterpoints. Let the postings begin!
posted by 24.172.85...
, Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:20:23
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