1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
The 9-3 is fast, comfortable, practical and safe. It handles fairly well but tends to give a harsh ride over expansion joints and uneven pavement. If your tires become worn or damaged, the car may pull left or right as well.
All SAABs have understeer dialed in to their handling so you need to understand that the 9-3 is not in the same league as a BMW if race track lap times are important to you.
The stereo in the 9-3 is not as good as that offered by Volvo in the S60.
Turbo lag is effectively eliminated if you mash the accerator. Brakes are excellent. Rear visibility is somewhat compromised by the design.
Here is my subjective grading in relation to Acuras, VWs, BMWs, Volvos and Audis. Sorry not enough time in MBs to rate them in comparison.
Value: 2002 SAAB 9-3 A + A lot of car for the money
Fun to Drive: 2002 SAAB 9-3 A Just keeps the driver smiling
Front Seating Comfort A Heavenly seating
Storage/Utility A+ Almost everything you could lift alone
Braking A No fade-confidence inspiring-
Handling B+ Steering communicative-with understeer
Exterior Styling A (I love the look-improved over 900)
Ride B- Good on smooth pavement only
Mechanical Reliability B+ (electrical)
OEM Tires B+
Resale Value B-
What made me buy the 9-3:
VALUE, SAFETY, SPEED, STORAGE- You can get a very nice 9-3 SE for thousands less than a similiarly equipped A4, BMW 3, or MB C-class.
After an optioned out BMW, nothing really is as much fun to drive-I know since I have driven nearly every car out there. Ultimately, the Germans and Volvos get expensive fast while SAAB offers nearly eveything as standard.
Compared to an s-60- no contest the 9-3 is a much better driver's car with sharper steering, more utility and more torque down low.
Compared to the new VW/Audi A4- well neither the PASSAT or the AUDI really offer a seat of the pants smiles for the drivers as do the BMWs and SAABS- Audis are not cheap and are therefore geared toward the MB/Lexus buyer who seeks luxury and status more than value, utility and fun.
BMW vs SAAB- BMWs are great cars, but you would need to buy a stripper if you wanted a 3 class wagon for under 30K which would then offer you the utility found in a 9-3. With BMWs, everything is al la carte so unless you don't care whether you sepend 28K or 38K, sure check out the 330 AWD class. But for 38K, I rather have a 9-5 Aero.
Really, the SAAB 9-3 SE can be had for thousands off MSRP whereas BMWs, Audis and MBs are always in demand and therefore never really a good value.
As for the new Lexus IS, its slower than the 9-3 and offers less utility and safety.
Safety: FOLKSAM, ENCAP and NHTSA statistics all tend to indicate that the 900/9000 and 9-3/9-5s are among the safest cars driven with the fewest fatalities.
Remember both the 9-3 and 9-5 are designed to withstand collisions with bull moose and caribou. SAABs handle well and offer instant acceleration which allows a driver to escape danger by accelerating or braking.
Reliability: 9-3s can have electrical issues with AC.
The 9-5 is near perfect and more refined than the 9-3.
posted by 205.188.1...
, Fri, 23 Nov 2001 04:56:41
, Fri, 23 Nov 2001 01:02:10, Fri, 23 Nov 2001 00:31:14
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