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Just drove the new 9-3!
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Posted by Dennis S (more from Dennis S) on Wed, 4 Sep 2002 09:29:15 Share Post by Email
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Last night I heard that the local dealers have gotten their '03 9-3s, so I rushed there today (duh). They had two of them, one silver and one which I'm not sure what it was. Steel grey probably, as it was a shade of gray.

They were both 175hp Vectors (I'm in Finland) and only the silver one was registered and the one I got to test-drive.

It looked very nice, but as many have said, not too spectacular from behind, but the front was great. As I sat down and played a bit with the electric seats, I got a very comfortable position. This was confirmed when driving. Great comfortable seats!

The interior was nice, and IMO not as typically saab as the 9-5, more like a blend of it and other cars like BMW. I couldn't find the butterfly cup holder (too busy speeding), but I didn't know where to look either. Maybe I was blind, or is it there in all models? The leather doors were also a lot better than the old ones, but that's a matter of preference I guess.
The audio system in it was the lower end system, so I won't comment on that, since it obviously didn't have enough power and wasn't designed for me :)
The bright side is, those of you who believe the "Max start volume" trick will be able to access it trough the menu without any tricks.

The back seat didn't seem too much bigger than in the old 9-3, but the front seats were quite far back when I sat down there quick. The cup holders embedded in the middle seat was handy, pretty much like the one in the 9-5 arm rest.

Now, to the driving, with the manual silver one. The first thing we noticed (I had a friend with me) was the funky key, which didn't really look like a key. I think it was from star trek or japan or something.
I started her up and went for a spin, which unfortunately lasted only about 25 minutes since the car was reserved for someone else. The dealer promised me one for at least a whole day as soon as they get a few more. Now they were constantly getting calls on reserving a test drive. They had booked 45 1h drives already. Everybody wants a spin it seems.

I just loved it! The handling was superb, the gearbox about 1000 times better than the old 9-3, and did I say that the handling was great? I tried to get it to get it out of control, but it wasn't easy. Just amazing (and my friend agreed). The sound of the engine was also nice, although I probably drove it a bit too short a time to really get a good feel.

The performance was pretty good too, but nothing stellar. Hopefully the automatic won't be too slow. I can't wait to try out an Aero next year, which btw won't necessary be "only" 210hp. If you believe the dealer that is. He was in sweden for three days a while ago testing the cars and had apparently been told that the 210hp figure isn't confirmed yet, and might change before the launch. 230hp should be enough until we get a Hirsch 4wd (dreaming here).

Oh, he also said that he got to see pictures of the wagon, but no real car and that it looked nice. But, what else could he say? I trust him though. He didn't know anything specific on when it will be available.

Well, that's my rambling, sorry if it's not clear :D

To sum it up, this car is a definite winner!

posted by 62.248.13...
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