Fast, fast, FAST pile of metal. The turbo had a slight lag, but once it kicked in, rocket-time.

I also enjoyed the cockpit qualities, and in fact was taking flying lessons during much of the time I owned the car. The ignition-switch-between-the-seats thing was a harmless conceit, I guess. Didn't particularly like or dislike it.

And, of course, VAST acreage of storage space, given the high, gentle slope of the hatch and the amazingly cavernous area that folding down the rear seats provided. I built a cobblestone patio that summer and hauled everything from the masonery company to the house in the back of the Saab, sometimes a couple of hundred pounds of cobbles or cement or crushed stone and never had want of more room or suspension travel. Of course, the thing was a little fishy on the curves going over Twin Peaks, but what could you expect?

Not much driver legroom, not all that comfortable of a seat for long drives. In a rash moment I had the sport muffler installed, which made the thing way too loud, though road noise as highway speed effectively canceled out the roar. Dumb move and I always regretted it.

Resale value is not high. It's a quirky car and while I didn't own it long enough to have trouble with it, that's its reputation and the used market reflects it. (The new market too. Saab offered 0.9 financing to get the things out the door in '97, and we were still able to get a pretty good sale price at $22,000 or so.

There was a squeaky-rattly noise from the back somewhere, behind the rear seats, that nearly drove me insane. Unfortunately, the weight of a normal human anywhere in the back stopped the noise, making it impossible for me to track down. As I did not know where to find any of those 20-lb humans, I gave up and readjusted my attitude, with varying success (not so well under the influence of caffeine) and the noise remained until the day I sold the car.

I wouldn't buy another one. Maybe a 9-5, but not a 9-3 or 900. The handling overall was only fair, except on the straightaway up Upper Market, where more than one cocky kid in a BMW, Mustang, Audi, etc., got left in the fog. But for an all-around car, it had too little rear-passenger room, and the prospect of cranky mechanical problems down the road. The nearest dealer was also a long ride away (Redwood City).

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Not much similar that I've owned. I had a '73 Mercedes 220, back when that was a decently large sedan, and thought it was a great combination of style, handling, moderate power (2.2 liter 4 cyl), and snob appeal. The Saab scores comparably in all those categories, though certainly had less overall passenger room.

There's nothing quite like a Saab. Owners are like a cult- I get waves and smiles from nearly every Saab I pass. My 9-3 is an early-production SE with the 185hp variant of the 2.0T. Highway passing is incredible. I've owned some fast cars, but the Saab trumps all with its stellar acceleration. Handling is safe and grippy. The ride is sporty and brilliantly controlled. Saab's unique design elements make so much sense when you've driven the car for a while. And, of course, safety is a big plus.

I had a few early-production rattles, but all were cured by my dealership. I do wish the interior was a little wider, but it's plenty roomy.

I'd strongly recommend a Saab. Quality has been superb- my 9-3 has never been in for unscheduled maintenance. The unique style certainly makes the car stand out, and the chicks dig it!! (Oh, for you ladies, guys probably go for it too)

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BMW 328i (E36), Volvo S70 T5, Audi A4 2.8Q, VW Passat 2.8

This is the Grey Saab Convertable "Stealth" limited model. The convertable top function is very reliable and the look of the car is very unique in a sea of very bland cars. The turbo engine is powerful in the upper rev range and the gas milage is pretty good. Leather quality is the best I have had in a car and the seats very comfortable for long trips.Paint and cosmetics are good and are holding up for about 1 and a half years quite well.

There is a lot here. I am not on my honeymoon with this car anymore. The factory "Fondmetal" wheels bent in the first 1000 miles to the tune of over $1000 in repairs. A/C control on the manual unit in my car have broke about 5-6 times. In fact, the controls are broke even now. There is abnormal tire wear on the inside front tires and I just replaced both at 13,000 miles. Massive turbo lag at lower RPM's mean taking a tight U-turn in heavy traffic can be a handfull when the car comes alive like a light switch and the steering wheel hops about in your hand while you struggle to control the cars direction.

I have a love hate relationship with this car. I don't think I will ever own a SAAB again in my life....

I have alot of experience with SAABS. My brother drives a 9-5 and my parents have a 9-3 SE. All have had quirky problems that we have never had in any of our previous cars plus many trips to the shop to sort out all of the bugs is a real bummer on such an expensive car. NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME. While I love my SAAB, I am looking forward to the day I get rid of it and move on.

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None

- Fun to drive
- Good acceleration when the turbo kicks in
- Lots of trunk room

- Poorly built
- Lots of little noices, creaks, rattles and vibrations
- The cup holder placement could be worst design flaw ever. I've spilt coffee all over the dash and radio
- The sunroof is not one-touch
- The sunroof has a lot of wind noise
- The power is a bit weak at low RPMs
- The gear box is clumsy
- Poor rear leg room
- Cramped foot well
- Armrest is useless
- Significant body roll

I have a love/hate relationship with this car. It's fun to drive, however it is poorly built. There are constant noices throughout the cabin. It's been in the shop several times, and they cannot seem to solve the problems. Driving the car off the lot everything seemed rosey, but at 1,000 miles the problems began to surface.

Fast! Amazingly so for a car of its weight on only a 180+ hp. I can't imagine what the Viggen is like.
Large trunk. Even larger cargo area with the seats folded.
Good gas mileage. I regularly drive from Portland to Seattle and have averaged over 30 (when my foot is not in it). Still gets 27-28 highway when my foot is in it.
Nice stereo. Very comfortable seats. I bought mine in Minnesota and drove straight home to Portland (23 hours of driving in a 27 hour period . . . "they're out there") without a single ache or pain. I felt great, and the car performed perfectly. I did get a speeding ticket in Montana however, in spite of what you might have heard, they do give them.
4 year - 50000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.
Excellent road ride. Good handling in the curves. Straight line acceleration is a blast.

Rear seats don't fold as flat as my '87 900, or my '80 900, but this is a minor gripe.
Both fog light lenses craked and I had to replace both lights ($140 x 2, ouch!).
Torque steer under above average acceleration; but this was a known quantity from previous experience and is not really a problem unless your unfamiliar with the car.
CD change sometimes won't "talk" to the stereo and vice-versa. Fortunately the car is still under warranty and dealer is fixing it for free.

I bought another Saab because I was tired of pouring money into my under powered (yet still only getting 17 mpg) mini-van; yet I still wanted something capable of hauling my dogs (Whippets), and my mountain bike. I wanted more mileage and better performance (my mini-van had neither (you can read my review of it in the mini-van section)). I wanted traction (I didn't need 4WD or AWD so I didn't need another under-powered-lousy-gas-mileage SUV) so the front wheel drive Saab was perfect. I briefly thought about Subaru but I'm too much of a snob and wanted to to euro. And I looked at Audi but they want too much money for what you get (IMHO), so I ended up with a used Saab and couldn't be more pleased.
I rated the "Value" at 5 stars because for a used Saab I think that's what you get. I don't think you can rate a new Saab that high because they depreciate too much, too fast. I gave an "Overall" rating of 4 stars because I don't think there is a 5 star vehicle on the planet, there are just too many comprises a car has to make, and no one vehicle can be all things to all people.

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1980 Saab 900 Turbo, 1987 Saab 900 Turbo. This is my third one and, in my opinion, there is no comparison. Since GM became involved (ie: purchased them) Saab products have vastly improved. GM's size and money has enabled Saab to upgrade and improve all aspects of their cars. That is to say, Saabs are still Sweedish cars, designed by Sweedes and built by Sweedes (not to mention driven by Sweedes), but now they have the resources to do it right. Which is exactly what they've done.

Fast, unique design, great seats and highly individual. Like the 900 Carlsson and the 9-3 Viggen, it is a special Saab, with great performance.

Front heavy. Terrible GM style beeping when the lights are on and the door is open.

It feels like flying. Undoubtably it is a very fast car, i have read loads of comments slating the Aero and the Viggen for torque steer - I think you just get used to it. The 9-3 Areo has inherited the Viggen body styling, and is a stunning car. Just be careful in the wet - it is a bit twitchy.

If you are a Saab lover then this is a definite buy. I would recommend the Aero as great fun, and good value.

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Much faster than the 900 Carlsson, not as fast as the 9-3 Viggen, but still a grat car. Better than the rest of the competion if you like somthing a little different

- Highway performance (after 50mph), 145mph top speed
- High quality leather (you won't feel too cold in winter)
- Style, unique settings, hatchback (rear wiper & large trunk)
- Headlamp wash/wipers, traction control, many rear air vents
- Solid/safe, option to turn off glass-breakage alarm
- European car (higher than Volvo class image)

Center console design especially the ugly stereo (difficult to upgrade, can't have tape & single cd deck) and air vent.
- The seats are comfortable but it takes time to adjust them. Basic adjustment for front passenger seat.
- Limited storage space especially center armrest area.
- Some cheap GM-style plastics.
- Not so long life tires.
- No auto-up windows or 1-touch open/close moonroof. Windows & locks controls are not on the sides.
- slow/lazy city performance (turbo lag), no +/- transmission. (The European version got it. It is better than Tipronic !)
- Too heavy and not very fuel efficient.
- GM involved.
- Headlights are not bright white.
- Little rear legroom.
- Short range remote (2-3 feets).
- unacceptable wind noise in this class.

This car is different from other near-luxury sport sedan. It is for "professional with different taste". You will be happy to be unique. The build quality needs to be improved in this class. You have to "push" the car to move in city.

Overfall the car is good. 4 years b-b warranty should make me feel better because of its so-so reliability. I heard it is better than the previous version - Saab 900. It is much better than buying an Accord or Camry (they have leather option but no heated seats option !)

A Swedan car (Saab & Volvo) without leather will be strange. I would either buy an Accord or Passat if there is no leather. I don't like GM get involved but I am glad it was still made in Swedan.

I got the car at invoice with the $4700 incentive. Without the incentive, I won't pay closed to 30K for a Saab 9-3. I would buy an A4 1.8t instead.

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A4 1.8t, Passat 1.8t, Accord V6, Nissan Altima, and Volvo S40. They have better interior (except S40) and better reliability records but Saab 9-3 has the best leather. Saab 9-3 is quick on highway.

whole lotta power, old reliable, crushes little neuspeed vws with no problem, long life

acceleration from about 0-30 a bit slow, but after that, it really, really kicks in. NO cup holders!!! Crashes hurt

the car is a tad bit heavy for something in its class, but its power really makes up for it, the weight hurts it in initial take off, but a good pedal mash gets it going. Also, i was lucky enough to get hit by a pathfinder a year ago, and it hit the drivers side from the bumper to the middle of the door, the damage came to about $3000, and luckly, the other driver paid for the whole thing!!! (screw her, her car had NO damage). Everything had to be rebuilt, it took two months to get my car back. Thats probably the main weekness of the car, is the fact that it takes to long to get parts for it, or maybe thats just the body shops fault, oh well, it only has 65000 miles on it now, and it runs perfectly (and is valued for about $12000) this is a car worth holding on to!!!! If anyone out there knows of companies that make upgrade for saab (chips and such) please email me

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jetta gl, volvos, altima

Interior room and dash layout a bonus. Seats are supportive. 185hp motor has been a gem and has been easy to service. No rattles at 50,500 miles.While the chassis is old, the handling is acceptable most of the time. Straightline performance is unexpectedly good. This car loves windings small roads. A bit busy at freeway speeds, but hugely entertaining if you are an active driver.

Undertired in base version and suspension too soft. Radio worthless and is integrated into HUD and IBD, making it nearly impossible to upgrade. Cupholder is poorly positioned, but this car is ment for driving, not going on autopilot and sipping your coffee.

Definately quirky but a blast to drive. Passing other cars is easy and not stressful. Build quiality has been good and despite living in an area of potlholes and frost heaves, no bent rims or rattles from the vehicle.

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A4, VW Passat ,Volvo V70

Looks, Sport and winter mode transnission, fairly roomy, drives well in snow, fuel economy, not many on the road.

SUSPENSION/RIDE, ergonomics, useless cupholders, no center armrest, narrow footwell, tires, auto climate control, 2001 not available in base version, short wheel base, build quality, price (if you don't get a significant discount), limited dealership network, no 6 cylinder version, re-sale and residual value are TRULY GRIM!

It is a love hate thing, I love the looks but hate just about everything else. "Sob" has a long way to go to play in the same league as other european sport convertibles. The suspension and the low profile tires make for one of the harshest rides I have ever experienced on all but glass smooth roads. When test driving this car make sure it is the version you want (SE vs. Base) and that you drive it for an extended period on different road surfaces, a mistake I won't make again. My passenger and I were nauseous from the 45 minute ride home from the dealership. Every crack in the road is felt and transmitted through the steering wheel, mirror and the seat. There is significant cowl shake. Even more disconcerting is the up and down motion at highway speeds (similar to that of a Jeep Wrangler but quicker and not as pronounced, probalbly due to the short wheelbase, the BMW 325 conv. is 6 inches shorter in length yet has a 5 inch longer wheelbase). It developed an annoying creek in the roof after a couple of days.
The re-sale and residual value are terrible, especially for an automoble in this price range and league, which is a telling story in and of itself. 55-56% residual at best on a 2001 and don't even bother looking at a 2000 lease. My Jeep Wrangler has a higher residual value! The 2000's are being discounted in Chicago around $9,000 and they are still not selling. "Sob" hides many of it's weaknesses under the guise of "be different" which really means accept less. "Quirkiness" is just another way of saying wouldn't or couldn't pay up for better quality i.e. german engineering.

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BMW, Mercedes