- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
- Messages
- 2,790
For anyone who wants a new car, who likes SAAB, who has ~$30k to drop, and who misses having a hatch, it's a great car. My dad picked one up today, and although I prefer my 900 for its real hatch (and the fact that I personally don't have the money for a 9-3 
), it is a very well-designed and comfortable car. I don't know that I could find a more luxurious, practical car for the money in today's market. Although it lacks a real hatch, I'm sure some people might prefer the more comfortable cabin. It's got more cupholders than I could ever imagine what to do with, and a trillion or so little quirks that show that the boys at Trollhattan haven't given up on being thoughtful. This includes stuff like his and her climate control, a lot more small holding compartments, ample power access, a nice in-dash computer, and the list goes on. Improvements over the 900 and NG900-style 9-3 would probably be the fact that it's a lot faster, it's got a much more German/Japanese style gearbox (not as rubber as older SAABs, although the original 9-3's wasn't too bad), it has a lot more little features, it can be parked in any gear (it still has the reverse ring, though), and it doesn't feel quite as cramped as the 900 could. Also, as anyone with an NG900 (and probably original 900) knows, the hatch floor was a little delicate due to the fact that there was just carpeting, a thin door and some sytrofoam between the cargo and the spare tools and tire, whereas this has a really, really nice system of thick plastic doors and nice hinges. My only problems with it are that I don't care much for the looks of the rear end, the windshields is pretty steep, the front seats cannot be pushed back as much as on my 900, and my 6'2" frame is more leg than torso oriented. I also think that the interior feels a little cold, plasticy, and doesn't have the same level of comfort as the NG900 does. But overall, it's definitely the best thing that SAAB has produced since the Viggen, and it's not too pricey considering the longevity of SAABs.
), it is a very well-designed and comfortable car. I don't know that I could find a more luxurious, practical car for the money in today's market. Although it lacks a real hatch, I'm sure some people might prefer the more comfortable cabin. It's got more cupholders than I could ever imagine what to do with, and a trillion or so little quirks that show that the boys at Trollhattan haven't given up on being thoughtful. This includes stuff like his and her climate control, a lot more small holding compartments, ample power access, a nice in-dash computer, and the list goes on. Improvements over the 900 and NG900-style 9-3 would probably be the fact that it's a lot faster, it's got a much more German/Japanese style gearbox (not as rubber as older SAABs, although the original 9-3's wasn't too bad), it has a lot more little features, it can be parked in any gear (it still has the reverse ring, though), and it doesn't feel quite as cramped as the 900 could. Also, as anyone with an NG900 (and probably original 900) knows, the hatch floor was a little delicate due to the fact that there was just carpeting, a thin door and some sytrofoam between the cargo and the spare tools and tire, whereas this has a really, really nice system of thick plastic doors and nice hinges. My only problems with it are that I don't care much for the looks of the rear end, the windshields is pretty steep, the front seats cannot be pushed back as much as on my 900, and my 6'2" frame is more leg than torso oriented. I also think that the interior feels a little cold, plasticy, and doesn't have the same level of comfort as the NG900 does. But overall, it's definitely the best thing that SAAB has produced since the Viggen, and it's not too pricey considering the longevity of SAABs.
). I'm sure most of you have a good bit of experience with cars younger than 11, so I will say that aside from that, it was a very smooth ride. The suspension is great, and the steering is very tight. It seems like SAAB stuck with the larger brakes, which is a good thing, so I'm sure it can stop very quickly. There's no head toss to speak of even though the car does a lot less flexing.
