Faults:

The usual stuff one might expect on a 14 year old car, but nothing like as bad as you get with some marques. I chose this particular Saab (it's my 13th in the last 20 years) because it had been well looked after, and that showed in the repair costs it's set me back to date;

- Replaced battery.

- Replaced coolant expansion tank (common 9-3 fault).

- Service.

- Replaced split turbo intake pipe.

- Restored fogged headlamps.

That's it. Most of the $ I've spent on it have been for bodywork repairs, as the previous owner was either unlucky or just not a good driver, as there was no shortage of dings and scrapes on the panels.

General Comments:

For the $4000 I paid for it, I'm not sure I could achieve the same level of coolness, refinement, equipment, practicality (yes, really), economy, performance, and reliability. An equivalent BMW would have cost me 3 times what I paid. With a Maptun stage 1 remap it absolutely flies, especially in the mid-range; overtaking trucks on our ruler-straight highways is even easier than it was in my V8 Falcon.

The grey leather interior is comfortable and classy looking, despite some cheap hard plastics on the dash and door trims. And the remote roof opening elevates me to super hero status with my girlfriend's kids.

Faults:

5th bow roof microswitch failed.

Serpentine belt snapped (incorrectly fitted by garage; fixed free of charge).

Door speakers vibrate.

General Comments:

I picked up my 9-3 Aero convertible at way below market value, because of the faulty roof switch noted above, and some obvious paint peel/crazing (it had a poor quality respray after being hail damaged in 2010), and still can't believe the bargain I got. Almost full dealer history and a sheaf of invoices for past repairs, indicated a well cared-for car. Despite its low 135000km, I had the sump dropped and the sump and oil pickup strainer cleaned as a precaution against the dreaded B205/B235 engine sludging. Happily, there were virtually no sludge deposits present at all; a tribute to the diligent servicing of the two previous owners.

The Aero comes with excellent heated & electrically controlled leather seats (lifted from the Viggen), traction control, and a very good climate control system. It also unfortunately comes with a crappy GM stereo that you will want to ditch as soon as you can.

This is my tenth Saab turbo, and my first of the GM-era. It drives very well, and mid-range pickup doesn't disappoint. Still, when I first purchased it, I felt it had a bit more to give... so I had the ECU remapped to MapTun stage 1, and now it is properly quick; putting my foot down in second gear feels more like activating a hyperdrive. Here in Australia, V8s rule the road (or at least, their drivers think they do), and there are quite a few V8 boys in and around Perth nursing bruised egos at how my four cylinder 'hairdresser's car' obliterated them quite so comprehensively.

One of the nicer things about a Saab is its quiet class and refinement; they aren't shouty cars like BMWs, or nouvelle riche like Audis. You can park a 9-3 convertible outside the best hotel in town or the local IGA, and it looks at home in either place. The real benefit of this quiet class is that the local morons are less likely to key or steal your Saab.

Body flex is an issue with the 9-3 convertible, and this is something you can either live with or you can't. Western Australia is ultimate convertible country, so I live with it; it's a small price to pay. But rough roads are not fun to drive along.

Expect very good fuel economy (no matter how I drive mine, it never uses more than 7.7 litres per 100km in mixed conditions, according to the display at least), but factor in having to use premium unleaded. Boot space is surprisingly good for a ragtop, and the rear seats are actually usable; again, unusual for a convertible.

In short, this is the perfect car for anyone who wants class, performance, reliability, safety, fun, and plenty of individuality. If you've got a life, this is the car to put it in.