2005 SAAB 9-3 Linear 2.0 turbo

Summary:

Saab is a great little car..

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

I'm new to driving a Saab, but in the past few weeks I have a new found love for that car. I see a lot of people downing Saab as I did until I test drove mine : test drive one that's not a lemon, then you tell me the up and downs. I think you will find a Saab in your future too.

Cute car with balls and luxury great combo...I will never buy American again after this experience with Saab...

Saab, thank you for getting this one right....

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th June, 2009

25th Jun 2009, 13:23

A lot of people downing Saab because many of them are not original Saab owners. The problem with used Saab is that some are going to be abuse by their previous owners, and the unlucky new owner end up paying for all the replacements necessary for the maintenance of Saab performance. Even worse, car that is wrote off as junk came back again on used car lot after cosmetic work. If my last Saab new owner knows how often I drove my Saab at 120+ mph, he wouldn't have bought it from me, but at least I sent my car for service and have parts changed according to the service plan. Real Saab owner knows all long Saab is a great car, until you need a chauffeur.

2005 SAAB 9-3 Aero 2.0 turbo

Summary:

This car is bittersweet

Faults:

At 44,000 miles, rattle under car. Turned out to be loose bolt by catalytic converter.

Also, rattle in the dashboard right above the fuel gauge. Fixed by inserting a missing screw (according to Saab technician).

At 48,000 miles, my car key malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. After putting into ignition, the car wouldn't start and a message on dashboard indicated that there was a key malfunction.

At 53,000 miles, the car key would not open doors and all you could hear is a click when pressing the lock or unlock buttons. Luckily I had a second key, and am currently taking back to Saab dealer for replacement.

Also at 53,000 miles, a whirring sound is coming from the front of the passenger side. The sound occurs when the car is stationary when the clutch is pressed and a little gas is given. Also occurs when car is in motion at a steady speed when the gas pedal is held constant. Unknown cause as of yet.

General Comments:

Performance is outstanding, especially at higher speeds.

Car will not sway in heavy wind, connects with the road.

Extremely comfortable ride, the seat is supports you and can be moved in virtually any direction.

Gas mileage is acceptable for a car with a turbo and over 200 horse power.

Miscellaneous rattles are irritating, from the dashboard, doors and under body.

Infotainment could be easier to use and do a better job remembering your last setting. For example, if I switch to AUX to use my MP3 player, the next time the car is turned on it defaults back to the radio.

Car keys are unusually large and also unreliable. Always carry both keys just in case.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 19th March, 2009

2005 SAAB 9-3 Linear 2.0T

Summary:

Ups and Downs, but definitely worth it

Faults:

None that I know of. I do not own this car, I work for a used car dealership and took this car for one of my work errands that involved 200 miles of mixed city and highway driving. I am 19 years old and have driven almost everything from a Kia Sportage to a Porsche 911 Turbo in various conditions and locations, so I think my review should hold some credibility.

General Comments:

Where to start. Let me begin by saying that I am not a fan of European cars, never have been, until I drove this Saab. Lots of good features, only hindered by a few annoyances. Keep in mind I drove the Linear, 170 horsepower automatic, not the best performing one of the bunch.

Power: check

It's got it. It may not seem like it at first, it doesn't seem that quick from 0-60, but the acceleration is very consistent. Give it some poke at any speed and it takes off, I found myself going from 80-100 pretty quickly.

Comfort: check

Leather seats, smooth shifting transmission, and a great seating position. I love it.

Style: check

It takes some time to grow on you, at first I thought that it looked deformed, but it's just that kind of car that you learn to love.

My only downside is the stereo, the car I drove had a blown speaker, and in general the bass and treble wasn't what I am used to, but it's a factory stereo, not many are good, especially for an audiophile like myself.

This car has a lot of "funky" touches to it, some good, some bad.

The key goes into the center console, down by the armrest

The key itself is pretty large

The handbrake is blended into the lines of the interior, it took me a minute to find it

The glovebox is enormous. If it was cooled, I am sure I could keep a few 2 liters in there.

The passenger mirror has a built in blind spot section, nice touch, good to see they care about your safety, certainly helped me move quicker in traffic.

There is a "head up display" in the center but it should be a bit higher up. I like to sit low and I couldn't see it all, all the time.

There is a nightpanel button, which turns off interior lights and the gauges except the speedometer up to 90mph. It's different, but I can't see anyone using it, except the 10 year old passenger.

The cupholder is not a cupholder, it's a complicated spring loaded thing, easily broken.

Trunk is enormous for a mid-size car.

Safety features galore (typical euro engineering).

Doors don't auto-unlock when you remove the key. Got annoying after a few stops.

In general I think the car has to be driven to be understood. I thought it was just another Passat clone, but it's just so different and so much better that I am going to be getting a 2005 Arc 5-speed within 3 months.

Great little car!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st April, 2008

22nd Apr 2008, 09:41

Also, a small followup on this review.

1. The leather is not of the best quality and I hear it tends to crack.

2. The car is made by General Motors (take that as a good or bad thing)

3. The legroom in the back seat is like that of my civic, at least the way I had my driver's seat set up.

18th Nov 2008, 08:22

FYI: it's not a Passat clone. It's more Opel/Vaxhaull Vectra clone (same base).

P.S. Waiting for such car to arrive from USA :)

12th Dec 2008, 22:12

I agree with all your comments except about the leather. If you keep your leather clean and conditioned, it will look excellent for years to come. Mine is a 03 and looks like brand new... Then again I define "pickey" when it comes to my cleanliness of my Saab.

23rd May 2009, 17:46

When you drive a performance car at high speed, why would you drink any thing at all to compromise your safety. Saab understood safety over some minor convenience that features in Japanese cars.

The nightpanel is a must if you drive many long distant night trips, it comforts your eyes and also help see things better at night. You've got to use it to understand it.

3rd Dec 2009, 07:10

Hey just a quick note, I don't believe that they are manufactured by GM (except for the V6 I think). The Vin number says that the car has been manufactured in Trollhattan, Sweden and GM is just a North American dealer.