1st Apr 2008, 16:38
Hi, I got a 93 1.9TiD Linear Sport as my company car 1 year ago, It's covered 16,500 miles.
I went for the SAAB because of past experiences with SAAB's but was very disapointed due to the following :-
1.MPG still only 32-34MPG even driving like a Vicar! (ESSO)
2.Ignition Key gets stuck in ignition and sometimes won't turn when starting it.
3.Key Fob opens the Central locking intermittently (usually doesn't when it's pouring with rain)!
4.All Silver paint worn off the gear knob
5.Seats have no support at all
6.Squeaks and rattles all over the place
7.Stereo is appalling! 4speaker system
8.Electronic Steering Lock Malfunctions
9.Windscreen wipers came loose and stopped working on a dual carriageway.
Everything about it is cheap, definitely not worth the £21,500 price tag, more like £14,500.
Shame really, nice car to look at!
12th Aug 2008, 10:39
I purchased a three year old 93 Tid 120 with only 27,000 miles clocked and am overall very happy with it after 9 months and 12,000 miles. Very comfortable, and always averaging around 44 mpg around town, so over 50 mpg on the highway would be realistic - very good for a largish car. The quality is not great. There was a case recently where a buyer complained about cheap, hard plastics under a coated finish on some of the controls, which Saab replaced free of charge. I have the same problem and thus the quality of the switchgear does not compare to the big 3 German rivals that are its supposed rivals. I would not like to take the depreciation hit on a new one, but I reckon I have a great value car with very good safety features such as 6 airbags and a 5-star ncap rating. I have no rattles but the ignition key can get stuck as a previous writer found - a minor irritation. My gear change is fine. Not sure if the make of tyres are chiefly responsible, but front wheel grip on wet roads is quite poor. It is easy to stall when pulling out (even with a warm engine) as there is little torque below 1700 rpm. I would also like a bit more punch in the pull-away and for this reason I am considering having the engine remapped. So a few minor criticisms, but overall a worthy product.
11th Sep 2008, 12:41
I bought the Saab 9-3 in January 2008. Liner plus edition in Greece. 2.0 automatic. Very nice car, very nice ride. Chose it after a lot of research due to a car crash I had one year ago. Feels (and must be) very safe. Very happy with the feeling of the car and the economy.
Problems:
1. Noise from the engine at 2000rpm. You can just hear it but still annoying.
2. Squicks from the safety belts (plastic part)
3. Message on SID about the alarm.
The service seems to be helpful, did everything they could to solve the problems and now a special technician is coming to my town for they failed to solve the problem.
Compared to other test drives I had, I loved it from the minute I went in.
Superb feeling of the seats.
The other cars I tried were too noisy, very hard on the road, not comfortable. I only tested front wheel drive cars as I assume them much safer from rear wheel cars.
Overall (specially if I solve the problems above) one of the best cars I have been in. Prefer it to my father's Jaguar X-type, BMW 520 or 530, Passat and A4. I will update on the problems when they are solved (hopefully).
11th Sep 2008, 15:53
To the last comment about purchasing a Saab 9-3 in Greece.
I own a 2003 Saab 9-3 Convertible, and it has been a fantastic car.
I've owned over 20 cars in my 35+ years driving, and the only one that came close to offering the same amount of luxury content was a fully loaded 2002 Jetta GLX that I purchased new.
Of course the Jetta is not on the same level as the Saab, and the 2.0 Liter Turbo in the Saab is more powerful than the 2.8 V6. The Jetta still offered a lot of features for its $28,000. sticker price.
The Saab handles great, has a fantastic ride, and its level of refinement is superb. All-in-all the Saab 9-3 is the best car I've ever owned.
Best of luck with yours!
25th Dec 2010, 08:09
Great car! Good sound (10 speakers with subwoofer)! Consumption in the city ca. 6L/100km. In highway with 6th gear (120-130km/h) ca. 4,7L. I have 1,9TiD, 88Kw, 2007 sport combi. Very nice to drive, massive weight 1590kg.
8th Mar 2011, 11:40
Saab 9-3 1.9 TiD 150 BHP Linear SE.
Bought this 6 month old demo in July 2008.
Excellent car, very comfortable and quite impressive fuel consumption. I average around 47-50 MPG, but if you drive it light, you can get up to 55 MPG. Actual consumption tends to register higher than what the computer claims.
I cannot fault the car, except for depreciation, which is savage. No problems so far with 48K miles on the clock.
Would definitely stick with SAABs... An excellent car for the money, far outweighing what you get in BMW or Audis and more stylish looking.
10th Feb 2008, 07:32
I purchased a 2004 9-5 1.5 years ago. Got a great deal, as it was just off-lease and came with an extended warranty to 2010. I love this car. Drives and handles like a dream. A couple of minor problems, which the dealership immediately handled at no cost. (Dealership is great to work with). I find myself driving more now because I love being behind the wheel. Like the California poster, I also like the fact there aren't a lot of other Saab's on the road in the NYC area.