* UPDATED:.......(See bottom of review for updates)


The 2003 SAAB 9-3 series of cars is a new start for both SAAB and for General Motors and a stranger union could not have been brainstormed by the producers of any of the new Reality TV Shows.

GM is a huge conglomerate that makes some of the most boring, mediocre and poorest performing automotive products on the planet. SAAB is the equivalent of a tiny Mom and Pop shop making quirky cars, and fighter planes that has cultivated a cult following.

(A similar odd marriage is that Ford Motor Company bought Volvo.)

SAAB began in 1937 building fighter planes, and then entered the automobile market in 1947 about when WWII ended. Their experience in building military aircraft made them a natural to begin producing automobiles after the war.

Their aircraft heritage and engineeering "orientation" made for cars where far ahead of their time in style, aerodymanics, safety and engineering. This unique background led SAAB to manufacture some of the oddest cars ever made including

- the steel bodied Model 92, a car with a three cylinder, 2-stroke engine that used a gas/oil mix like your old outboard motor, as well as

- the 2-seat Sonnett which had a fiberglass body and looked like a fighter plane that got morphed into a car.

SAAB is indeed a very small company and owning a SAAB makes you part of a very close family. Harley riders give the subtle hand gesture when passing another Harley rider. SAAB owners crane their necks when passing another SAAB to see if they know the other driver and to see if they got the Grey or Parchment interior. Being a small company SAAB sells only about one quarter the number of cars that Volvo (the other Swede) sells each year.

To put it more boldly.....The number of cars that SAAB builds/sells in an entire YEAR is about the same number that FORD Motor Company builds/sells in 2 1/2 DAYS!

The term “quirky” has been used by many auto reviewers who have tried to describe SAAB products to people who pick up a car magazine on the way to catch the red-eye home.

There is no better word to describe a SAAB other than “quirky” and no one who has ever driven or owned a SAAB in the past would be offended by the term. I am not.

Poster on the wall of my SAAB service writer’s desk:…………SAAB Viggen fighter in mid-flight has what would be the equivalent of a “bumper sticker “ on the right aileron……” MY OTHER SAAB IS A CAR”. I have been trying to get a copy of that poster for months.

An old study by SAAB determined that the largest category of SAAB drivers were airline pilots by trade. Not too far a reach actually. In fact, you are likely to find a SAAB owner to be “higher” educated, “green” and more likely to be wearing Birkenstocks instead of Pradas, and shop at North Face or LL Bean rather than Bally or Nordstroms.

If you need a little background on the model lineup, I’ll be brief, because the lineup is brief.


WHAT IT IS:

SAAB offers two Series of cars:
- the 9-5 which is available in two body styles: Sedan and Sport Wagon, and three levels of trim: Linear, Arc or Aero.
- the 9-3 which is available in the Sport Sedan: Linear, Arc or Aero ( in 2003 the Aero was called the Vector) or a convertible Arc or Aero.

You have the choice of Manual or Automatic and Color…that’s it, pretty simple.

The all new 9-3 is the first truly new SAAB in about 8 years. It was certainly time. The outgoing 9-3 has aged well visually, and is still very pleasing to the eye especially in the convertible version which is being replaced as I am typing this review of the Sport Sedan.

The basis for these new cars is the corporate EPSILON platform which is the basis of the new Chevrolet Malibu, and the upcoming products from Pontiac and likely Buick. The use of corporate platforms is a reality of the real world. It costs about 2-3 BILLION dollars to develop a car from scratch. Even GM can’t do it anymore and if SAAB had to do it, I would be writing a review on the 15 year old SAAB 900.

If you are jumping to the conclusion that you will be able to save 15 grand by getting a Malibu and sticking SAAB logos on it please be advised of the following:

In the old days…say the 70’s GM built the Oldsmobile 88 on the same “chassis” as the Chevrolet Impala and the Buick LeSabre, and the Pontiac Catalina. Ford built the Ford Crown Victoria on the same “chassis” as the Mercury Marquis and still builds the Ford Taurus on the same “chassis” as the Mercury Sable. Same crap with a different name. The 88, the LeSabre, Impala and Catalina come down the same assembly line on the same day. The assembly worker just hung different fenders and doors on the same carcass.

John DeLorean, A very big shot at GM in the 60's (the guy who developed the Pontiac GTO and also got nailed selling dope to fund his Delorean Car company) stated that actual difference in the cost of making a Cadillac versus a Chevy was a few hundred dollars, (mostly in the grille and fabric)...yet they retailed for thousands of dollars more. A classic example of Marketing at it's finest.

Nowadays:

- the Jag S-type and the Lincoln LS are on the same corporate "platform",
- the Infinity GX cars and the FX crossovers are on the same "platform",
- the Volkswagon Toureg and the Porsche Ceyanne are on the same "platform" and
- the new Nissan 350 Z and the Maxima are on the same "platform".

Each of these "nowadays" mentioned pairs, makes the point that a lot can be done to differentiate one make/model with another even if the "genes" are shared. The new platforms actually allow deviations such as rear wheel drive on the same platform as front wheel drive.

The Infinity FX crossover vehicles are offered as rear wheel or all wheel, while their cousin Nissan Murano is front drive or all wheel. An Infinity salesman will also differentiate his product from the "cheaper" Nissan product by stating that the suspension components on the Nissan are stamped steel, whilst the Infinity product is largely aluminum to reduce weight. This is true and the component differences show just how flexible the new "platforms" can be. The Infinity G35 Sedan and the Nissan Maxima are also on the same platform as the crossovers....Totally different vehicles with the same basic structure. They can be stretched in at least two directions and still be considered Corporate.

I come to the new 9-3 as I am currently coming off a 3 year lease of a 9-5 Aero Wagon that I have loved for the past three years. So much so I intended to buy the car out from the lease or replace it with another 9-5 Aero Wagon. I have never been nor did I ever anticipate that I would be a “wagon” customer at any franchise until I saw the 9-5 Wagon in black with a set of BBS RKII wheels on it. It looked like something that Darth Vader would drive. (I have never liked the BMW 3 or 5 series wagons, but really like the new E-Class Benz wagons). I took an afternoon long 75 mile test drive and signed on the dotted line.

My recent previous rides were a 1998 BMW 740 iL, and a Lincoln Navigator. The idea of me driving a 4 banger was ludicrous until I took that 75 mile drive. So add me to that 75% of people who test drive SAABS and then buy them.

When the 9-5 was in for one of it's oil changes, I drove the new 9-3 which at that time was only available in Linear form with the 175 HP engine. I didn't love it. When the Arc/Vector came out in March of this year, I tried it again and thought it was a very different car. The reasons:

The 9-3 is 182.5 inches long, 69.0 wide and 56.9 tall, with a wheelbase of 105.3 inches, and weighs in at 3,370 lbs. Trunk space is a very generous 14.8 cubic feet.

Brakes are 12.3 vented discs in the front with11.4 solid discs in the rear of the ARC (or vented on the rear of the Vector). Brake performance is flawless in this car. 476 square inches of swept brake area and 225x45x17 Pirelli P Zero Rossos provide very ‘linear’ braking action. With a 53 F /47 R weight distribution, you would be hard pressed to distinguish this Front driver from a BMW who boasts almost a 50/50 weight split. The Pirellis are an asymmetrical tire that refuse to let go unless they are airborne. They are nice in the rain and super on dry pavement. A great tire selection for an OEM fitment. The Linear makes do with Pirelli P-6’s and having driven both, If I were a Linear/ARC customer, I would seek out a car with the 17 inch tire/wheel upgrade to get the Rossos, which is a great value at $1,000.00 (larger wheels, better tires)

Putting 210 HP to the ground thru the front wheels would normally result in significant torque steer. Anyone who has ever driven the 2000-2001 SAAB 9-3 Viggen with the high output turbo (HOT), would describe it as somewhere between scary and frightening or in Disney terms an “E” ticket. The new car shows virtually no twisting thru the steering wheel unless you are hard accelerating over painted pavement striping or gravel. Consider this problem SAAB history.

Acceleration is smooth and turbo lag is minimal. Actually once you get moving, acceleration is a rush and auto-trade papers report that the 9-3 is faster in passing mode than a Ferrari Testarossa. I can confirm it.

Cornering is excellent with slight body roll, and minimal tendency to understeer. The Vector seat bolsters are on the soft cosmetic side, but provide a slight improvement over the Linear/Arc seats. If the bolsters were more prominent, you might find them a pain to slide into to and a pain to sit in if you were wearing any sort of outer clothing. I find them just about right. Lumbar adjustment is provided thru a manual knob on the outer edges of the seats and the SAHR headrests are adjustable for height. If you live in the north, make sure you opt for the heated front seats. I have heated rear seats in my 9-5, but the 9-3 makes the kids (or Fido) suffer.

Rear seat room is enhanced over the previous model with wider seats and more foot room in the foot well areas. The rear seat cushion houses a slide out cup holder for the two rear passengers. Yes you can get a third passenger in the rear, but better make it Fido. The console provides for a sliding arm rest top that will place your arm and hand directly in front of the shifter (manual or Auto), and the rear of the console has two a/c vents for the rear passengers. My dogs love sticking their noses by the vents after a run in the park.

Storage compartments abound and there are expanding pockets on the fronts of the front seat cushions for glasses or the lady’s makeup.

The dashboard is logically laid out with a plethora of buttons to keep you busy. All functions are on the leather trimmed steering wheel or within easy reach. The wiper controls go from OFF to Intermittant, to Low and High in a “vertical” motion. Radio, cruise and shifting controls are on the wheel within a fingers reach. If you get the rain sensing wipers form the Touring Package, there is a small infrared sensor at the top of the windshield (behind the rear view mirror) which counts the frequency of raindrop “hits” on the windshield and times the wipers appropriately.

All 9-3’s have front and rear FOG lights, and BiXenon lights are included in the Touring Package as well. The inside rear view mirror also house three buttons to control your garage door opener, gate, or interior lights, as well as a compass.

The SAAB exclusive "Profiler" is a programmable display located on the top of the dash, just under the base of the windshield that allows you to customize something like 40 different functions for long term or short term use.

The shape of the car is pure SAAB and it's traditional wedge shape looks great from all angles. As you pull up and get ready to pass that BMW, That driver will see in his rear view mirror the SAAB GRILLE and know he is about to be overtaken by a SAAB and nothing else.

WHAT IT CAN BE:

The Linear is offered with the 2.0 Litre 175 HP low output turbo indicated by the lower case “t” on the trunk lid. The Arc/Vector flavors are offered with the 2.0 210 HP hight output Turbo which is indicated very subtly by the upper case “T” on the deck lid. Actually subtlety is what SAAB is about. No where on any of the 9-3’s is there any nomenclature that states “Linear”, “Arc” or “Vector/Aero”. Nowhere!

The Linear is marketed to the purist. It has only manual air conditioning controls, 15 inch wheels, 170 watt stereo and cloth door trim.

The Arc upgrades the engine, the cloth becomes leather on the doors and other interior trim and a dark wood trim is used on the doors and console. The body gets lower cladding, the upgraded Harmon Kardon stereo pumps out 300 watts thru 13 speakers, the 15 inch wheels/tires become 16 inchers on a different pattern wheel, and the air conditioning controls upgrade to electronic dual zone units.

The Vector/Aero takes the Arc "up" a little and "off to the side" a little. We go up another wheel/tire size with gorgeous 17 inch wheels, add a firmer suspension package, lower the car a few mm’s add a rear deck spoiler, add beautiful two-color seats with side bolsters and we go off to the side, by exchanging styles of body cladding and exchange the Arc’s wood trim for Brushed Aluminum.

Oh, there is one more “upper”…the 5 speed Automatic which can be shifted manually from the Arc and Vector’s floor shift, can additionally be shifted by small paddles on the steering wheel of the Vector. The manual still needs the clutch pedal so you can forget the neat paddles if you opt for the manual.

Clutch effort is minimal and engagement is very smooth. The 6 speed manual mixes the gears thru a vague and tricky shifter. The feel is rubbery and not well defined. At first you will find yourself with third when you wanted first and fifth, when you wanted third. After driving your own car for awhile, you will learn to adapt, but the first hour or so will leave you wondering why YOU have to adapt. I have yet to truly find a front driver that is able to shift as crisply as a rear driver. The linkage mechanism feels "remote" as the transaxle is in front rather than underneath.

We live in a congested part of New Jersey, and while I love driving the manual, my fiancée whose opinion I value highly, thinks people who get manuals in this part of the state are nuts. Therefore I am opting for the Automatic. Trust me, it is pretty cool, the engine control system will let you manually lock the tranny in any gear short of selecting an option that will grenade the engine. At 80 and in 5th gear, it will let you shift down as low as 3rd. to pass that BMW 3 series. It will also allow you to start in 3rd. if you are on an icy piece of pavement. Therefore there is really not much of a downside to this slick shifter.

My 9-5 has a "Winter" mode which forces the Automatic to start in 2nd to reduce wheelspin on slick roads. Since the 9-3 has ability to select your starting gear, the Winter mode switch is not included.

The 210 HP engine allows the Arc/Vector to use of different gearing which lets the engine run slower at cruising speed and also gives it more oooomph!

The Vector has a VERY different ride than either the Linear or the Vector. The same difference that my 9-5 Aero wagon has over it’s “lesser” 9-5 bretheren. Either you like it or you don’t. The lower profile tires, larger wheels and firmer suspension make expansion joints in the road more prominent. The benefit is that the package also makes the steering and handling more precise.

This is a choice SAAB lets you make when you select the Arc or the Vector. As a compromise, you can order the 17 inch wheel upgrade in the Linear/Arc, which gives you a unique 5 spoke 17 inch wheel with the Rosso's while keeping the softer suspension. This is also a nice compromise if you like the wood interior trim over the Aluminum.

Being objective, I can tell you for sure that most people will prefer the ride of the Linear/ARC to that of the Vector. Now that I have my "junior" AARP membership (I am 51) my body will probably be seeking an ARC next time around.

WHAT IT OFFERS:

Features in the 9-3 are features galore. Everything is covered in leather, every thing auto dims, everything auto locks, the glove box will hold a six pack of "whatever" and will even cool it to 44 degrees as the box is air-conditioned! The cup-holders are the coolest in the industry and come out of nowhere when you want them, On-Star will get you where you need to be or automatically alert the authorities if you flip the thing over.

The drivers seat remembers the preferences of 3 different drivers, the CD holds 6 discs, the headlights wash themselves, the wipers are rain drop driven if you get the Touring Package and your kids bike will make the rear parking assist beep if you attempt to drive over it. The parking brake is hidden in the design of the console and the “other side” of the console can be modified to house a scraper, an additional cupholder, or a pack of CD’s by way of factory accessories.

The windows can be powered down by way of the remote on the “key”, and tire pressure is one of the things the car checks on automatically ('04's). The steering wheel is manually adjustable for height and fore/aft travel and with the generous seat track adjustments, most any driver should be able to find a comfortable driving position.

The rear seat folds down on either side and the rear seat fold down arm rest which contains a secret storage compartment, has a pass thru for skiis, or 2 X 4’s if Home Depot is higher on your list or your knees are as bad as mine are. The roof hides fitments for various ski/canoe, kayak, bike racks also.

HOW TO SELL YOUR SPOUSE ON IT:

The new 9-3 has more airbags than Baskin Robbins has flavors. SAAB is in their second version of the SAAB ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINT, which will meet the back of your head on the reverse path it takes during a whiplash situation. This makes for rather large head rests but the better to keep your noggin attached to the rest of you in a bad accident. Of course it has traction control, 4 wheel disc and anti-lock brakes, but on top of that it has:

- Mechanical Brake Assist, which amplifies the braking force if you press the brake pedal quickly.
- Electronic Brake Force Distribution, which distributes the brake effort from front to rear depending on how the car is loaded.
- Electronic Stability Program, which compares the cars movement with input from the steering wheel, which in turn applies the brakes to one or more wheels, and reduces the throttle if it appears that the car is beginning to slide.
- Cornering Brake Control, which increases brake capacity when you turn and apply the brakes at the same time.
- Traction Control System, which distributes drive capacity to the wheel with the best traction.
- Four-link rear suspension which has a special toe link which assists in keeping the car steady on course when braking heavily.
- ReAxis system, which allow the rear wheels to passively steer the rear of the car to aid in quick steering response.
- Low tire pressure monitors.

HOW TO SELL YOURSELF ON IT:

I remember seeing avery interesting brochure at my local SAAB dealer around 1978 - 1980. It was a Black heavy gauge brochure with glossy pages in it. The Black cover had the following in bold print......" WHAT YOU WANT IS A SAAB " and in small print directly underneath it said "...but what is a SAAB? ". For most people that was (and still is) a very good question.

The "booklet" illustrated:

- why the windshield was so far forward and so upright (aerodymanics, and to put the glass as far away from the occupants as possible).
- why there were 27 different vent locations and why there were some under the front seats (allows rear seat passengers to get their "own" air)
- why the key is in the middle of the front seats ( protects your knees).
- why the headliner is padded foam and not stretched cloth (to cushion your heads in case the car rolls over)
- why the hood opens "forward".. (makes it impossible to openand block your vision if the primary locking mechanism fails or you forgot to latch the hood to begin with)
- why the dash has no protruding "knobs" (to prevent injury to the front seat passenger from impact with the dash).

This was what SAAB wanted you to read, while Chrysler's brochures and ads had Ricardo Mantalban spewing the praises of " Rich Corinthian Leather" (what exactly is a Corinthian anyway?), and GM was selling us on vinyl roofs and Crushed Velour interiors while also enlightening us to the newest fashion colors and chrome doodads. After driving my brother's 1978 SAAB EMS my father was ready to give up his Buick Electra 225.

Curiosity, (to find a copy of this Booklet) led me to start poking around on the web the other night and found I some historical information about SAAB INNOVATIONS and their contributions to auto industry technology as a whole.

The followng INNOVATIONS are truly significant, and given the fact that they came from a very small manufacturer that became known for it's quirkiness, they are even more impressive. Most people would have thought these inspirations would come from Mercedes or an automotive giant like GM, Ford or Toyota. They didn't and we all are better off for SAAB'S contributions. I selected only a few of them from SAAB'S website.

1958 – Safety Belts – First auto manufacturer to make them standard
1963 – Dual Brake Circuits – Diagonally splits the braking system
1969 – Ignition Between the Seats - Eliminates knee injury which is common in even minor accidents when key is placed in the side of the column.
1970 – Headlight Washers and Wipers – Rain and Dirt can reduce light output by 90%. This feature became a legal requirement in many countries
1971 – Electronically heated seats – this feature was Introduced as a safety and health feature as a cold drivere is not an alert driver. This feature is now available on virtually every premium car.
1971 – Energy Absorbing Bumpers – self restoring bumpers could absorb impacts of 8 kmph
1972 – Side Impact Protection using steel door beams – first and for many years the only manufacturer to offer it
1976 – three way Catalytic Converter – first manufacturer to use the Lambda sensor controlled catalyst
1978 – Collapseable Steering Column – Allowed the driver to continue to control the car even after the column had collapsed
1978 – Interior Cabin Air Filtration = Electrostatic air filtration was the first in any car and filtered out particles as small as 0.004mm from the incoming air. A boon to allergy sufferers
1981 – Split field Side View Mirror – Eliminates blind spots with a dual curve face
1985 – Direct Ignition - SAAB eliminated the ignition cables and the distributor completely. Each plug has a separate coil and gets a 40,000 volt spark.
1991 – SAAB Tronic – Still the most advanced system for engine management and controls, turbocharging, ignition, and fuel injection.
1993 – Night Panel – Totally Blacks out the instrument panel leaving only the speedometer illuminated at night. When driver attention is required for a function, the appropriate guage or lamp will activate
1996 – SAAB Active Head Restraint - Automatically takes up the correct positioning a rear impact to control the movement of the vertebrae.
1997 - SAAB introduces Power Ventilated Seats in the 9-5 for outstanding driver and passenger comfort.

end of update.***

In addition, SAAB used aluminum in the braking systems and the suspension links to reduce un-sprung weight which in turn improves handing and ride.

The entire car was designed to crush to various degrees in order to insure that the energy of an accident is dissipated by the car and not your kids. SAAB also offers factory designed restraints for dogs and gives a portion of your purchase price to International Animal agencies such as the World Wildlife Fund

HOW TO KNOW A SAAB IS FOR YOU:

- Everyone in your neighborhood has a BMW 325/330, Volvo S80 or a C-Class Benz.
- You want to get 28 MPG on regular gas. (Yes the manual says use premium, but the SAAB factory rep suggested to me three years ago that my 9-5 High Output Turbo would run fine on 87 octane). It has for three years, and never missed a beat or failed to pass that damn BMW ahead of me. (I am very competitive by nature).
- You want to take that extra drive just to put a few more hours behind the wheel.
- You want to shut the mouth of the guy with the 325/330 at the water cooler:……..Tell him your 4 cylinder 2.0 litre SAAB puts out the same HP and more torque, than his 6 cylinder 3.0 litre and at lower RPM for both. And BMW needs an engine that is 50% LARGER and needs Premium fuel to do it!

THE COMPETITION:

SAAB pegs the 9-3 against the BMW 325/330, Volvo S80 or a C-Class Benz.

I have driven and really looked at each of them in great detail. The BMW is the class leader, a really great car and the Bogey for all manufacturers, but at a price. The Volvo is not a player yet, and the Benz, while a solid car like no other, just has no “feel” or character to it. The salesman at BMW who rides a BMW motorcycle (I do too) drove my 9-5 on the way to his storage lot while I was looking at the 3 and 5 series's. He was amazed and knew why I kept my wagon for the full three years of the lease even though I usually swap out of cars frequently. Only took him 8 miles to figure it out.

VALUE:

I have not found any product in the entry level luxury market that offers the value of the new 9-3. In the 1970’s and 80’s, SAABS were problem children. I lived it. In the 90’s and 00’s, JD Powers has not only rated SAABS as top in it's class, but Consumers Reports, actually rates them as both a Best Buy and a Recommended Buy.

Residuals for those of you who might want to lease are exactly the same as all three Bogey cars. SAAB currently has AWESOME lease/purchase programs going on now for leftover 2003’s. Since there are only three changes to the 9-3 for 2004, a leftover is really not a “leftover” this time. (The POP-UP headlight washers have been changed to stationary water nozzles on the bumper, the Vector name is changed to the Aero to make the trim levels the same across the 9-5 and 9-3 model lines), and black carpet is fitted to both Grey and Parchment interiors.

Buying at this time of the year in this case is an excellent time to get a new model car that is as new as the 2004 version and save a ton of money. SAAB is offering up to $ 4,000 in rebates or lease subsidies, previous owners get the $500.00 lease loyalty discount and dealers might be willing to give you part of their hold-back as there are special internal programs going on that encourage dealers to move units to meet a sales incentive program that is currently going on,

For example: a loaded Vector (with all options):

- Metallic Paint,
- Touring Package, (BiXenon Headlights, Rear Parking assist, Rain Sensor,
- Automatic,
- Heated Seats (with Headlight Washers)and
- Moonroof

....will have a retail sticker of $ 38,005. including the $ 675.00 delivery charge. This reflects the May price increases.

This car will cost the dealer roughly $35,000, less the $4,000 less the $500 brings you down to ( ticka ticka, ticka )….. $30,500. the dealer hold back is roughly $ 1,140 or 3 % of the retail sticker. Depending how hard you want to hammer the dealer or how anxious he is to make a sale, you could easily find yourself under $ 30 grand! SAAB is now including the first 3 years of maintenance free!

This car is a blast to drive, holds 4 people and a pooch, gets great mileage, has a ton of creature comforts that will cost you thousands more (if they are available at all) with the competition and will cost you not a dime for anything for the first three years. If you lease for 36 months, you won’t see the car cost you dime extra.

On top of all that you will likely be the only one in your employee parking lot with a true Swede ( this car is made in Trollhattan ) and certainly the only one that has a car with the ignition "key" where it belongs……in the console!.

Ahhhhh, the "key"..lest I forget. The "key" is and isn't a key. "It" is kind of a plastic "blob" with 4 buttons on it...The typical:lock, unlock, trunk release, and panic buttons. Next "It" is stage one in a three stage theft protection system.

1. If a lock in the door is forced, the cylinder spins uselessly.
2. If a window is broken, the deadbolts will not allow the doors from being opened from the inside.
3. Next, if a thief gets inside the car, the digital ignition lock makes it impossible to start the engine without the correct key. Furthermore the steering column has an electronic locking mechanism that will not unlock until the correct digital key is inserted into the console ignition key receptacle. Yes, the car has an alarm system.

The electronic key uses ROLLING CODES that make it impossible for an unauthorized person to copy the key code....

Lastly, inside the "blob" is hidden a metal "key, key" which can be used to get you into the concealed driver's door cylinder if the "blob's batteries die!..Got it?

By the way, I was at a SAAB dealer today who also sells Volvo. I asked him how they put the customer in the right brand. He told me that a customer coming in there already knows what they want in most cases.

Test drive one, you’ll buy it.

* Updates:

1- I am now at the end of my first month with my new 9-3. My dealer was able to get me a very rare color combination of Steel Grey exterior with a Parchment interior. My first choice for exterior color was Black (with Parchment), and my second exterior color choice was Steel Grey. My problem was that I didn't want to get the dark Grey interior which was the only color I had ever seen a Steel Grey car with. SAAB only offers two interior colors, the dark Grey or the Parchment. Most dealers ordered only Grey interiors for any exterior color as the Parchment was so light in tone that most customers I guess were scared away from it. Not only are the seats, door panels and headliner Parchment, but so is the carpet! (the '04's have Black carpet and mats whether you get the Grey or the Parchment seats).

I wanted something different, but different "nice" as opposed to different "unusual". My dealer and I located ONE Steel Grey/Parchment Vector which was still at Port storage in Atlanta Georgia and owned by a Ga. dealer. The dealer agreed to release the car to my dealer in NJ, and SAAB transported the car in an enclosed car carrier at no cost to either my dealer or me. I was there when the transporter arrived and it "MY" 9-3 rolled out of the carrier and I was very pleasantly surprised.

Great color contrast and I ended up with both my first choices:..."Steel" exterior and the "Parchment" interior. It was a big effort to get it but worth it. The seats are Parchment with contrasting Black seat inserts (Orca patches) that match all the other Black interior trim. I have been stopped by two SAAB shoppers in the past month who wanted to know how I got that color combo as they both loved the Steel, but they, as me, also wanted a lighter interior.

If you want something that is not readily available ask your dealer to do a Port or Dealer search. If you can find what you want and it is still in "Port" storage, SAAB will relocate the car to another part of the country at no cost you the buyer or the dealer. If the car is already "on the ground" at a dealer, it will be up to the dealers to relocate or exchange the car which can be very expensive if the distance is greater than say a "same city exchange". I thank my dealer, Ramsey SAAB in Ramsey NJ for the effort.

2- The inside rear view mirror has three buttons that are programmable to open various garage door openers or remote lighting devices. I have been trying (and failing) to program one of the buttons on the mirror to open my Genie garage door opener. After failing several times I called my Salesman and asked him if there was a trick to this. He asked the service dept who advised him that SAAB had just issued a Technical Service Bulletin on this issue. There is a known problem with the rear brake circuit interfering with the programming process. The work-around is simple:

In the trunk is one of the three major fuse blocks in the car.It is readily located behind the left interior trim panel. Remove fuses numbered 10 and 26, and then use the garage door opener to train the mirror button as per the instructions in the user manual. After programming, remember to replace the fuses and you are done.

3- SAAB just notified me that I have a balance of $ 371.00 as a DISPOSAL FEE for the 2000, 9-5 Aero I just returned. I was not happy about this fee and contacted SAAB to see if this could be eliminated, as I have previously leased numerous prestige vehicles and never, ever paid such a fee whether or not it was in the contract or not. Benz, BMW, Lincoln, Chevy, nor Ford asked for such a payment. The $ 371.00 took most of the benefit of the $ 500.00 Lease Loyalty contribution that SAAB offered me.

At first, SAAB's representative in leasing said it was not forgiveable. I escalated my issue and am awaiting a call back from Amber of the leasing department in Little Rock Arkansas. I notified them that I had just applied to NJ's DMV for the vanity license plate: "SAAB", which was to my surprise, available. I told them that if I could get them to forgive the stupid $ 371.00 fee, I would be the the driver of the Steel Grey/Parchment 9-3 driving around New Jersey with the plate "SAAB". If not, I told them that the vanity plate: "NO-SAAB" was also available. Tune in here for to the outcome...........







Amount Paid (US$): About 30,000