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Saab 9-3 Coupe (2002 and earlier)
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$32109... premium package, automatic, heated seats.
Thanks for the info. It's 1 am. Last time I was up this late I worked the second shift. Now I work days and have to be up at 5 am.
Good night and thanks for any info.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
check out their 93 bulletin board too for more heated discussions!
http://www.saabnet.com/tsn/press/020516.html
Next. For $5,000 - $10,000 less I'll consider a 2003 Accord V6 with a possible 5 speed.
Review in CanadianDriver -
http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/020514-1.htm s
be patient..give it time. saab MUST do a non-hatch to expand their market base...maybe a hatch will be in the works later... i love my hatch and wished that the new 93 had a hatch...
market reality at work.
The people buying 3-series, IS300s and all aren't buying it over the current 9-3 because it has a trunk. They're buying those cars over 9-3s because they either want the rwd, the brand prestige, or things like that. If those buyers wanted fwd trunk/car to begin with, they would have bought an Acura TL, Infiniti I35, Lexus ES300, Saab 9-5, or Volvo S60. But the BMW-buyers passed, preferring the rwd over fwd. A trunk won't win them over.
It could possibly win over a fwd entry-luxury buyer from a Lexus ES300 or something like that, but if the ES300 buyer really was going to buy a Saab "if it only had a trunk" the 9-5 was available to them, and they passed already. If they already passed on a 9-5, why would they go for the 9-3?
So Saab won't be gaining any sales because of the trunk. On top of not gaining any, they will possibly be losing sales from the people who want a hatch.
If the new 9-3 is going to gain market share, it's going to be because it's better than the current 9-3, not because of some dumb trunk.
I hope they'll add a hatch variant later on, but why not come out with the hatch first for the traditional Saab customer and then add the trunk variant later? Seems like they're doing it backwards.
In good news, according to Autoweek, the 9-3x (or something like it) is going into production. The hatch will live on through it, at least.
Mike
thanks!
Market research has shown that people don't want hatchbacks, don't like them. hatches are often a turn off so people don't consider the 9-3 on their "short list of cars to EVEN TEST DRIVE. If you can't get your car on a short list then you won't get enough people to test drive and get consideration.
The 9-3 obviously has to be better, otherwise it won't be considered period. by anyone.
Biggest improvement is structural rigidity and improved suspension so it's now closer to the competitive field of cars. Now that they have a
competitve car structurally, the trunk makes it NOT a hatchback so more people will consider it on their short list.
There are certainly hatch lovers out there (count me in!) - mainly the current breed of saab owners. However, the current saab owners have to stop crying and get with the program. Saab needs to be more mainstream in order to survive as a brand. If they can expand their base then they'll have the latitude to do more unique variants of their cars.
If they only did a hatch, they wouldn't gain share because the current breed of buyer likes the hatch and still puts up with the shortcomings of the car - 900->NG900->9.3...thus if Saab did the hatch they'd make all the saab lovers happy, but that's not going to win anyone over.
Look at the 9-5. It was certainly a better car then the 9000, but did it have a hatch? NO. It had a trunk. 9-5's are selling well because of both quality and the fact that the trunk appeals to more buyers than the hatch did on the 9000.
Trunks may seem like a dumb thing, but people have not purchased cars because of lousy cupholders....
Seems to me that by not doing the new 9-3 as a hatch first, SAAB is alienating their primary customers. Sure they want to attract new ones (like me after 2vw's before), but take care of your bread and butter first.
I don't like the look of a car with a trunk and wagons don't do it either (although the 3 series BMW is a great car that would probably look lousy with a hatch). I find that the current 9-3 is a perfect balance of performance and practicality which is what saab is all about.
They really should do the trunk and hatch versions at the same time and let people choose. Just put all of the performance in both. Then everyone should be happy.
Read the full story from the Waikato Times: Saab shows off new 9-3 sedan. Thanks for your comments! ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
The ignition if I understand correctly is an electronic key. Don't know exactly how that works. Go to the Saab website for more info.
This is news from overseas. Do you suppose they'd be releasing a different type of vehicle over there? Of course let's not forget a sedan can also be a hatch (5-door). Perhaps others here can shed some light on this. ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
As for the hatchback, it will appear in Europe this coming year....However, it will come to our shores (US) until 2004 or 2005 depending on how good sales are of the sedan.
My lease is up in may 03, and no hatch, no more saab for me. Who wants a trunk. Useless for my needs. I want a full size car with a hatch that's not a wagon or an suv. Only the current 9-3 fits the bill.
Why not release both here at the same time if it's available??
Saab is still not very profitable, so they are still in the proving grounds. I think with the next generation 9-3 that sales will definitely increase, unless serious defects are in the next generation.
I am seriously considering buying a Saab 9-3. My only concern is winter/snow driving. I live in upstate NY where the snowfall can be heavy at times. Is this car sufficient for this weather, or should I opt for an AWD vehicle?
I was in Buffalo over Christmas when they had the 7 feet of snow. I was with the family so I had our Saab 9-5 wagon - FWD with snow tires on all 4 - NO PROBLEM plowing thru 6-12" of snow. and this is in a car that sits LOWER than the 9-3.
SAAB's are GREAT in the snow! If you are going offroad then get the AWD, but otherwise stick with FWD.
Also, is there anything I should know about the Saab 9-3 as a first time owner?
Thanks in advance for your help.
How many months is your lease for? What is the negotiated value, residual, and money factor... for this 2002 9-3 Saab? Is there a dealer or advertising fee included in this? If you're not familiar with these items, go back to your dealer and ask for all the details.... And tell him you need a little more time to think over the terms.
The more you understand about your lease and how the dealer determined your down payment and monthly rates, the better you will be able to determine if you're getting a fair deal. Others here may have more to add.
Also, in our FWI Leasing Questions discussion, Car_man (our FWI host) should be able to help you with the current Saab lease incentives, residuals, money factor, and other fees involved.
Btw, I just leased a new vehicle (different make/model) myself; and I was able to save a considerable amount of money by studying up on leasing. It also helped to use Lease Wizard software. If you're interested, look for information about Lease Wizard in Edmund's leasing section. My 2 cents. Good luck and please keep us posted.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
But you are 100% right about the values; the Passat is strong in resale and Saabs suck. Of course, that should mean (and it does) that if you are buying a used car, your dollar goes further when purchasing a used Saab than a used VW.
My alternative is to buy it and sell it privately so I avoid paying the mileage overages in addition to any other charges they tack on. The issue here is whether I can get more than 15,000 for the car if I sell it privately.
If the goal is simply to buy and sell, I'd think you'd have to get it alot closer to the $13,700. You might want to check into www.saabnet.com for comparisons there.
I got a sneak preview of the new 9-3 yesterday. It doesn't look half bad, but it does share many components with the new CTS. One thing that did annoy me was how large they made the Saab symbol on the steering wheel. It is about twice as big as the current symbol. They have also played with the ergonomics (window controls are now on the doors, ignition is recessed into the center floor panel).
Since this was a pre-production vehicle, things such as the glove compartment, new butterfly cupholder and a few other new doodads were not on this car.
Saab is attempting to catch up to the competition with all of the new electronic gear (ESP). My only question is on the engine. This is a reduced size version of the 2.2 liter GM "global" engine. How well will a 2.0l GM engine handle turbocharging? I guess I will have to wait until October to drive the thing and make up my mind.
The Opel Speedster uses a 2.2L turbocharged ECOTEC but only gets 180HP out of it. I don't know why they chose not to destroke that one.
Subaru uses a 2.0L in their WRX version of the Impreza -- why didn't they just turbocharge their base 2.5L? Why didn't VW just turbocharge their 2.0L instead of going with a 1.8L? With forced induction, some of the standard rules of engine design are no longer optimal.
I don't mean to argue with your valid point, but I just want to say that it doesn't really apply in Subaru's case.
In Japan, the Impreza doesn't come with the 2.5 liter engine. The largest engine offered is a 2.0 liter, the normally aspirated version of the WRX 2.0 turbo.
The reason the engine is 2.0 though is because that's the WRC limit on engine displacement. Subaru designed the engine for WRC and then put it into their street cars...I'm pretty sure anyway.
Why would they bother to turbocharge a 2.5 for the street car when they already have a perfectly good 2.0 turbo to use? It makes more sense in Japan to have a smaller displacement engine too, and it must be understood that they have the home-market in mind when engineering what they engineer.
Sorry for going off topic.
Mike
I'm considering purchasing a new 9-3 hatchback, and I would greatly appreciate any advice. I have 1 big ergonomic problem: the footwell. My left leg can't extend out as far as my right because it's blocked by the footwell. I think this will become frustrating quickly. Has anyone heard of an aftermarket fix to lower that part of the footwell to be as low as the rest of the footwell? Thanks.
But seriously, the footwell is cramped because it's avoiding something on the other side ... probably just the wheelwell, maybe actual parts, but I imagine they made it that way for a reason other than to cramp our style. Not sure you can recover that space.
Any word on the timeline for a viggen type 93. dates? HP? etc.
I love the car and don't know if I should wait for the high output.
any feedback w/b appreciated
More HP is always better. I'm going to wait.
also remember that 10 spoke wheels look nice, but are hard to keep clean with all the brake dust these cars put off. I'll stick with the 5's.