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Saab 9-3 SportCombi

124

Comments

  • wagonguy1wagonguy1 Member Posts: 1
    Right now I own both wagons the 1.8 A4 Avant is at the end of the lease and I wanted the great deals on the Saab. The A4 has the sport package and quattro, the 9-3 is a little more basic but still has plenty of bells and whistles.

    I guess after 4 years the A-4 has been pretty reliable, there has been no major repairs except changing those real expensive 17 inch tires, twice. I love the A4, the interior is tight, no rattles, nobody does interiors better than Audi. The ride is smooth and the quattro takes corners like its on a rail. I guess the best way to describe the Audi is tight, it wraps around you nicely and after you've driven a few years, you can really understand and appreciate the handling and ergonimics. I'll miss the car when my lease expires.

    The new 9-3Sport Combi has an airy light feeling. Its not a sportwagon like the avant was. Handling is ok and the suspension is softer. The interior is very nice and my backside is older now, and it enjoys the nice soft leather as opposed to the firmer Audi seats. It's much roomier than the Avant. The turbo lag on the Saab is much better than it was. (Did I mention I had an old 9-3 too?) Off the line it's much faster than my Audi, and the turbo boost is great for passing cars. It is faster than the Audi, I don't know how it compares to the new 2.0. However there is one huge advantage PRICE. It's just as good as the Audi for much, much less.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I think you owe it to yourself to at least drive a new A3 or A4 Avant with the 2.0T, they are both more refined and far more capable than the older A4. As far as acceleration, my butt dyno indicates that the A3 2.0T is a tick or two faster than the Saab.

    Keep us posted. ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    ...as Saab at the '06 LA Auto show told me the Combis are built in Sweden.

    Its distant American cousins, the Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6 and Chevy Malibu, are mostly built in Fairfax, Kansas.
  • theeconomisttheeconomist Member Posts: 4
    No bashing here either.

    I'm about to buy a new vehicle soon. I really like the look, drive, and features of the 930 Combi, but I'm reading bad things about Saab's quality. In fact, consumer reports said expected reliability is "very below average."

    This scares me away. Anyone have other research, reports, stories, testimonials, etc., that might reassure me.

    If not, then its probably an RDX?
  • rs9904rs9904 Member Posts: 15
    my 99 9-3 went 100k until I traded it in running great still.

    wifes has 04 linear (same car but sedan) has been very reliable maybe one warranty claim so far at 2.5 years 27,000 miles.

    i now own an 06 9-5 sportcombi. very good 1283 miles so far.

    Sport ride, the safest cars, great seats, great fuel economy and sport turbo engines.

    anthony
  • esfoadesfoad Member Posts: 210
    We had a 2001 SE Convertible, 3 years one warranty claim. Now we have a 2004 Aero Convertible. So far, one warranty claim. About the same as my 2005 Infiniti G35. Saabs are wonderful for us. The best seat heaters on the planet, competent handling for everyday driving. I'm sure that if we mspent time on a track, there'd be better choices but realistically the handling is perfect for the street.
  • saabgirlsaabgirl Member Posts: 184
    In fact, consumer reports said expected reliability is "very below average

    My family currently owns two Saab 9-5s, which brings the total we have owned to four. I'd say that they won't beat Hondas (we also own one of those) on the reliability score, but disagree that their reliability is so irredeemably poor that buyers should stay away, particularly if they like the car and its price.

    One question I've always had about CR reports, especially reliability, is this: What counts as 1?

    For example, you have 1,000 miles on the odometer and in rapid succession a headlight bulb burns out and the serpentine belt fails.

    Is that two? One? 1.575? Or what? If you don't know how they assign values it's hard to tell whether CR's predictions are a useful guide for future performance or not.

    It seems to me that a reliability score should be based on a vehicles' propensity for dumping the owner at the side of the road and be built on a robust data base, not self reporting. In my opinion, cosmetic complaints may be very irritating to the person who writes a monthly check to the finance company, but do not rise to the level of reliability.
  • theeconomisttheeconomist Member Posts: 4
    An interesting question Saabgirl.

    CR says they "weight" drive train issues higher, but won't say how much higher. Since I'm a subscriber, I was sent their survey and one of the questions is how many times to the dealer for warranty work... then they ask a series of questions designed to "categorize" the work.

    They do note they are reported "averages" and clearly state that a car rated above average reliability may cause a particular owner serious problems and that a car rated below average might be problem free for a particular person. They also note the "variance" associated across dealers whose service practices are not alike. My current car that I'm very happy with (RX-8) is nevertheless rated below average reliability. I've had warranty work once in three years when the clutch wore out (it was only rattling) but the dealer was my total advocate and took great care of me.... hence I'm inclined to buy Mazda again and recommend them... but part of my positive experience is the dealer.
  • saabgirlsaabgirl Member Posts: 184
    They do note they are reported "averages" and clearly state that a car rated above average reliability may cause a particular owner serious problems and that a car rated below average might be problem free for a particular person.

    Aye, there's the rub, methinks. The info is presented as predictive, but it comes with a big caveat.

    Personally, for reliability, I'd like to see a hard number that reports how often the cars dumped the driver at the side of the road a/o put the car out of service -- the automotive equivalent of placing a car on injured reserve. Then prospective buyers could simply compare numbers across brands and models and assess their odds.

    My hypothesis is that the number difference between a car that CR currently rates as "reliable" and one that it rates as "unreliable" might not be all that big-- but the forced ranking requires that someone has to be below average.

    Well, no, I dunno how the data would be collected to do this.

    I completely agree with your comment that the dealer can take a lot of subjective frustration out of "reliability" problems which would lead to better customer satisfaction scores. A little empathy, a loaner car and getting the fix right the first time go a long way to putting the "positive" back in the experience.
  • a10thundera10thunder Member Posts: 19
    I just testdrove an auto 2.0T SportCombi and came away fairly impressed. I found the Saab interior very enjoyable and comfortable to drive in.

    I wanted to try the 6-speed manual but none were available. The automatic transmission mated to the 2.0T was very disappointing as expected. Automatics and turbo four cylinders do not mix. I am willing to give Saab the benefit of the doubt because the 2.0 turbo looks decent on paper. Has anyone else tried Saab's 2.0 turbo with a 6-speed manual? What are your impressions?

    The manual SportCombi with the 2.0T is very hard to find. If I want to buy one, I would most likely have to order one. Is it a lot harder to negotiate the price if I order a car? I am pretty sure that I can get a 9-3 below invoice if it was on the dealer lot.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I test drove a SportCombi 2.0T 5-Speed right after they came out a little over a year ago and thought that its power was adequate but hardly impressive. That said, while the Arc that I drove was certainly more spirited, inducing the dreaded torque steer monster was very easy to do. As much as I like Saab's individualism, I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger due to the driving dynamics.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • saablcpsaablcp Member Posts: 195
    My reply to both you guys:210 H.P.,221 LB./FT of torque,90% available from 1,800 r.p.m to 4,500 r.p.m....okay it's not a rocketship,but what are you both looking for? Go spend $50 K.and get an Audi S4 Avant.I honestly don't think 98% of the buying public including the majority of car enthusiasts will share your opinion after test driving the 2.0-T.However I do not concede to "opinion" on one point....After spending 36 months driving an '03 9-3 Vector I would be hard pressed to remember any occasion when I experienced any torque steer of ANY significance.Can you force the issue and induce it ...of course!Down shift into a hard uphill turn,flop the steering over ,load up the inside wheels and run it to red line...VOILA!TORQUE STEER! Well no s..t Sherlock!Allow me a direct quote from "European Car"magazine's 12 month long term test,Ahem!"rather than spike hard and leave you wrestling with the steering wheel the power comes on in a much more linear fashion.And there is no more torque steer.Period."
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Yo dude, take a chill pill. Torque steer, especially when accelerating through a turn was very evident in the 93 Arc that I drove. Personally I could care less whether a car magazine says it exists or not, I rely in my own experiences, and torque steer was what I experienced, like it or don't.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • a10thundera10thunder Member Posts: 19
    I made no mention of torque steer. I simply said that the automatic transmission does not go well with the Saab 2.0L turbo. The 2007 9-3 comes with a 6-speed manual and I'm sure 2.0T's potential can be better explored with the manual transmission.
  • dhanleydhanley Member Posts: 1,531
    Well, it's not a rocketship, true, but saab does present itself as a sporting vehicle, and compared to other sporting cars in the range, the 2.0T is just OK. The 210/220 hp/torque are decent figures, but there is a little lag in the mix, which takes away somewhat from the sporting aspect. I'm used to being able to pass on the highway in top gear, but in that situation, the 2.0T seems to take well over a second to build some boost and start responding. However, you could always do a 6-4 shift and pass.

    Audi's 2.0T, though slightly lower-powered, feels slightly more sprightly by comparison--no s4 needed.

    I think a chip can boost saab's 2.0T to 247hp and 260lb-ft, which should make it into a pretty good mover, albeit with more noticeable lag.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "Audi's 2.0T, though slightly lower-powered, feels slightly more sprightly by comparison--no s4 needed."

    Absolutely identical to my experience. I drove a SportCombi and an A3 back to back and the Audi engine was far more responsive and felt just as powerful, if not a tad more so.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • saablcpsaablcp Member Posts: 195
    .....and you are entitled to your opinion.The point I was trying to make was;you took A,as in one time,test drive,my contrary opinion was based on 3YEARS of driving and the car magazines was based on a 12 month/25k.+"test"drive.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "...and you are entitled to your opinion.The point I was trying to make was;you took A,as in one time,test drive,my contrary opinion was based on 3YEARS of driving and the car magazines was based on a 12 month/25k.+"test"drive."

    I see. So, are you trying to say that the torque steer problem improves over time by becoming less and less noticable the longer you drive the car?

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • dhanleydhanley Member Posts: 1,531
    To be honest, i didn't notice much torque steer in the 9-3 i drove. My old '900 would tug left and right in a straight line when you punched the gas ( and waited for the turbos to spool up, heh ). The newer car didn't seem to do that much at all.

    Now, if you accelerate during a turn, the front wnd swings wide. Perhaps that's what you were feeling, being used to RWD, shipo? I too find this objectionable, but that's throttle-on-understeer like every other FWD car in the world. Of course, stepping out of a BMW, it feels pretty bad.

    Euro-delivering a 9-3 2.0T combi with the anniversary package and a few options ( like heated seats ) should be 25K and change, which is a pretty darn good deal, so i think the car's faults need to be put into that perspective. I am still following this topic because i do need a way to haul bikes around, and there aren't many good wagons out there, at least at that price point.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "...but that's throttle-on-understeer like every other FWD car in the world."

    The understeer through a turn was there in both versions of the 9-3 that I drove, however, in the Arc model (with the blown 2.8), accelerating resonably hard through a turn exhibited enough torque steer to force me to work the steering wheel back and forth to maintain directional control. My thinking is that the 2.0T simply doesn't have enough power to cause this to occur (not that I'm dissing the 2.0T mind you).

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • dhanleydhanley Member Posts: 1,531
    Interesting. Usually, torque steer is described as pulling to a side when accelerating in a line. I wonder if what you were experiencing was intermittent understeer. The v6 is more powerful and less balanced than the i4 ( the weight balance of the 2.0T combi is very nearly 50/50 ), so you'd expect the handling to be not quite as good. Also, torque steer is usually predominantly to one side due to unequal length driveshafts, so you wouldn't typically have to steer back and forth.
  • avsheldenavshelden Member Posts: 2
    "Well, no, I dunno how the data would be collected to do this."

    For those interested, check out www.truedelta.com for getting real data on what constitutes reliability. You can become a member for free to see current data if you agree to provide data on your vehicle. Since I'm likely to be in the market for a new (to me) car in a couple of years, I'd love to see a good population of 9-3's in the data since I love the brand but have been skeptical because of the reliability "prejudice" on Saab. If you like what you see, spread the word.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,305
    the dealer is much more likely to affect 'reliability' than the vehicle itself.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • dhanleydhanley Member Posts: 1,531
    "the dealer is much more likely to affect 'reliability' than the vehicle itself."

    This is SOOOO true.

    I used to have a '97 900. A really good car. However, the dealer didn't do the services specified. I mean, just didn't do them. I think they just checked the oil and left it at that.

    So, the battery was never topped up, and eventually it exploded, which blew acid all over the engine compartment. That led to a plethora of problems over the years.

    The chassis was never lubricated, which caused one of the back lock mechanisms to eventually jam. I took it in, and rthey jammed a pen in there until of opened again. They looked as me as if i was the biggest jerk in the world when i asked that they do something more than make it work for the next hour or two. Eventually, they dug the lubricant out of a closet and sprayed it in there. Don't do a lot of work on my account guys...

    There was a lot more, but i am firmly of the opinion that how happy you are with a car depends in large part on who is working on it.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I had the battery explode in my 1995 VR6 Passat GLX too. Not knowing what would happen if I left all of that acid in there, I gave it several baths of baking soda and water (can you say FIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ? Sure, I knew you could) within an hour of the event. Fortunately my car didn't seem to suffer from any long term problems brought on by the explosion.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • cyril1212cyril1212 Member Posts: 1
    I have noticed that the interior door molding does not seem to fit properly. I asked the service dept. if a clip or some sort of attachment point was missing. The response was no. Has anyone else experienced this problem? How did you correct it.
  • gbvgbv Member Posts: 8
    I have ordered a 2007 93 SportCombi Anniversary Edition - 6 Speed Manual...but due to dealer ineptitude, the order was delayed. I am told now the "build date" for my car is the end of June. This seems awefully close to end of model year. Does anyone know when the '08 model will ship? (I am in Canada). Should I cancel and reorder for the new model year? Other than frontal appearance, is there anything of note that would cause me to choose an 08 over the 07?
  • georgehughes35georgehughes35 Member Posts: 25
    We are approaching 1 year of driving in the 2006 Sport Combi, Aero/Touring/Nav,Climate Package etc. We have had one issue. IN early spring during a hot spell the ac did not kick in. The next day it worked fine but SAAB replaced a temperature sensor.

    It is the nicest car we have ever owned and we got a great deal buying in December of 2006. the details of that are on this thread earlier or on 9-3 prices paid. The two tone interior is really nice.

    Our favorite option is the rear parking assist in the touring package. Given the low profile on the front of the car I wish this option existed for the front end.

    The car is a pleasure to drive as it is also the fastest/best handling car we have ever bought.

    Having a wagon with 60/40 fold down read seats has come in handy more than I thought necessary. Maybe 4 times a year so far it allowed us to purchase furniture and not have it delivered, haul tons of waste to the recycling center etc.

    If the Honda died today we might purchase another one.
  • toottoottoottoot Member Posts: 13
    Does anyone out there know if you can use an aftermarket car stereo provider to engage the phone button on the steering wheel and the key pad and phone button on the dash?

    I would love to have a system installed that would use these buttons for bluetooth as they were originally created for in Europe.

    Any recommendations?

    Thanks!
  • tjsaabtjsaab Member Posts: 2
    Well, yes and no. You can purchase a Motorola or Parrot bluetooth, and if you have the TEL1 installed and the wiring harness from Saab, you can use everything but the telephone buttons on the steering wheel (the volume will work, the sound will use the stereo speakers, and the installed microphones will work). Unfortunately the remaining telephone buttons are for outside-of-the-US only. Read a different Saab forum (xxxxCentral) for way more info on this.
  • squiredogssquiredogs Member Posts: 87
    Just got an '08 Combi that had everything we wanted at a great price. Well, everything except the roof rails... Not the crossbar type rack, just the parallel to the body roof rails.

    Can I get these installed by my dealer without butchering our beautiful new car? In other words, would getting them installed at the dealer be as invasive as say, an after-market sunroof?

    I'd really like to get the rails to get more of the vibe of our old '02 9-03 hatchback.

    Thanks!
  • tarikhtarikh Member Posts: 2
    Yes you can install rails by your dealer or yourself. I installed them on my 2006 SC. I purchased rails and plastic covers that go beneath rails form member from saabcentral.com, pulled old plastic covers and installed new ones. New covers have openings where you attach rails (front and back on each side). The screws are already there in the roof. Just look for the best price and install them by yourself. It is 1/2 hr job.

    Tarik
  • biggimpbiggimp Member Posts: 8
    I have an '07 'combi Aero, and I've noticed that when I turn the stereo above about half way, you get an annoying hum/static sound in the background. This happens for all types of media (CD, XM, AM/FM).

    Has anyone else had this problem or is it something I need to get checked? I was expecting more from a premium 300W stereo!

    Thanks!!
  • donovankddonovankd Member Posts: 6
    So, I just purchased a 2008 SC with roof rails factory installed. I can't tell but I think they produce a lot of wind noise. Is it just as easy to remove them? If so, do you know where I could purchase covers for the exposed spaces that will be created in the roofline?
  • tarikhtarikh Member Posts: 2
    You can get covers from either a dealer or online stores. I have parchment silver covers (not sure what color your car is).

    Thanks
  • donovankddonovankd Member Posts: 6
    Thanks, my car is snow silver. Do you know a good online store?
  • donovankddonovankd Member Posts: 6
    One other question is are the "covers" (saab calls them "decor strips") easy to install/uninstall. I'm not feeling ambitious about making too many irreversible modifications to the car as I think I'll dump the lease in a couple years....
  • biggimpbiggimp Member Posts: 8
    I have an '07 Aero Combi. The fourth preset button on my stereo doesn't work ONLY if it's the first button you push after turning the radio on. Similarly, if you try to scroll up through the steering wheel, it skips the 4th preset.

    The dealer just replaced the stereo (and in the process scratched the interior trim and lost my CD's), and the same problem is there.

    Has anyone else experienced this? It's very strange...

    As a side note, I attend the aero academy in under a month - I can't wait!!
  • georgehughes35georgehughes35 Member Posts: 25
    No stereo problems on our 2006 sportcombi aero. I did not attend Aero academy but really wanted to. So did my wife. How was it?
  • mdenglundmdenglund Member Posts: 4
    Hi everyone,

    I am looking for a bit of advice on a car my wife and I are looking at purchasing. It is a manual transmission 2006 9-3 Sport Combi with ~30K miles and they are asking $16.5K. It has a clean Carfax, new tires and new front breaks (rear are @ 80%). Based on others in the Mpls area, it looks like a competitive price ~ am I right? Also, it is only under factory warranty until 50K miles, but the dealership offers an extended bumper-to-bumper for ~$1,900 (6 yr or 100K) - based on your experience, is this worth it?

    Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!
  • georgehughes35georgehughes35 Member Posts: 25
    I would consider adding this post to the forum 'real-world trade-in values'.
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    there are two 06 wagons in Sparta, Wi. one black & one silver --23/24k miles priced at $13496 & $12990. phone 888-901-4305 ext #2. Would be worth the trip based on the car you are looking at. You could put brakes and tires if needed, and get them thoroughly checked out. Still have thousands in the bank for future repairs[unlikely] and skip the 2 grand warranty which computes to 10-15% of the purchase price. A brand new one can be had for 24k. Happy new year.
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    Also found a 08 combi in green bay with 9335k miles for $19900. It may be saab certified which offers warranty beyond the 4 year 50k. 888-783-8785
    The 08's are freshened with numerous mechanical/electric upgrades. Same price as your 06 with the warranty. If I were you, I'd be heading for cheesehead country.
  • mdenglundmdenglund Member Posts: 4
    Thanks so much for the response and information! The car actually sold before we made it back, but this will certainly help as we continue to look!!
  • georgehughes35georgehughes35 Member Posts: 25
    OK, bought a 2006 Sportcombi Aero with all options except roof rails in Nov/Dec 2006. About 3 months ago I began to feel a vibration from the steering wheel. It is minor but noticeable. When I start to give it gas the vibration goes away.
    I was at a red light the other day and put the car in neutral and the steering wheel started to 'shimmy' to the left about a half inch rotation then back to the right. Very odd.
    When I took it to the dealer (Still under warranty) they speculated I was using regular fuel and try 93 octane. I have ALWAYS used regular and my manual says it is OK so I had my doubts but tried 3 tanks of premium just in case (They have been right abut many other things in the past). This had no effect on my problem.
    Has anyone had similar problems and it so were you able to isolate it and get it resolved? I would like to get this fixed before I go off warranty.
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    It's a shame but I suspect nobody at the dealerships know how to or want to fix problems anymore. The gas idea was the epitome of laziness.How about the power steering system? Always looking for the easy fix. An independent shop staffed by 50 year old mechanics would find the problem but they don't work for saab. That's true for all car problems that don't generate a computer code alert. Good luck.
  • gkelmens1gkelmens1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi guys, I just bought 2008 Saab 9.3 2.0 T with 15000 miles
    and for some reason I feel a pretty extensive wheel vibration when I stop with engine on and in drive mode.

    I went to the dealer and he told me that everything is okay with the car and that they drove the car and did not feel anything.

    But i do feel a strong vibration that is so annoying.
    I had maxima, lexus, audi, and other cars and never had the same feeling.

    Please advise.
  • jw4doorjw4door Member Posts: 2
    Just bought an 08 aero sportcombi and am extremely happy, so far. I am trying to figure out how to install the bluetooth module and wiring harness to bypass the Onstar handsfree button. Has anyone done this already or have any instructions and a list of parts I need to buy to make this work? Onstar is too expensive to use for calling !!! Thanks
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    I assume they thoroughly examined the front brakes, wheels and tires. It sounds like the beginning of rotor issues -- not unusual for eurosedans at 15k. If its under warranty go back and insist. If not find an independent shop that will show an interest in your concern. Not a chain repair outlet but someone that specializes in euro cars and has a good rep.
  • lokkilokki Member Posts: 1,200
    Here's a place to start....

    http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2007/03/bluetooth_for_t_1.html
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