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Saab 9-3 SportCombi
stefan_belgium
Member Posts: 17
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Comments
Not the concept or the spy shots.
The front is indeed very similar to the 9-3 sedan, but the rear has huge taillights going all the way to the roof (a bit like the volvo wagon)
http://www.saab.com/main/SE/sv/93_sportcombi_announcement.shtml
Maybe it's also annonced on the american site.
I also hear that much more powerful Saabs are in the pipeline.
If GM doesn't run out of cash in the meantime, more exciting Saabs will eventually come to market.
Now, now! Take off the SAAB-colored glasses for just a minute and really sell me!
As I said, I truly admire the look, and wagons are without question the God's-own-green-earth of vehicles, but aside from safety, which is a relative term, what makes a fun-hungry driver (vs. commuter) like me want to own one?
Let's say the competion is a BMW E90 touring, an Audi A4 Avant 3.2 DSG Quattro, a Mazda 6s wagon, maybe even a Subie Legacy GT wagon to name a few. Why do I want the SAAB?
FWD is not a point in favor, in my book, and unless a car has abysmal scores in safety testing I'm not deterred personally. Razor sharp steering would be a must, as would a firm stance and minmal roll. Seating needs to offer significant lateral support and firmness, but be pliant enough for long-haul duty.
No bashing here, merely an earnest quest for a great wagon.
MB owners do it to (W???) as do VW/Audi (B5, B6) owners. All manufacturers have internal designations but only the true "philes" refer to them. It's a snob thing.
Yeah, robr2 is right; E90 is lot less of a mouthful than "next-gen 3-series"! I'm pretty much a "phile" of anything sporting with more than two doors, so I guess I qualify! Snob? Dunno. You judge! :-]
I think that's kind of harsh about Japanese competitors. I think Mazda has shown itself as a line of real driver's cars, even in the face of over-whelming pressure to homogenize and Toyotacize (or dumb down to most-boring common denominator!) in a thrust for mass market appeal. I think they have the best styling shop of all the Japanese makers as well, though it's the handling that really sets them apart.
You need to test-drive an Audi. I can't say it any other way.
But here's some loose thinking on the Combi:
In this class, and at this price, especially considering from whence the car comes and the current market conditions, not having AWD seems a mistake, especially with the corporate opportunities to offer it without heavy R&D cost, AFAIK. And it doesn't even need to be a balanced system. It could be something like Haldex that defaults to the front wheels for average puttering (thereby saving a scad of fuel) and distributin power when pushed or losing foot.
I can't see going with the four in a sporting car of this size, personally, unless your main concern is economy at the pump or the bank. The six seems like minimum buy in, though 250hp/258lb is a little more than necessary. Honda may need over 250 horses to make an Accord seem desireable; I don't think SAAB need go all that way.
A slightly lowered sport suspension is very desireable upgrade. From the little reading I've done on it, the press knock it slightly for promising sport handling but not quite delivering. I think the handling part is key. Without it, it's just another mommy-mobile with a very pretty face. In this regard, I think BMW still owns the class, and I don't look to SAAB to exceed (IMO can't be done w/o RWD), but merely to approach.
The interior looks very nice in print and on line. I'll have to go see in person. For interiors in any class, I think the benchmark is definitely Audi, but from the pictures, the 9-3 seems to have a similar kind of tasteful restraint without the complete austerity of a BMW 3-series. My main question here is ergonomics. SAAB's have had quirky layouts in the past (key on the floor, muffler in the glove compartment }-] ), but I don't know about current models.
So it's an attractive package. I just wondered what thoughts some in here might have about why it might be a good choice to add to the list!
I was driving around at lunch last Friday checking out the area surrounding the new offices that my current main client just had us move in to. As it turned out there was a Saab dealership right next to the bank that I was headed toward, so I stopped in. The good news is that they have a Fusion Blue 93 SportCombi due in next Saturday equipped with a 5-Speed Manual, Premium Package, Sun Roof, Cold Weather Package, and Roof Rails, and assuming that they haven't sold it before then (their other inbound SportCombis have automatic trannies and are all sold), I’ve been invited back for a test drive.
So, what's the rub? I just bought a Razr last week and the Saab isn't scheduled to have BlueTooth anytime in the 2006 model year.
As the car that is currently at the top of my short list is the A3, a couple of comments in relation to that car have occurred to me:
1) Assuming that the Saab 93 SportCombi has a similar amount of interior space as the Sedan (excepting rear of the back seats of course), it seems that when compared to the A3, the Saab has more overall interior room (head, shoulders and hips), however, the leg room (my biggest issue as my kids ride in back and like lots of leg room) seems to be substantially greater in the A3. Weird.
2) The A3 has (or will very shortly have) BlueTooth as an option (although according to some sources it's a standard feature). Given the number of cars that seem to be offering BlueTooth and/or will be offering it in the near future I'm having a difficult time understanding how Saab missed on this little item.
3) I think I like the dashboard and console layout and instrumentation of the A3 better, however, I will have to wait for my test drive for a more definitive comparison.
4) The front seat area in the A3 has a more cockpitish feeling than the more spacious feel of the Saab. I'm not saying one is better than the other here, they are just different. I'm thinking that due to the AWD capabilities of the A3, the console is higher up to make room for the drive train, and that is probably what makes the difference.
5) In Turbo 4-Cylinder trim (Arc vs. 2.0T, the two models I'm considering) the A3 has a 6-Speed manual while the SportCombi sports only a 5-Speed manual, I prefer the 6-Speed.
I'll keep y'all posted.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Dave in VA
OTOH, i like the a3's 2.0T more than saab's 2.0T, the a3 has a nicer interior and a more compliant ride.
The euro delivery on the saab is 9% off of sticker and $2000 travelling/walking around money, or at least this was the deal last year. So, a loaded v6 aero ( everything but automatic and navi ) 9-3 is 30772.65 delivered this way (with metallic paint). An a3 FWD 2.0T with sport, cold weather, xenons, open sky, and convenience is basically the same, sticker. Open sky may be nicer than saab's sunroof, i guess. Of course, the audi is a few thou cheaper if you buy the saab in the US, for sticker, but who will.
Dave in VA
Dave in VA
Hmmm, that's odd. I was pretty sure that the car I drove at lunch this last Wednesday was a 93 SportCombi Arc 5-Speed. ;-) I too am comparing the car to the Audi A4 and the A3 as well. In a wierd sort of way, the A3 actually seems to have the most amount of rear seat leg room (in spite of the fact that Audi hasn't even published a rear seat leg room stat) of the three. True, the Saab has it all over either Audi as far as head room is concerned, however, I'm the tallest in my family and I'm only 5' 8", so rear seat legroom is more important to me (my kids actually) than headroom.
Best Regards,
Shipo
I think the 9-3 will be identical to the sportcombi in front, and have a little more headroom in the rear.
A "processing fee" of about $50 is fair, but the dealers in my area charge around $200.
If its Market Equity Adjustment, then it shouldn't be there. I doubt theres HEAVY demand for a SportCombi right now.
Virginia dealers totally scam their customers, this is why I drive the extra 30 miles to buy in Maryland. Also, Maryland dealers are more willing to haggle with you unlike the Northern VA dealers.
Dave in VA
In Tennessee, its the same 2 things you pay for, but all dealers (save Saturn) charge AT LEAST $199. There is a Ford dealer that doesn't do that, but they'll probably find ways to make money elsewhere.
When I bought my I35, the dealership charged $242.
Do you have to get a GM product? Perhaps you could try the Volvo XC90, a crossover SUV from Volvo. Or possibly you could take a look at the Saab 9-3 Sedan.
If you want a sports car in this price range, I suggest the BMW 3-Series and the Infiniti G35. Neither look anything like a mommy-mobile. Give the Saabs (9-3 and 9-5) a try.
The key thing is to buy what you like no matter what your friends say. You'll be the one paying for it, insuring it, driving it everyday, and using it, so ultimately you should buy what you like, regardless of what your friends say.
From what you've added it seems like either SportCombis (9-3 or 9-5) would work well for you. The 9-3 SportCombi rides on a slightly more modern platform (Epsilon) versus the 9-5 SportCombi (which is based loosely on the Saab 9000 platform, which dates back to the 1990's)
Among GM products, you could try the Saturn Vue Redline. I haven't driven one, but Saturn bills it as the "performance" model despite having the same engine as the regular Vue V6.
Just buy what you like. Test drive the 2 Saabs, and see which one you prefer. If you prefer the 9-5, I'd do some hunting for leftover 2005 models which should be on clearance pricing right now because they restyled it slightly for 2006.
Good luck with your car shopping.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Audi-A4-3-0-Avant-qu-BRAND-NEW-MANUAL-AVANT_W0QQcmdZViewIte- mQQcategoryZ6003QQitemZ4592820852QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
An Audi A4 Avant. Its got prestige, doesn't look ANYTHING like a minivan, and is quite sporty. Audi isn't part of GM though (its part of Volkswagen) and CR has its reliability pegged at "worse than average" but otherwise it fits your criteria.
Tell us your opinion when your local dealership gets one in for a test drive
If you have GM employee pricing, and otherwise like the car, and want to express loyalty, the 9-3 is a no-brainer.
I'm sure you can combine employee discount and euro delivery.
Of course, then it won't make it in time for Christmas.
Does the Saab dealer sell those big bows? (just checking)
Euro delivery is fixed price. MSRP-9% on the base car. Somewhat less on the accessories, but still a good discount. Then they give you $2000 cash for "travelling money."
You can also drive the car in europe, so you save on car rental there.
It's a good deal overall, but a fantastic deal if you want a europen vacation. In that case it's 9% off, $2000 in your pocket, and you save a car rental while there.
dave
If you want it by Christmas, just take the Employee Discount
Went through Edmunds to find a dealer with the car we wanted at a good price. Unfortunately, that car was sold before we got there. The dealer was able to find a similar car but wanted to charge more. We used the GM supplier discount to get the price back down.
Trying to break the engine in gently (and resist the urge to constantly enjoy the turbo boost). If this car is reliable it will be perfect.