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 Blue Book® Suggested Retail Value  Fuel Economy (city/hwy) 
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Owner
Great gas mileage.
by Columbus, Ohio USA on 03/28/2009.
Trim: 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T, Owned less than 1 year.
3
Pros:
Excellent gas mileage. Averaged 33 mpg driving all highway. On average getting 27 mpg mostly city driving.
Cons:
Nothing.
Overall review:
very nice car. Handles nicely.Comfortable.Good acceleration.
Review ID: #538260
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Owner
Go test drive a Saab; bet you'll buy it!
by Chuck in Austin, TX on 01/14/2009.
Trim: 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T, Owned 1 year.
1
Pros:
Great styling, particularly the interior - love the 'parchment' leather with the black carpet. Very well designed driver/car interfaces, such as the driving position, layout of dash, On Star phone, warning chimes, automatic manual trans and seat comfort. I was looking for a good used sports car/convertible but wound up with this great little sedan and am quite pleased. Love the 2.0 turbo engine. I was expecting turbo lag but it's negligible. Very efficient design - you are looking at a smaller car, but I"m 6'2" and feel very comfortable. Great trunk space and we can't wait to go on a trip. Fuel economy is wonderful - I got 35 MPG on I-35 in TX at 75 MPH/22 town on 87 octane!
Cons:
Getting used to front wheel drive; different than my old 7 series Beemer. Biggest difference is lack of stability in high speed turns. Big Beemer was rock solid and with smaller 9-3 you have to have both hands firmly, but not tightly, gripping the steering wheel. Maybe 'steering inputs' are too exagerated at high speeds? I'm trying to slow down but turbo makes that difficult! It does have a Sport button on the console to lengthen shift intervals in full auto but I never use it due to M mode. I do use the auto/manual trans to slow down entering curves and that works well, giving you good tracking. Suspension is challenged on rough roads. Wonder if beefed up shocks would help?
Overall review:
This is a European car and it is abundantly evident in design and craftsmanship. Dealer service chief told me GM engineering has made some positive improvements in engine design to get turbo to run cooler. Otherwise, they must have been hands off. I was a bit skeptical of turbo durability due to high heat, but the service manager told me that is only a problem where owner neglects the 10 K miles oil/filter change. The push button dash board cup holder alone is well worth the trip to the dealer to experience (no Big Gulps here!). If you live in Austin, Tx area, go see Linda Lilley at Roger Beasley; great salesperson. They have a loaner car program and that's what I bought due to low price for an '08. Now they are offering lower discounts on cars with no mileage. I gave the car all 10's except for performance as I really would have hoped that the suspension would be stiffer. A Beemer it ain't, but then I didn't pay Beemer price either! That alone was worth it to me.
Review ID: #535946
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Owner
Should you buy this "orphan"?
by Annabel on 05/12/2013.
Trim: 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T, Owned less than 1 year.
Useful?
Pros:
Major fun to drive.
Great prices now on "orphan" car.
Smooth handling.
Plenty of power.
Good gas mileage.
Cons:
Highly recommend finding a good Saab mechanic before you commit.
Very low front spoiler means I cringe every time I back out of my sloped driveway...
No Bluetooth til '09 models.
Overall review:
I dithered for a while--should I buy the Saab, or play it safe with a BMW 3xx or Audi? In the end, there were three things:
1. As an orphan, it's noticeably less expensive on the used market than other cars in its class.
2. You won't see a zillion cars just like yours. A small thing, but I like it (speaking of trivial, is Saab's red lion the best marque out there? Why yes, it is.)
3. The big thing: it's more fun to drive--smoother, cleaner shifting, more responsive, just plain MORE FUN than Beemers costing thousands more...
Interior fittings not as swanky as the BMW, but the cabin's bigger in the Saab. I love love love driving this car. The turbo steps in smoothly and does its job and it handles and shifts like a dream. I had mine inspected by an indie Saab mechanic, and I think it's critical to go find your mechanic before you buy; it's definitely not a car you take to Mr. Goodwrench. But you owe it to yourself to give the Saab 9-3 a drive down your favorite twisties. I'm a convert!
Review ID: #572548
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Owner
Solid car
by spenttubes on 03/29/2013.
Trim: 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero Convertible, Owned 1 year.
Useful?
Pros:
Features and performance, yet simplicity at the same time. No-fuss, yet pleasing.
Cons:
Too much plastic in the interior.
Overall review:
Available for a great price nowadays, and worth it.
Review ID: #571371
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Owner
SC 9-3 review
by Rush on 02/28/2013.
Trim: 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T, Owned 5 years.
Useful?
Pros:
Ride and performance on regular fuel
Cons:
Cheap feel of wiper switch
Overall review:
Good car but an orphan which makes it difficult to maintain in South Carolina where I live.
Review ID: #570394
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