SAAB 9-3 Aero Story

[VooDooXII]

Went to the IQ Autos today, but the salesman said that he handed the SAAB that I was looking at over to Jim Ellis for servicing and to go though all of their CPO stuff. This is good though. A lot of the interior bits (switches & buttons) were wearing and peeling, so they're replacing all of them. Jim Ellis is taking their time...the guy gave it to the place three days ago. I would have been able to pick it up today, but since that didn't work out...I'll have to wait until he calls back with it.

No big deal. I did get to test drive another 9-3 Aero, but this one had an automatic. Nonetheless, I really like it. The key looks pimp.



Yea, you only stick in the knob at the end of the fob and turn. If the battery on the remote dies, you can pull out the keyring loop to reveal a conventional key for the door lock. The fob will still work with the ignition though.

The seats are damn near the most comfortable seats I've sat in. They're pretty supportive, and I like the black accents on the light tan leather. The car rides pretty stiffly, probably because of the Aero package. I guess that means it'll corner well though. The steering is pretty light but not numb, and it responds pretty well. I noticed that it reached it's lock relatively soon. It's nice, but I'm scared of that occasional highway sneeze.

Power delivery is smooth as long as you keep it above 2000 RPM. Not hard, but accelerating from a launch makes you notice the turbo-lag. It's nice though. At a certain speed, all you hear is the hiss of the turbocharger. Hah, "Born From Jets" indeed. However, an interior born from jets isn't exactly pleasant. I counted 50+ buttons...there's a phone dial in there; I don't know what for. I guess I'll get used to it though. The audio controls are on the steering wheel anyway. The brakes are grabby as hell though. I read that the 9-3 has sort of a dead spot in the pedal travel before you feel any braking force. This one though, was quite the opposite. It was more of an on/off switch. I guess I'll get used to that too.

It's pretty roomy, very comfortable, and I'm sure the 2.0t will give pretty good mileage. Of course, the cupholders are fun as hell to watch. Gatta love the Swedish...turning something as simple as a cupholder into a work of art.The glove box is HUGE too. I think part of it is refrigerated...that might just be on the 9-5s though.

Anyway, I'm excited. The guy should be giving me a call tomorrow.

Here are some pictures...hah, I wish they had cleaned it up a bit before taking these.