Saab 9 - 3 Sport Saloon (2002 - To Date) : HEY GOOD LOOKING

Wednesday March 19

Models Covered: (4 dr saloon, 2dr convertible 1.8, 2.0 petrol, 2.2 diesel [Entry, Airflow, Linear, Linear Sport, Linear SE, Arc, Vector, Vector Sport, Aero])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Theres always a sizeable lag between reality and public perception. The Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon is a case in point. One of the best looking cars in the compact executive sector, its sales are nevertheless dented by those who dismiss Saabs as funny looking. The same thing happened when Volkswagen took over Skoda, with many still viewing the Czech marque as some sort of joke.

Latterly a similar renaissance at Mazda has also passed many potential customers by. Fortunately for Saab, there were a contingent who were at the sharp end of automotive trendspotting and these early adopters of the 9-3 Sport Saloon got a very good car. Now that used examples are filtering onto the market, theres no excuse for you not to find out quite what attracted them to this handsome Swede.

Sleeker, more muscular and featuring some beautiful detailing, this model dispensed with the lines traditional five-door layout in favour of a more conventional four doors and a boot. Hidden beneath the coupe-like lines is a rationale that brooks no argument. Saab realised some time ago that they were in effect dominating a market of one with their hatch-based executive car. Research had shown that buyers in this sector subconsciously associated hatchbacks with cars in the next class down.

Although the body is much the same length as the old 9-3, the wheelbase has been stretched, the fashionable wheel at each corner stance freeing up a good deal of interior space. Rear seat space is far superior, but those who have traditionally plumped for Saabs due to their cavernous carrying capacities should note that the 9-3 Sports Saloons boot is a casualty of that airy cabin. At 425 litres its one of the smallest in the class, but the fitment of a 60/40 split/fold rear seat boosts versatility enormously. The cabin of the 9-3 follows Saab tradition with all the controls angled towards the perpetually grinning pilot.

When Saab were swallowed up by the GM empire, enthusiasts of the Swedish marque were worried that the essential Saab-ness would get watered down. They can rest assured. The 9-3 Sports Saloon features a dash thats more upright than Dixon of Dock Green, the ignition next to the handbrake and a cupholder mechanism that can reduce design students to hushed reverence. A whole array of functions can even be preset to personal driver preference including the anti theft alarm, parking radar settings, rain sensitive wiper control and the thresholds of the automatic climate control.

Linear trim level offers alloy wheels and fabric trim. Arc ups the ante with bigger alloys, wood veneer cappings and leather upholstery while Vector has a sporting theme with more supportive leather seats and even bigger wheels. The Linear Sport model includes dual zone climate control, front foglamps, parking sensors and 16" alloy wheels over normal Linear trim while Vector Sport adds electronic stability control an upgraded stereo and 17" alloys the Vector. When work began on this 9-3 Convertible, Saabs designers were determined to imbue it with the same handling characteristics as the acclaimed 9-3 Sports Saloon. In order to overcome the loss of rigidity caused by removing the roof, a secondary supplemental chassis was developed, effectively a ring of steel linking and reinforcing the front rear and side structures. The hood may not be of the trendy folding hard top variety, but for a ragtop its very impressive.

Electrically operated, it requires no unlatching or arcane procedures to operate, and retracts in just 20 seconds, making it possible to drop the top at traffic lights without the potential embarrassment of being caught at half mast when the lights turn green. The hoods operation is very slick indeed. Instead of flipping up, an aluminium tonneau cover raises itself and then slides back, making for a quicker operation and a better seal than a traditional hinged cover.

Prices for the Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon open at £6,925 for a 2003 53-plated 1.8t in Linear trim. Opt for the Vector variant and that will set you back £7,900 with Arc models fetching just over £7,625. Expect to pay around £200 extra for a car fitted with an automatic gearbox.

The 2.0t models start at £6,250 for the Linear and top out at £6,875 for the Arc on the 02 plate. The 2.2TiD diesel models have provoked some interest and these can be found from £6,600 for Linear trim with an 02-plated Vector fetching £7,625.

Insurance for all 9-3 Sport Saloon models is distinctly reasonable with even the punchy 2.0t models only being rated at Group 14 and the diesels falling into a lowly Group 11.

Few other manufacturers share Saabs reputation for longevity. Although the 9-3 Sport Saloon doesnt feel quite so ridiculously over engineered as some Saabs of yore, it still feels like a car thatll shrug off 150,000 miles with disdainful ease, so theres no need to scratch off some of the higher mileage ex-fleet cars from your list. Just be sure that theyve been given regular doses of main dealer TLC. One area that is worth checking, especially on the more powerful models, is front tyre wear.

As with any powerful front wheel drive car, expecting the front tyres to cope with the demands of steering such a weighty beast and transmitting all that horsepower to the ground is a serious task. A heavy right foot can see front tyres waving the white flag within 5,000 miles, dependent upon make. With the convertible models, check the hood for signs of rips, leaks or damage. Raise and lower it a couple of times to make sure the electric motors are all in good shape and havent been damaged by ignorant users attempting to operate the hood manually.

The hood is a fully insulated triple-layer item with a proper heated glass rear window, and is one of the best on the market for insulating against wind noise. If theres a whistling or drumming at speed, the hood may well be damaged.

(approx based on a 2002 9-3 2.0t) Its apparent where Saab have taken a delve into the capacious GM parts bin. Certain items are very cheap, especially for a car that competes in a premium sector. A clutch assembly is in the region of £275, and brake pads are £50 a set for the fronts and £35 a pair at the back.

A radiator is a fairly reasonable £220, and a headlamp unit is comparable to most major rivals at £170. A starter motor wont see change from £180, whilst an alternator will only see small change from £260. An exhaust system is around £310, again, not unreasonable for a classy executive car.

Some things, however, dont change. The 9-3 still campaigns on the basis of bhp per pound, its all turbocharged engine line-up effectively blitzing anything from the established rivals at any given price point. Four petrol engines and a diesel are fitted to the 9-3 Sport Saloon, kicking off with a 122bhp 1.8-litre, then progressing to a 150bhp 1.

8t unit, moving on to an all-aluminium 175bhp 2.0t engine, with an upper case 2.0T denoting the 210bhp range topper. Those looking for low emissions and parsimonious thirst will appreciate the carry-over of the impressive 125bhp 2.

2TiD diesel powerplant. This diesel and the 2.0T Aero are the only models available with 6-speed transmission. Big performance has always been a 9-3 trademark and the Sport Saloon doesnt deviate from this philosophy.

The £16,995 entry level 1.8-litre is the least impressive with an 11.1-second interval needed to reach 60mph from standstill. The 150bhp 1.

8t models will crack 60mph in a more impressive 9.3 seconds and they retailed new at some £4,000 less than a BMW 3 Series with equivalent power. The flagship Aero variant meanwhile, offers 210bhp of turbocharged wallop emanating from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant, catapulting this sports saloon to 60mph in 7.

3 seconds and then on to 145mph. Youd certainly need a lot of BMW to outpace this Swede. Moreover, with a purposeful bodykit and a ground-hugging stance it makes anything shy of an M3 look decidedly effete.

Saab have long positioned themselves as a more free thinking alternative to the German premium brands. The 9-3 Sport Saloon finally backs up that assertion with some convincing hardware. Saab traditionalists may sniff that the quality isnt as hot as in older models and that the car rides on a Vectra chassis, but theres little doubt that the 9-3 Sport Saloon is Saabs most competent product to date. In this market, as in many others, you get what you pay for and you shouldnt therefore expect the Saab to feel like a BMW 3 Series.

Accept that and you should get along with the 9-3 Sport Saloon just fine.