Saab 900 / 9-3 Convertible (1994 - 2003)
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
What is it in the mere act of decapitating a car that instantly boosts its appeal? Show most prospective customers a used Saab 900 and 9-3 and theyll agree that its a well-built, intriguingly detailed hunk of Swedish functionality but its unlikely that theyll consider what lengths theyd go to get hold of one. Lop the roof off and youre instantly confronted with a motif of upward social mobility, something thats hugely desirable and is in steady demand on the used market. In this green, pleasant and frequently damp land, its not easy to make a case for convertible cars. Indeed, when viewed dispassionately, they dont seem to make a lot of sense.
Try telling that to Saab owners, though. With over 25,000 soft topped Saabs having found UK buyers in the last fifteen years, when many people think about a premium soft-top saloon, Saab seems to be on the money. With over 150,000 9-3 Convertibles sold worldwide, Saab dominates the market sector here in Britain, with almost every other four-door convertible sold being a Saab 9-3. Surprised? Consider this.
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Its 900 forebear was no less successful and has established a good range of used models from which to select. Just be prepared to pay a considerable premium over what youd expect to pay for an arguably more competent tin-top version.
As far as the 900 Convertible is concerned, you can bank on archetypal Saab features. These cars are built for freezing Swedish winters and North American summers Saab's two big markets. So you can expect the cars to have been designed to cope with almost anything you can throw at them. Build quality, safety and crash-worthiness are priorities for the Swedes and the 900 excels in all three categories. Turbos and V6s are fast but not too furious, while the normal 2.
0-litre cars are honest and dependable transport, if not exactly capital-F fun machines. Equipment is good on all models; standard spec consists of ABS, electrically heated and powered mirrors, electric windows and driver's airbag. The SEs add air conditioning, alloy wheels and cruise control The 9-3 Convertible models display some evidence of being toned down in the wackiness stakes by parent company GM but the quirky DNA is still in evidence. You are still faced with a sheer wall of dashboard, the ignition key still slots home just ahead of the handbrake, and the chrome grille is in the classic wing shape. The Saab core values of safety and reliability havent gone amiss either, with the cars still feeling bulletproof and a number of considered safety features being incorporated.
These include twin front and side airbags on all models and SAHR, the Saab Active Head Restraint that aims to reduce whiplash injuries. In addition to championing these values, the all-turbocharged 9-3 range also looks to trump its German rivals in terms of value for money. Comparing a 9-3 Convertibles value proposition to that of a soft top BMW 3 Series its not too difficult to see why Saab establishes such impressive open car sales figures.
The desirability of the Convertible option is highlighted by the fact that the opening price for a Saab 900 2.0i S on a 1995 M plate is around £5,200 whereas its three-door hardtop sibling would struggle to make £2,200 on the average forecourt. Opt for a more desirable 2.0-litre turbocharged 1994M-plated SE model and youll need to find around £5,800.
Similar vintage 2.3-litre cars open at £5,300 in SE trim whilst an automatic 2.5-litre SE spec car is worth around £6,200. If its a 9-3 you hanker after, prices are still buoyant, inflated by the fact that it still looks very similar to a 2002 model year car.
This means that youll need to be able to dredge at least £7,850 from somewhere to see your name on the V5 of a 1998 S-registered 9-3 2.0t SE and if you hanker for the bigger bang of a capital T, your 9-3 2.0T sticker price will usually read around £8,525 for an SE trim with a £700 premium for an auto box. Opt for an Aero model and youll need £5,675 for a 1999 V-registered manual car, or £5,675 for a similar vintage Viggen.
Insurance ranges from Group 10 for the 2.0i models right up to Group 17 for the powerful Viggens.
One area which 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. 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 on the 9-3 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 1998 9-3 2.0i Convertible) 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 head on with the BMW 3 Series and Audis A4. A clutch assembly is in the region of £250, and brake pads are £50 a set for the fronts and £35 a pair at the back.
A radiator is a fairly reasonable £200, 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.
If theres a chink in the 900 and 9-3s armour it comes in the shape of their handling. The chassis isnt notably resistant to flex and youll have to put up with a wobbly rear view mirror and a creaking scuttle as you corner and traverse surface irregularities. The 9-3 feels slightly better in this regard to the 900 which has an uneasy feeling of articulation, but neither will appeal to the keen driver. Whats more, the exciting sports models are exciting for the wrong reasons.
Any car trying to deploy 230bhp through its front wheels is on a sticky wicket and the Viggen models of the 9-3 range were never the happiest handlers, displaying chronic torque steer the condition where the car seems to veer about as its wheels scrabble for grip. Unless you find enormous tyre bills amusing, its best to stick to cars with engines no more powerful than the 185bhp 2.0T. The 2.
0T models are a different story. Smooth, refined and well equipped, they are definitely the pick of the range. The turbocharged engine despatches the 0-60 increment in just 7.1 seconds on its way to a 138mph top speed fast enough for most.
The 2.0t motor is also worth seeking out.
Four door convertibles tend to be constructed around a number of compromises and often conflicting customer requirements. They must be spacious yet stylish, safe yet with a raffish carefree image and must also be affordable without gaining a downmarket tag. The 900 and 9-3 Convertibles have consistently managed to span these diverse criteria better than any other and thats why they sell so well. The base two-litre turbocharged models in both ranges are probably the cars to go for, but whichever model you choose, style, if not exclusivity, has always been a standard feature.
