Review: 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero

[Perian]

Link: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadt...0/article.html
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First Drive: 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero
Saab's Newest 9-3 Takes Flight / By Alistair Weaver

Sometimes it pays to view a car in its home location. Just as Hyundais look strangely conservative in South Korea and Land Rover Defenders look authentic in Tanzania, so Saabs make sense in Sweden. Take a stroll in Saab's quiet, understated hometown of Trollhättan and you start to understand why someone could prefer the subtle, cultured appeal of the Saab 9-3 to the more obvious charms of BMW's 3 Series.

Scandinavian conservatism is at the heart of everything Saab does, including the 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero. According to the PR blurb, this is the fastest accelerating road car that the carmaker has ever built, but the Aero doesn't so much shout it from the rooftops as whisper it in a quiet sing-song voice. Only the new alloys and revised twin exhaust pipes will inform the dedicated Saab spotter that the hood hides a new 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 and not one of Saab's familiar four-pots.

The Joy of Six
This new engine owes its existence to the U.S. market, where 64 percent of "entry luxury" cars boast six combustion chambers. The 2,792cc unit is based on GM's new global V6 architecture, but as GM's designated center of excellence for turbocharging, the engineers at Trollhättan played a significant role in the unit's genesis.

Boasting all-aluminum construction, the engine is fed by a single twin-scroll Mitsubishi turbocharger operating at a maximum boost pressure of 0.6 bar. There's also electronically controlled variable valve timing on the inlet camshaft for a more flexible, efficient power delivery. The mechanics are governed by Saab's own engine management software that's capable of limiting the engine's torque in slippery driving conditions. That could come in useful given that all 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque are fed through the front wheels.

That torque figure is the key to this car's personality and its role in life. Ninety percent of peak torque is available at just 1,500 rpm and that healthy maximum is on offer all the way from 2,000-4,500 rpm. Not even BMW's 3.0-liter six can match such unwavering flexibility.

Saab claims a 0-60-mph time of 6.9 seconds for the manual and 7.9 seconds for the six-speed automatic, but more significant is the revelation that it will pull from 50-75 mph in sixth gear in 8.3 seconds. In the real world, this translates into impressive overtaking potential.

Tasty Swede
The roads around the Saab plant in Trollhättan are irritatingly smooth. If you really want to test a powerful front-driver's ability to deploy its power, then you want pockmarked blacktop, not curves that could have been pinched from a racetrack. We'll therefore have to reserve ultimate judgment on the Aero's dynamics until the first cars arrive Stateside in October.

Initial impressions, though, suggest that Saab has learned its lessons since it unleashed the 9-3 Viggen in the late '90s. That car was to torque steer what Michael Jackson is to facial surgery, but the new Aero is dramatically better. Make a lunge for the gas pedal and the 9-3 propels itself straight toward the horizon with undisguised glee. There's little tire scrabble — in the dry at least — and impressive composure at higher velocities.

Our test car was an automatic sedan and although the Asin AW transmission slipped smoothly from cog to cog, the upchanges felt slightly tardy under full acceleration. The auto also features a sequential shift facility but the enthusiast's choice may prove to be the six-speed manual. Neither gearbox will improve the engine note, though, which remains disappointingly flat, despite Saab's exhaust tuning exertions.

Same Again, Sven
The rest of the Aero experience will be familiar to drivers of the existing 9-3. The ride quality on these smooth roads felt predictably good and the pleasingly quick steering lends the car a direct, easy-to-point feel. It is fun to drive, although the Saab's aging GM chassis and the limitations of front-wheel drive mean that it lacks the ultimate finesse of a 3 Series, or Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The interior remains a haven of good taste, and detail improvements to the trim have given the quality a welcome boost. It might lack the elegant simplicity of an Audi cabin, but the Saab's busier design has a distinctive, contemporary feel. And some of the detailing is terrific — the novelty of "joystick" air vent controls will take a long time to wear off. Add ultracomfortable seats to the mix and the 9-3's cabin becomes an appealing place in which to spend time.

More Than One Way to Cook a Swede
Cabriolet and sedan versions of the Aero go on sale here in October, with the new Sport Combi wagon joining the mix in December. Prices are yet to be confirmed but Saab is predicting a $1,000 premium over the existing four-cylinder Aero, with the sedan starting at under $35,000.

There can be no doubting that the new turbo V6 provides a welcome boost to the 9-3 range and Saab US expects the Aero mix to grow from 11 percent to around 20 percent of total 9-3 sales. The 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero is a distinctive alternative, with enough power-at-a-price to keep all the smart money from leaning toward a BMW 3 Series.

[Perian]

Originally Posted by Perian

The 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero is a distinctive alternative, with enough power-at-a-price to keep all the smart money from leaning toward a BMW 3 Series.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by Perian

Same Again, Sven
The rest of the Aero experience will be familiar to drivers of the existing 9-3. The ride quality on these smooth roads felt predictably good and the pleasingly quick steering lends the car a direct, easy-to-point feel. It is fun to drive, although the Saab's aging GM chassis and the limitations of front-wheel drive mean that it lacks the ultimate finesse of a 3 Series, or Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

Aging chassis??? It's only 3 years old!! It's one of the newest in GM's entire lineup.
Yeah... FWD may not give you the finesse of a 3-series.... but ya know what? The way Saab engineers have worked over their cars, it will give you 90% of that finesse for $7,000 cheaper than a BMW.

The interior remains a haven of good taste, and detail improvements to the trim have given the quality a welcome boost. It might lack the elegant simplicity of an Audi cabin, but the Saab's busier design has a distinctive, contemporary feel. And some of the detailing is terrific — the novelty of "joystick" air vent controls will take a long time to wear off. Add ultracomfortable seats to the mix and the 9-3's cabin becomes an appealing place in which to spend time.

I don't find AUdi interiors elegantly simple. I definitely agree witht he interior of the 9-3. It's one of GM's best. There's a distinct lack of cheap plastic. And the design is clean and simple. The designers did go a little button happy though. And let's not forget teh butterfly cup holder.

More Than One Way to Cook a Swede
Cabriolet and sedan versions of the Aero go on sale here in October, with the new Sport Combi wagon joining the mix in December. Prices are yet to be confirmed but Saab is predicting a $1,000 premium over the existing four-cylinder Aero, with the sedan starting at under $35,000.

That's not too bad at all.

[RWD60]

not bad... definately competitive with the TL and other FWD ~35k sedans... though it would be nice to have AWD and some more power (Viggen anyone??) to really mess with the 3 and G35, though that in turn would hurt the CTS.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by RWD60

not bad... definately competitive with the TL and other FWD ~35k sedans... though it would be nice to have AWD and some more power (Viggen anyone??) to really mess with the 3 and G35, though that in turn would hurt the CTS.

I don't think Saab 9-3 sales would really affect CTS. They are more complementary than competitive.. CTS is also a larger car. Realize that they are the only 2 premium sports sedans that GM has for under $35K.

[TaHoE]

I agree, I think a more powerful 9-3 would only be beneficial to General Motors. The CTS and 9-3 are absolutely complimentary in their relationship, and both excellent vehicles.

[scchris]

I don't think I've EVER heard anyone say the phrase "elegant simplicity of an audi"???

Elegant, probably.
Simple??

[AdmiralViscen]

Aging GM chassis? Yea, media bias is a bogeyman.

[jro4566]

Overall the 9-3 seemed to give Edmunds a good impression. I'm a little dissappointed with how the 6-speed auto gives the new engine a 7.9 second run to 60, a whole second longer than the automatic, but most drives will probably car less.

I've always liked Swedish cars, there's definitely an elegant simplicity in them. Makes me realize how much I miss my old Volvo.

[Buick61]

Originally Posted by AdmiralViscen

Aging GM chassis? Yea, media bias is a bogeyman.

To be fair, it's an overwhelmingly positive article. "Aging GM Chassis" is about the only thing in it that I thought someone would jump on, and I was right.

The Epsilon is halfway through its life cycle. Epislon II will be here by the end of the decade. So, while it's not old or outdated, I guess you could say it's in the process of aging.

And the author didn't really say whether or not the chassis was good or bad, just that it was getting on in age. While I do think it was an unnecessary statement, it , however, wasn't all that damaging in the context of the article.

[Phillip]

Originally Posted by RCtennis3811

Overall the 9-3 seemed to give Edmunds a good impression. I'm a little dissappointed with how the 6-speed auto gives the new engine a 7.9 second run to 60, a whole second longer than the automatic, but most drives will probably car less.

Perhaps I've read wrong, but those are Saab's estimates, not actual test times. I'm not sure if this is true for Saab, but some automakers tend to make extremely conservative claims...

[bigdaddycoats]

Originally Posted by RCtennis3811

Overall the 9-3 seemed to give Edmunds a good impression. I'm a little dissappointed with how the 6-speed auto gives the new engine a 7.9 second run to 60, a whole second longer than the automatic, but most drives will probably car less.

I've always liked Swedish cars, there's definitely an elegant simplicity in them. Makes me realize how much I miss my old Volvo.

The listed 0-60sec. time is pretty sad. I was hoping for under 7 sec. Edmunds managed a 8.1 time with an auto Linear model. I wonder what gives?

[AdmiralViscen]

The point is that he liked the car as a Saab despite being a GM vehicle. It was a stab at GM while patting one of its non-mainstream cars on the back.

3 years is not aging, even if the car is going to be redone in two or three years. Whole new platforms are not devised every 5 years.

[IAMCANADIAN]

Aging platform my ass, the C-Class is a much older chassis so is the 1999-2005 3-Series, give me a break. We own a 9-3 and 0-60 in 7.9 seconds with auto doesn't make sense, our linear 2.0L L4 with auto gets around 8.1 seconds in 0-60. I don't understand why people think the 9-3 has a well built interior it isn't that impressive for the price, the car rattles over bumps, we've had interior trim pieces replaced because of faulty rubberized paint that peels off, otherwise it's okay.

[1BadPig]

Originally Posted by bigdaddycoats

The listed 0-60sec. time is pretty sad. I was hoping for under 7 sec. Edmunds managed a 8.1 time with an auto Linear model. I wonder what gives?

As it was stated elsewhere on this forum, Edmunds' test drivers seemed to have problems planting the right foot.