Edmunds Test Drive: 2006 Saab 9-3

[BMWDave]

Saab's Newest 9-3 Takes Flight
By Alistair Weaver
Date posted: 05-23-2005

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 Trollh?ttan 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 Trollh?ttan 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 Trollh?ttan 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.

[crv16]

Saab claims a 0-60-mph time of 6.9 seconds for the manual and 7.9 seconds for the six-speed automatic

Is this tranny the GM/Ford 6 speed auto, which I assume is used in the 500?

[SJ_GTI]

Saab claims a 0-60-mph time of 6.9 seconds for the manual and 7.9 seconds for the six-speed automatic

Is this tranny the GM/Ford 6 speed auto, which I assume is used in the 500?

I doubt it, more likely it is an Aisin unit. The previous gen 5-speed was from Aisin.

[SJ_GTI]

As for the car...I tested a 9-3 Aero 2.0T before buying my A4. In all honesty if GM would have financed me (I was a non-Canadian buying a car in Canada with only a temporary work permit) I would have bought that instead. Its a great car (I don't know what they mean by "aging chassis" in this review...I think they just like to say that about all GM cars).

Personally I think the 2.0T ecotec is still a great engine. 210 HP is nothing to sneeze at, and is still better than Audi's 2.0T. I can see why they would want to offer something with a little more "oomph" though, for bragging rights. I can't wait to drive one of these.

[93JC]

Saab claims a 0-60-mph time of 6.9 seconds for the manual and 7.9 seconds for the six-speed automatic

Is this tranny the GM/Ford 6 speed auto, which I assume is used in the 500?

I doubt it, more likely it is an Aisin unit. The previous gen 5-speed was from Aisin.

The new six-speed is indeed an Aisin.

[Raza]

At one point, a Saab held the fastest 50-75 of any road car sold in America, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like.  I believe it was the 9-3 Viggen.

[Submariner]

At one point, a Saab held the fastest 50-75 of any road car sold in America, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like.  I believe it was the 9-3 Viggen.

Low-end torque?

The Merc E-55 is up there for fastest 50-70 trap time, mostly due to the silly amount of twist that it makes just off idle.

[Lebowski]

At one point, a Saab held the fastest 50-75 of any road car sold in America, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like.  I believe it was the 9-3 Viggen.

Do you mean actual 50-70, or that top-gear bullshit C/D includes (which is basically a measure of how tall the top gear is for manuals, and for automatics they don't correct for the fact that it downshifts)?

[Raghavan]

2.8l and a turbo seems like a lot for only 250 hp... and this car should have AWD. it wouldn't hurt saab because they've already broken their FWD tradition by the 9-2x.

[BMWDave]

2.8l and a turbo seems like a lot for only 250 hp... and this car should have AWD. it wouldn't hurt saab because they've already broken their FWD tradition by the 9-2x.

The 9-2X comes with Subaru Symmetrical All Wheel Drive (might be an option, but I know its available).

[ifcar]

2.8l and a turbo seems like a lot for only 250 hp... and this car should have AWD. it wouldn't hurt saab because they've already broken their FWD tradition by the 9-2x.

The 9-2X comes with Subaru Symmetrical All Wheel Drive (might be an option, but I know its available).

How would it be an option? It's an Impreza, and no Subaru uses a simple FWD-based AWD setup. Completely redesigning that would undermine the idea of the 9-2X: a new car that Saab can sell with little development costs.

[BMWDave]

2.8l and a turbo seems like a lot for only 250 hp... and this car should have AWD. it wouldn't hurt saab because they've already broken their FWD tradition by the 9-2x.

The 9-2X comes with Subaru Symmetrical All Wheel Drive (might be an option, but I know its available).

How would it be an option? It's an Impreza, and no Subaru uses a simple FWD-based AWD setup. Completely redesigning that would undermine the idea of the 9-2X: a new car that Saab can sell with little development costs.

Doesnt an Impreza have AWD?

[SJ_GTI]

2.8l and a turbo seems like a lot for only 250 hp... and this car should have AWD. it wouldn't hurt saab because they've already broken their FWD tradition by the 9-2x.

Its a very light pressure turbo, hence the power range of 1500-5000 RPM. This is in contrast to a car like the Subaru Legacy which doesn't get its peak torque until about 3000 RPM. Its a trade-off for high-peak power or a large spread of power just off idle. Since its a luxury/sports sedan (and not just a sports car or sports sedan) I think they made the right choice for now. I would say it should be simple for them to increase output in later years if/when competitors start adding more HP.

As for AWD I kind of agree with you. The 210 HP ecotec felt natural through the front wheels of the Aero I drove, but I could see 250 Hp being a bit unwieldy. Of course only a test drive will let me know for sure.

[Raghavan]

2.8l and a turbo seems like a lot for only 250 hp... and this car should have AWD. it wouldn't hurt saab because they've already broken their FWD tradition by the 9-2x.

The 9-2X comes with Subaru Symmetrical All Wheel Drive (might be an option, but I know its available).

How would it be an option? It's an Impreza, and no Subaru uses a simple FWD-based AWD setup. Completely redesigning that would undermine the idea of the 9-2X: a new car that Saab can sell with little development costs.

Doesnt an Impreza have AWD?

Yes, and it's standard. No Impreza has 2wd.

[Raghavan]

2.8l and a turbo seems like a lot for only 250 hp... and this car should have AWD. it wouldn't hurt saab because they've already broken their FWD tradition by the 9-2x.

Its a very light pressure turbo, hence the power range of 1500-5000 RPM. This is in contrast to a car like the Subaru Legacy which doesn't get its peak torque until about 3000 RPM. Its a trade-off for high-peak power or a large spread of power just off idle. Since its a luxury/sports sedan (and not just a sports car or sports sedan) I think they made the right choice for now. I would say it should be simple for them to increase output in later years if/when competitors start adding more HP.

As for AWD I kind of agree with you. The 210 HP ecotec felt natural through the front wheels of the Aero I drove, but I could see 250 Hp being a bit unwieldy. Of course only a test drive will let me know for sure.

I would think that Saab engineers could get 250hp out of 2.8l easily witout the turbo. The turbo just adds weight, and wouldn't the power delivery be more predictable witout the turbo? and it'd probably be less reliable with the turbo, allthough this may not be the case with the saab because it's a light-pressure turbo.

[SJ_GTI]

250 HP from a N/A 2.8 is possible, but it would be fairly high-revving. Honda gets 240 out of its 3.0, and BMW is getting 255 from its 3.0, and Audi is getting 255 from its 3.1, but I don't know anyone that is getting 250 from less than 3.0 litres (outside of very expensive cars like Porsche's).

The key though is that while 250 peak HP doesn't sound like alot, the fact that you have ~250 lb-ft of toque from 1500-5000 RPM means the engine will feel more powerful than most competition.

For comparison my Audi's 170 HP engine feels more powerful under most circumstances than my mother's 200 HP TSX. That's because it does in fact have more HP (or very close) in the RPM range most cars use (2000-5000). Those extra 30 Horses in my mother's TSX only come into play when you rev the car beyond 5000 or so RPM.

As for reliability...Saab is pretty good with Turbo's so my guess is that it will have "average" relaibility.

[Raghavan]

250 HP from a N/A 2.8 is possible, but it would be fairly high-revving. Honda gets 240 out of its 3.0, and BMW is getting 255 from its 3.0, and Audi is getting 255 from its 3.1, but I don't know anyone that is getting 250 from less than 3.0 litres (outside of very expensive cars like Porsche's).

Mazda gets 238hp from a 1.3l...  

[Raza]

At one point, a Saab held the fastest 50-75 of any road car sold in America, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like.  I believe it was the 9-3 Viggen.

Do you mean actual 50-70, or that top-gear bullshit C/D includes (which is basically a measure of how tall the top gear is for manuals, and for automatics they don't correct for the fact that it downshifts)?

I'll ask Miro.

[Raghavan]

At one point, a Saab held the fastest 50-75 of any road car sold in America, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like.  I believe it was the 9-3 Viggen.

REally? that's sweet!

[BMWDave]

250 HP from a N/A 2.8 is possible, but it would be fairly high-revving. Honda gets 240 out of its 3.0, and BMW is getting 255 from its 3.0, and Audi is getting 255 from its 3.1, but I don't know anyone that is getting 250 from less than 3.0 litres (outside of very expensive cars like Porsche's).

Mazda gets 238hp from a 1.3l...

Thats a rotary, which is a very different engine.

[Raghavan]

250 HP from a N/A 2.8 is possible, but it would be fairly high-revving. Honda gets 240 out of its 3.0, and BMW is getting 255 from its 3.0, and Audi is getting 255 from its 3.1, but I don't know anyone that is getting 250 from less than 3.0 litres (outside of very expensive cars like Porsche's).

Mazda gets 238hp from a 1.3l...

Thats a rotary, which is a very different engine.

hence the smiley at the end....  

[Raza]

2.8l and a turbo seems like a lot for only 250 hp... and this car should have AWD. it wouldn't hurt saab because they've already broken their FWD tradition by the 9-2x.

The 9-2X comes with Subaru Symmetrical All Wheel Drive (might be an option, but I know its available).

How would it be an option? It's an Impreza, and no Subaru uses a simple FWD-based AWD setup. Completely redesigning that would undermine the idea of the 9-2X: a new car that Saab can sell with little development costs.

Doesnt an Impreza have AWD?

All Subarus do.

[cozmik]

I want the S60R I drove today, that car was sweeeeeeet.  


Still though, on paper this will look better to potential buyers. From some of what I have read though, real world performance doesn't differ that drastically from the 2.0T.  :)  

[Raza]

I want the S60R I drove today, that car was sweeeeeeet.  


Still though, on paper this will look better to potential buyers. From some of what I have read though, real world performance doesn't differ that drastically from the 2.0T.  :)

The Saab 9-3 Arc I drove supposed did 0-60 in the low 7s, so it's close.

The S60R is awesome, but for the price, I'd have to compare it to the 330i, and I don't know if it can come out on top.  I love the car, but it's not particularly luxurious (the 3 series does a better job), it's not incredibly fast (a 25K WRX matches it, the 330 should do the same).  AWD is a plus, but only if you like AWD.  Also, the stick is funky, and the turbo five can't sound orchestral.

[BMWDave]

I want the S60R I drove today, that car was sweeeeeeet. 


Still though, on paper this will look better to potential buyers. From some of what I have read though, real world performance doesn't differ that drastically from the 2.0T.  :)

The Saab 9-3 Arc I drove supposed did 0-60 in the low 7s, so it's close.

The S60R is awesome, but for the price, I'd have to compare it to the 330i, and I don't know if it can come out on top.  I love the car, but it's not particularly luxurious (the 3 series does a better job), it's not incredibly fast (a 25K WRX matches it, the 330 should do the same).  AWD is a plus, but only if you like AWD.  Also, the stick is funky, and the turbo five can't sound orchestral.

Its still an attractive car, even if it competes with a 330i.  I would pick the new 330i over it, but I still love the S60R.  Its very good looking, and its extremely comfortable.