2004 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2004 Saab 9-3?
The 2004 Saab 9-3 bares all with a new top-down convertible model. Sharing the same redesigned platform that the sedan received for 2003, the convertible is motivated by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 175 horsepower in Arc standard tune or 210 horsepower in the Aero performance model. According to Saab, the fully automatic top raises or lowers in 20 seconds. The 2004 Saab 9-3 convertible is also equipped with a rollover protection system that integrates pop-up roll bars and reinforced A-pillars to save the skulls of occupants if the 9-3 turns turtle. For the sedan, the top-level performance trim, previously known as Vector, has been re-christened the Aero. You can now opt for bi-Xenon headlamps as a stand-alone option.

Advantages of the 2004 Saab 9-3:

• Comfortable and roomy front seats
• Sedan or convertible format
• Good gas mileage
• Impressive handling with Aero models

Objections to the 2004 Saab 9-3:

• Peaky power delivery with turbo engines
• Wonky control ergonomics, especially the stereo
• With convertible, still too much wiggle and jiggle down twisty, undulating roads
• Build quality, materials and construction, and cabin creaks don’t present convincing argument that this is a luxury car worthy of its sticker price

Editor's Advice:
Saabs have always appealed to those who march to the beat of a different drummer; the marque’s esoteric nature has long been one of the biggest allures for devotees of the brand. But sales were stuck in neutral, so last year’s redesign of the Saab 9-3 toned down its traditional character and added more mainstream appeal, resulting in a handsome if somewhat bland car to behold. Indeed, sales of Saabs are reaching record highs in North America, thanks in part to a strong showing by the redesigned 9-3. Still, we’re unconvinced that the Saab 9-3 is a luxury car. Obvious bits and pieces display perceived design and/or materials shortcuts, the 9-3 transmits plenty of road noise into the cabin, the convertible exhibits a surprising amount of wiggle and jiggle with the top down and we’ve experienced minor electrical gremlins in our test cars. Plus, let’s face facts – a luxury car doesn’t have a four-cylinder engine, not in North America. Typically, we feel that the sticker prices of Saabs are about 20 percent higher than the market will bear, which explains why they are often discounted or leased at impossibly high residual values. While not exactly a competitor to our favorites in the segment – the Acura TL, the Audi A4, the BMW 3-Series, the Cadillac CTS, the Infiniti G35 and the Lexus IS 300 – in terms of overall refinement and sporting manners, the 2004 Saab 9-3 nevertheless continues to deliver a comfortable and quirky Swedish mode of transportation for anti-establishment types, only now in a plain brown wrapper.