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The American-owned Swedish
manufacturer of airplanes, trucks and original design
automobiles delivers this attractive turbo-charged convertible,
assembled in Austria with a German engine and Japanese
transmission! With great lines and a reputation for
reliability, what’s not to like? For starters,
the combination of the small engine and the automatic
transmission gives you a sluggish feeling. Still, the
cool four-seater packs in 210 hp, so you can get some
excitement out of it using the manual mode of the sentronic
transmission with the plus and minus shift buttons on
the steering wheel.
Now
that we worked through that one, how about the price?
With a tag approaching fifty grand with the options
and still no navigation system, you might be scared
off.
At
first we thought the ride to be a bit rough, along the
lines of a racing car, but we got used to that in the
city and on freeways. For general purpose driving, the
overall handling was good and the car felt light and
agile.
Function
and operation of the top is a cinch with no manual levers.
You can operate it at a stoplight and, if the light
turns green, continue to drive as the operation finishes.
Trunk space is okay as far as convertibles go. You can
always throw your belongings into the back seat.
Items
of convenience to note are a parking assist audible
system, an automatic CFC free climate control, a profiler
info display, a multi-function electronic key, a one-touch
open power windows switch, and a really cool 300-watt
13-speaker sound system.
Since
we are spending more and more time in our cars, comfort
and ambience have taken on greater importance. We particularly
appreciated the strong lumbar support, the four full-size
seats and the bright interior colors. Most convertibles
are dark and have a cave-like feeling: not this one,
as the top’s liner matches the light beige color
of the leather seats.
Those
of us in warm climates would have a hard time resisting
it.
 Read
a review of the 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero Convertible V6 Turbocharged
Warranty:
Three-year/72,000-mile no-charge scheduled maintenance;
ten-year perforation warranty; four-year/50,000-mile
new vehicle limited warranty.
QUICK
SHEET |
Price
as tested: $47,640 |
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Technical
Specifications |
| Vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel drive, 4-passenger, 2-door convertible
Engine: 2.0-liter, 16-valve
DOHC 4-cylinder high-output turbo
Horsepower: 210 hp
Transmission: 5-speed
Sentronic automatic
Braking: ABS, mechanical brake assist
Suspension: 4-link rear
suspension with re-axs
Handling: power assisted
rack and pinion steering, electronic stability
program, cornering brake control,
high performance tires with 17" alloy
wheels |
Top Speed: 140 mph (estimated)
0-60 mph: 7.7
seconds
EPA City: 19 mpg
EPA Highway: 28 mpg
Safety: driver and front
passenger airbags, front seat head and
torso side airbags, automatic roll-over
protection, front and rear crumple zones
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Photography:
AlphaMedia
(Updated: 07/22/08 SCV) |
