Faults:

The most worrying thing about this car is finding spare parts, which are extremely expensive and difficult to obtain, making maintenance quite complicated. Even the smallest detail comes at a high cost; the price you pay for a well-made car with top-quality materials.

The turbocharger can have problems if you don't use a good quality oil; it happened to me at the beginning.

The most serious problem I had was with the springs and defects in the fuel pump, making the suspension uncomfortable while driving. It cost me several headaches to fix it, but once I did, the problem disappeared.

General Comments:

Despite having only two doors, not counting the trunk access door, its exterior dimensions were identical to those of the five-door model, while maintaining its spacious interior. Its pronounced coupé lines didn't compromise headroom for rear passengers, thanks to a roof that was practically flat up to the beginning of the rear window, which had a gentle slope and a vertical finish.

The generous bumpers, painted the same color as the body, formed substantial and symmetrical overhangs that lent it a certain visual balance.

Its build quality was very high, without neglecting passenger comfort. The interior space was generous, especially for rear passengers, an aspect often overlooked in this type of vehicle. The driver's seat was quite ergonomic, with a traditional instrument panel, notably including a turbo pressure gauge. The center console was packed with controls and buttons.

The SE trim level was comprehensive, featuring standard equipment such as automatic climate control, central locking, power windows, power mirrors, height-adjustable steering wheel and driver's seat, interior trunk release, rear air vents, alloy wheels, headlight washers, rear window wiper, fog lights, driver's airbag, seatbelts with pretensioners, and rear headrests.

The engine is another of the car's best qualities. It's a 2-liter (1,985 cc) inline four-cylinder engine with a cast iron block and an alloy cylinder head. Valve train consisted of two overhead camshafts driven by a chain, and it had four valves per cylinder. Fuel delivery was via electronic injection, a turbocharger, and an intercooler. For a turbocharged engine, the manufacturer had managed to achieve good low-end response and flexible performance across a wide rev range. However, its turbo boost was noticeable from 3,500 RPM upwards, giving it incredible agility during overtaking maneuvers.

The suspension is firm, though not harsh. The front axle featured an independent McPherson strut setup with coil springs, hydraulic dampers, and a stabilizer bar; the rear had a semi-independent axle with a Panhard rod and reaction arms. It achieved a good balance between safety and comfort, but its handling on winding roads was compromised due to a loss of grip when the accelerator was pressed carelessly. It's surprising that it didn't have an anti-skid system.

The biggest drawback is the fuel consumption, which is very high, both in the city and on the highway. It's clearly a car designed for Sweden, where (as in the US) diesel has never been popular and fuel economy has never been a priority.

In any case, owning or owning a car like this is more of a luxury than a practical vehicle.

Faults:

Engine coolant hose split.

Rear brake bulb failed.

Dash rheostat switch failed.

Driver's door kickplate cover came loose.

Cd autochanger would periodically jump track for no reason.

General Comments:

Mine was a black one with 16" alloys and fully colour coded, I really like the shape of these old Saabs, it's a very classic shape and seems to be a lot more timeless than stuff like Mondeos and Vectras from the same era.

Plus points first -- Very torquey engine, nice and quiet at a cruise with very little wind noise, good kickdown response in sport mode from the auto box.

Handling is reasonable and grip good from the 205 width tyres I had, brakes are fantastic and very reassuring.

Mine had a really good info display that came in very handy when it informed me of a "low coolant level" warning and made a loud bonging noise that frightened me half to death! If it hadn't been for this I probably wouldn't have realised and possibly overheated the engine.

The trip computer was also very accurate with the mpg readout, I don't always trust these things, especially on older cars, but this was about as spot on as you'd need, for the record I averaged anywhere from 28-30mpg on average, which I think is OK.

The cruise control was very easy to use and a lot better laid out than on some other cars I've owned.

Final big plus point for me was a really big boot with a low loading sill, with plenty of space for my 35 kilo boxer dog!

Number one negative I think had to be the steering feel and the fact the steering wheel had reach but not rake adjustment, I sit low and always felt like the steering wheel was too high, I'd far rather have tilt adjust than reach adjust and can't understand why so many manufacturers fitted only reach on this era of car, of course, now they've all got reach and rake.

The steering is very lacking in feel and it's hard to tell what the front wheels are up to sometimes.

The ride was a bit too firm for my liking and it did struggle on bumpy country roads sometimes, not surprising really bearing in mind it's a Cavalier based chassis. My dads got an 02-reg 9-3 and they improved the ride quite a lot when they changed to the 9-3 in '98.

Another niggly point was that in economy mode the auto could be a bit too reluctant to change down a gear, and it was necessary to use sport mode more than I would've liked to in everyday driving.

Packaging wise, although the boot is big, rear seat legroom leaves a bit to be desired and the cabin's definitely too narrow, another hang up from its Cavalier underpinnings I guess.

Overall though I've got fond memories of this car, it felt like it'd go on forever and I'd happily have another, or a 9-3, maybe a Turbo next time!

Replaced by an X-reg Omega, which I've got to say, mainly feels lightyears ahead on most counts, although I do miss that Saab-ness!