2003 SAAB 9-3 Linear review from North America

Hand brake wouldn't disengage at 2,000 miles. Fixed under warranty.

Seats are very comfortable.

Adult passengers (some rather large) have insisted that three are fine in rear, though I doubt they'd be happy for hours. Cargo space is also very good, with convenient, innovative rear seat releases.

Some interior plastics don't feel as solid as they should, but overall quality and thoughtfulness are quite good. Console cup holder is perfect fit for wine bottle.

One might expect a better standard audio system. It's fine if you listen to NPR/BBC Radio 4, not if you like your techno loud.

Heating/cooling is superb. Just make sure you buy heated seats--I forgot and regret.

Car has very good acceleration, normally. There have been a few times, when I've been certain that I'm in the appropriate gear, where it didn't respond quickly. Gas mileage has been 27-31 with 80% city driving and lots of idling--impressive for class.

Shift isn't as nice as Fords and VW I've had, but still fine, except it stalls easily--without a warning stammer it simply stalls.

As time has gone on, I keep finding pleasant touches: When intermittent wipers are switched for increased frequency, they wipe immediately, as though to understand that the reason for need for increased wiper frequency means you need it to wipe now.

Rear fog light is very handy and surprisingly effective for having tailgaters back off.

The safety features, crash test results are unsurpassed. This is my first car with an anti-skid system, a nice feature to have in Michigan. Testing it, I hit the cul-de-sac on which I live going 30 mph on ice and snow. Without tapping the brakes, the car broke and corrected the skids to circle the cul-de-sac rather than endear me to my neighbors by driving over their front yard.

Brakes are tremendous.

If stolen or totaled, I can't think of a better value or suitable alternative to another Saab 9-3. It makes me smile nearly every day.

This will have been the last car actually engineered and designed by Saab (not Vauxhall/Opel) engineers and designers (who have all been dismissed) : Very sad news indeed.