Am reception was poor due to bad antenna.
Fixed by Saab dealer.
I love the vehicle thus far.
Time will tell how reliable it is.
The performance of the 2.0 Turbo is amazing.
I'm astounded how much performance Saab has gotten out of the 2.0 liter four!
Very smooth & quiet, both with the top up or down.
The interior is well appointed. Quality materials are used throughout.
The seats are very comfortable. I can't wait to take it on a long trip!
The vehicle handles wonderfully.
Very nice sound system, but CD's tend to skip a bit over road irregularities.
Although it does exhibit a bit more cowl shake over rough roads than my old VW Cabriolet, it really is not bad at all considering the VW has a built in roll bar. I've driven Chrysler Sebring Convertibles as well as the Volvo C70 convertible and older Saabs that exhibited more cowl shake.
You have to get used to the reduced rear visability with the top up, but it is really no worse then most convertibles (with the exception of the VW Cabriolet).
It does ride much more comfortably than my VW.
It is a very well put together and a very comfortable convertible. The fit & finish is excellent (which it should be on a vehicle that had an original MSRP of over $42,000). I certainly hope that the Saab/GM marriage doesn't diminish the quality & character of this wonderful European marque.
It is very tight, not a drop of water entered the passenger compartment when I took it through a touchless car wash.
I also looked at the Volvo C70 convertible, which was very nice, when considering this purchase, but I preferred the power & handling of the Saab.
I really enjoy my Saab 93 Convertible.
The power & handling are quite good. Fuel consumption averages about 19 mpg in mixed driving, and in the mid-20's
on the highway.
Considering the amazing power this car has (205 hp), and the fact that it is equipped with an automatic transmission, I find this to be acceptable.
Contrary to what I have read on this site, the Saab dealership's service department has been outstanding.
This makes a world of difference to me, and will keep me driving Saabs for years to come.
I've had terrible experiences with other dealership's service departments. Mostly Chrysler-Jeep dealers though.
It seems Chrysler Corp. has to learn how to treat customers.
I've owned 4 Jeeps, 2 brand new, and it seems every time I brought one to a dealer for service, it turned out to be a horror story. (Bad transmission -"normal", electrical problems "can't duplicate" shaking through the steering wheel "normal" poorly functioning brakes "normal" etc. etc. And once I even caught a technician burning rubber out of the shop in my new $30k plus Liberty) This is enough to keep me from buying a new Jeep again. (Unless of course I can find a dealership with a decent service department, but I'm not counting on it).
It is refreshing to find a make that I enjoy & a service department that actually listens to your issues, and most importantly, takes care of them.
On a recent trip from Boston to Philadelphia and back, my Saab 9-3 Convertible averaged 27 mpg. Very impressive indeed!
And a very, very, comfortable trip!
I love this car!!!!!
I am the original reviewer, and I must correct one statement that I made.
I stated that the Saab 9-3 Convertible exhibited more cowl shake than my previous VW Cabriolet. I must add, that I found that one of the alloy wheels was out of round, and since replacing the wheel with a new one, the vehicle exhibits very little cowl shake. True, you feel a bit over rough surfaces, but not much at all. The Saab 9-3 truly is a well-rounded
convertible.
Yes it is.
Well-rounded, sporty, fast & comfortable.
Plus they look great too!
The Saab 9-3 also gets my vote as the nicest convertible on the market. Most underrated, as well.
Anti-GM types just don't know what they are missing.
I don't understand all of the bad reviews. My Saab 9-3 is a fantastic car!
Quick update - nearly a year and a half since my original review, and my 9-3 continues to be a delight.
Thus far no major issues at all. It continues to perform reliably, and is a very comfortable vehicle.
I was at my Saab dealer's for an oil change recently and noticed a brand new 9-3 convertible in the showroom. The new Saabs are very nice looking vehicles, but one thing I took note of was the interior.
The cockpit was laid out very nicely, however the interior materials seemed a bit cheap with far too much plastic for such an expensive vehicle. I guess that GM is cutting a few (too many) corners.
Perhaps they should take a look at how nicely Toyota builds their Lexuses, and make the interiors in their premium brands more like that, than looking like a vehicle destined for use as a rental car.
The Saab 9-3 reviewed here continues to perform flawlessly.
Highway mpg is actually in the high 20's (around 28 mpg) the power & handling of this Saab continue to amaze me.
Reliability has been excellent.
Best car I've ever owned!
Original reviewer again - I just returned from a 2 day 750 mile trip (Massachusetts to Pennsylvania & back) in my Saab 9-3 convertible. Not only was the entire trip very comfortable, but my Saab returned 31 mpg for the entire trip.
I'm still extremely happy with my 9-3.
I've been reading these comments and reviews for some time now. I purchased a used 93 Cabrio with 86K miles in May 2009. Looks, feels and drives like it's new. Car looks like it was new in the upper U.S. or Canada, there's snow evidence, salt deposits...
The handling is truly superb. Gas mileage is about 30MPG,... I've seen all the horror reviews and comments on multiple sites, but the only thing I worry about is the unreliability of the starting... crankshaft position sensor??? The dreaded service engine soon light just will not stay off. I've not invested any money in eliminating it yet. All the reviews and web-sites say this is a waste. I do seem to make it go off, not knowing what I did to do so. From a start, it will crank after two turns, consistently, but then when least expected, it will not start from off like the battery is dead or weak... Any advice regarding that light would be most appreciated...
Cool93cabboy.
Are you talking about the Service Reminder that displays in the center readout, or the Check Engine Light?
If it's the center readout saying that it is time for service, it just simply needs to be reset. It should be reset after every oil change.
Had a 2003 9-3 convertible Viggen clone and loved it! Still stylish after all these years.
Nov 2007 my wife was in a head-on MVA with it and wrote it off. She walked away! The deep seats and airbag combo worked wonders, and I will buy the same model, same year when the right one comes up.
I miss my Saab :) Have 3 Volvos right now... I miss my Saab.
2003 9-3 Saab convertible -- love this car. Bought it with 21000 miles on it a few years ago. Now at 78,000. Awesome power. I live in WI, so it's nasty weather six months out of the year. But this car has been best car I have ever owned for winter or summer. With the traction control and addition winter driving mode, it goes through anything. I need to travel about 1 hour each way to work now on busy highway where the norm is 75 - 80 mph. Will probably have to sell car and buy something more boxlike with a roof as there have been many deaths on the road I travel and I worry about what would happen if car rolled. Other than that, this has been the best car I have ever owned, and I've had some really nice ones.
Most of the vehicles "rolled" were probably SUV's, a Saab 9-3 is a pretty stable ride.
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