Car Reviews 2006 Saab 9 3 Tid
Having driven one of these cars on several occasions now, I feel able to write a considered review. The vehicle tested is a 2006 Saab 9-3 TiD, in 150bhp Linear spec and with the Sport pack.
First impressions are of a well assembled car. Nothing wobbles or creaks, and the doors close with a pleasing solidity. Insert the key in the centre console, a traditional Saab feature, and the dashboard comes to life. In front of you lies a large selection of buttons, however rather than being confusing this is in fact helpful. Rather than having to navigate through a menu, you simply reach for the button you want. All are large and easy to reach from behind the wheel, and although this may be something of a stretch I would say this shows something of Saabs' aviation heritage. There is even the option of dimming all non-essential dashboard lighting at night with the "Night Panel" button. Once pressed, the only part illuminated is the speedometer. Another neat touch, the lighting does not cover the whole speed range. The upper part will illuminate if you reach those speeds!
And reach them you probably will. Despite being a diesel this car is something of a lazy fireball. It will not respond to being driven like a hot hatch, however after you adapt your driving style to the car it will behave rather like Concorde. There is no fuss, little violent movement, just a shove followed by the needle moving around the dial. Through corners, it continues to behave like the late lamented supersonic airliner, turning in crisply and clinging to the road. What you have here is a modern exponent of the gentleman's express school of car design, a vehicle intended to combine considerable pace with the ability to deliver occupants to their destination relaxed and unruffled.
This leads neatly onto what may be the only possible criticism, that the car does not engage with the driver. This may well be so, certainly if you climb in having driven such a handful as an AC Cobra the Saab will not respond to a similar technique. But this, to me, adds to the charm. The world of performance cars is full of snarling rocket-ships with similar temperaments to a Rottweiler. The Saab is more like a Greyhound. Sleek, elegant, slightly timid in company but very friendly and incredibly loyal to its owner. It won't turn heads, but it was never designed to. It will instead allow you to overtake the tedious slow drivers and arrive earlier than you expected without having realised how fast you were travelling.
But despite this performance, the car manages to return 48mpg even when driven hard and will happily waft along on the torque. The six speed manual gearbox on the example tested felt nicely weighty, and it will stroll up even the steepest hills without having to change down. Unless you press the pedal harder it will not bite you. You could safely move up to this car from a smaller one without worrying constantly that it will punish minor errors. While there is some turbo lag it is far more refined than the count to ten and then launch found on early turbocharged cars.
As far as recommendations go, I would strongly advise choosing the 150bhp engine and the Sport pack. This adds stiffened and lowered suspension amongst other things, and does not aversely affect ride quality. You will need to be aware of the front splitter/chin spoiler as it can ground if car park ramps are taken too spiritedly, however this is a tiny price to pay for the handling improvements. The more powerful engine does not seem to have terrible fuel economy and the slight change is well worth it for the extra power gained. Should you desire even more, it is possible to chip the engine to produce around 175bhp. Of the various extras fitted to the test car, the reverse parking sensors help immensely and the electrically operated folding door mirrors are neat.
The sensors do lead onto one other problem with the car. The rear pillars are thick, and visibility is not superb. On the road this is not a problem, as once the mirrors are adjusted you can simply keep track of things so that they cannot get into your blind spots. However, while reversing in confined spaces with pedestrians and other traffic they can become a problem. This is not a town car, its natural habitat is the open road. That said, it handles urban driving in the same unruffled way as it deals with everything else.
With 40'000 miles on the clock, the car still feels solid. Nothing creaks or rattles and there is little sign of wear and tear. If you are in the market for a used Saab, take a long look and ideally a test drive of one of these. You will not be wasting your time.
