Saab 9.3: Love at first turbocharged drive

Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008

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Having never driven a Saab before, I arrived at Trio Motors, Inc. in Burton with an open mind and desire to hit the open road. I was quickly shown to an ice blue metallic 2008 Saab 9.3 2.0T SportCombi wagon and given the electronic key to start my test drive.

As I slid into the driver’s seat, my first impression of the Saab was the elegant exterior matched the elegant but simple, spacious, black interior. The black leather seats seemed to fit in perfectly with the unassuming nature of a wagon. The wood trim on the console, panel and doors added an opulent feel known mostly to European vehicles.

And this import shows its heritage, a nice blend of both its Swedish design and as part of the worldwide GM family. Add in heated seats, XM satellite radio and a moonroof, and I completely forgot I was actually behind the wheel of a wagon.

The turbocharged engine is a force to be reckoned with. Although it did not at first have quite the pickup I expected between first and second, the wagon seemed to zoom down the road once I hit 20 mph. I love the turbocharged engine and was very impressed with the speed burst coming after the turbo kicked in, making this 4-cylinder engine act like a 6.

Little road noise was heard inside the cabin and the wagon handled the bumpy Michigan roads exceptionally well. The Saab cornered smoothly and the Sentronic 5-speed automatic shifted up and down seamlessly as I moved in and out of traffic. Besides the turbo engine, my other favorite feature of the 9.3 2.0T is the XM satellite radio mated to a top-of-the-line Bose Centerpoint surround sound system.

Bose engineers worked with Saab designers to develop the system, using the same technology used in Bose home theater systems. The result is sweet tunes from five independent audio channels. Also standard as part of the infotainment package is the OnStar standard intro package available on all GM vehicles.

Why get a wagon unless you plan to haul something? With the rear seat down, this wagon has 72 cubic feet of cargo capacity. And there’s a bonus in the back. The main cargo area floor lifts to divide the space into two separate sections and to reveal additional storage in a recessed subfloor.

A minor annoyance: the multiple knobs and buttons on the dash. I know we live in the tech-hungry age and I consider myself quite tech-savvy, but I was a bit overwhelmed with all the controls ... and slightly uncomfortable until I found the button to turn off the heated driver’s seat.
With gasoline prices hovering around three dollars, I wish the Saab got more than 18 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway but those numbers are very reasonable for a turbocharged powerplant.

Other features to ooh and aah over include the dual climate zones, moon roof, a memory seat for the driver and a handling package that’s high on added driving safety, including the ESP Electronic Stability Program, traction control, antilock brakes and electronic brake-force distribution.

That’s on top of the front and side curtain airbags — all likely reasons why this 9.3 SportCombi earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick Award in the midsize category. — Natalie Blythe