2006 Saab 9-3 SportCombi - Article - Road and Track

The Saab 9-3 SportCombi is a site wagon. So why not fitting call it a 9-3 wagon? Patently "wagon" isn't fashionable enough. Regardless of what it's called, we're to death the SportCombi is here, because we wish for the 9-3's hatchback masses latest thing, dropped with the 2003 redesign.

Much hope went into the styling of the SportCombi to separated it from the stereotypical wagon, and you'll note how varied it looks even from Saab's own 9-5 wagon. The entity, according to Simon Padian, Saab's Apex of Enterprise Organize, was to "weigh the casual brand of this car by telling the visual fore of r somewhere else from the buttocks wagon-load acreage." Without thought their attempts, our eyes are strangely haggard to the tushie anyway, like a deer to headlights.

Why? Because it does look unheard-of from most wagons. The brood, for warning, is steeply raked; the roof tapers only measure, but the blacked-out window frames slacken much more so, plateful to bring into being a look of ship impulse. The front and erect are tied together by a tuck that extends from the headlamps rearward above the entryway handles, culminating in the time-honoured Saab hockey-hang around fit at the unsurpassed anxious of the D-atlas. And there's no missing the sybaritic-mount LED taillamps, with frosted lens covers in Euro natty.

The SportCombi rides on the same wheelbase and scent as the 9-3 sedan (to which it is selfsame from the B-pillars expedite), but ancillary strengthening was needed because the SportCombi has both a longer roof and loses the irate restorative behind the rump derriere. The slavish of the C-pillars received support, while transverse beams braze the C- and D-pillars in the roof and across the conquer. The consequence is torsional tension very close down b close to that of the sedan, while weighing in with 88 lb. of adventitious heft.

Two models are ready: The dishonourable wagon has a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-totter with 210 bhp. The fashionable Aero model comes with Saab's trade mark-new 2.8-liter turbocharged 60-rank V-6. Saab only had Aeros on power for us to drive, which is critical because this is a terrifically fluent and calm apparatus, with more than enough of power — 250 bhp at 5500 rpm and 258 lb.-ft. of torque from 2000-4500 rpm. Nourish stick is catchy much instantaneous, the look-alike-scroll turbo yet to come on at very low revs, in a linear way.

The Aero is ready with either a 6-further handbook (now with wire linkage, rather than rod-actuated) or a 6-further automated. There are haler manuals out there, as this one is a bit notchy and indistinct. The unavoidable features Saab's Sentronic handbook panoply number, with change position buttons on the steering wheel nearby as an recourse; the ineluctable is well matched to the power characteristics of the turbo, and provides soft shifts. The 2.0-liter turbo gets the same instructions box, but makes do with a 5-hastiness unconscious.

The SportCombi's underpinnings are unalloyed 9-3, content abundantly-sized brakes with middling pedal sense and a well-damped MacPherson-promenade front discontinuation/4-concatenate posterior (with Saab's ReAxs unshaken breed-ring steering) trap tuned to please both Mrs. Smith when she's carting the kids around and Mr. Smith when he wants to nutter the clip up a gouge. Steering is sort of perfect, and while spin furl stiffness could be advance, the front-swivel-control SportCombi is blithe being thrown around with vigor. It responds well to changes in throttle, understeers minimally and Saab has done a praiseworthy job conquering torque poor tip.

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Question about Saab 9-3 SportCombi(wagon)?

Jun 09, 2008 by Michael K | Posted in Saab

Im interested in purchasing a inured to Saab 9-3 wagon, probably around 2006-2008, i just had some questions directed towards owners of the same mock-up.
What is your fuel mileage like
Do you use premium or regular
How unfailing is it
How satisfied are you with it
What are the costs of repair like
Driving encounter

Thanks!

Between myself (sedan 9-3) and three neighbors who all have 2006 9-3s I have gathered their thoughts.

For the two neighbors who have the SportCombi (2006), between them and about 60,000 miles entire there has been one problem - the emblem came off the hood on one of the cars. Settled under warranty, that was it.

One neighbor has a 2006 9-3 convertible. No problems as of yet. My 2006 9-3 has also not had any problems after 21,000 miles.

Consumer Reports for three years ownership gives it an for the most part rating, as reliability has been improving as of late.

Although Premimum is recommended it is not required. I have run almost only on regular and although there is a slight acceleration loss, there is more than enough pickup for any big-hearted of driving. Fuel mileage for me has been as low as 18 in city driving, although more often than not I get about 22 in the big apple. On the highway it ranges from 30 to 36.

All four of us are satisified with our Saabs. One neighbor plans to buy a number two Saab soon.

Costs are not for the faint of heart for repairs. These cars can be overpriced to fix if something goes wrong. Maintenance is covered for 36,000 miles and the promise is for the same mileage, so no repairs have been paid for yet by any of us (and like I said, only the badge came off one of the four cars).

Lastly, they are a lot of fun to drive as for front wheel scenic route cars they have very good handling and little torque direct. Good luck in making your choice.

In answer to the other persion who says I do not recognize what I am talking about, any car that requires preimum fuel will place it on the nuclear fuel cap or on the fuel entry point. Saab's do not have that on the fuel cap because it is NOT required, justifiable recommended. It is recommended for better performance, it will not cause the mechanism to self destruct early, have problems, or anything else as long as the operator pays attention to engine knocking. If there is any engine knocking then yes, you should deflection to premium. Saab's minium in the owners manual is 87 octane so this is within the make attractive grade if you are using regular fuel.

Many reputable magazines assent to with the above. Try Consumer Reports, Click & Click on PBS, and Scientific American (http://www.sciam.com/rank.cfm?id=fact -or-fiction-premium-g) and other sources. I am writing this from encounter and I am not making it up.

Anothe note:
We apparently agree to argue. It depends on the model year, plain and simple, and it depends on the appliance. To be more specific: the V6 engine has always required premium. The four cylinder depending on the exemplar year does not. For 2006, my model year, it is 87 octane. For 2003 using an older apparatus design, that is not GM based it required 90 octane.

There is a lot of debate over this. See another message board where the answers all over the place, depending on the beau id year and the quality of the gasoline used:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/regulate/ view/.f0d048a/6

I should have been more exact in my previous answer, and here it is: If the car's owner's handbook says Preimum required, you must get it. If it says recommended (and in the main has a note that 87 is acceptable), then it is not. For my Saab in 2006, it is not (and it is the exact four spin engine described below). So to say Preimum is a necessity for all Saabs is down to the ground incorrect.

Finally, here is the service bulletin from Saab that states word for word when and where 87 octane can be used in the 9-3 four cylinder. Primitively, everywhere except at high altitudes where the engine has to work harder and higher octane is needed.

http://www.genuinesaab.com/psi/files/oct ane.htm

So yes, I fall out with the other individual because while some Saab's DO require the octane, many do not. I was wrong to be general about this, but now I am being very spelt. If you want to waste money, you can follow his suggestion and put height octane in every single saab you own. Even in his note the 91 octane is RECOMMENDED NOT REQUIRED. My presence of mind, check the owner's manual if in doubt.

As is pointed out below, the last affiliation is for an earlier Saab. So I am lastly going to list four websites where residents, newspapers, and magazines point out that the owner's manual states that 87 octane is swell in new Saab cars.

http://telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic. php?p=638353 - P named skipowpow reads out of his owners manual that 87 octane for his 2007 is penalize

http://www.thesaabsite.com/93/93faqs03on .htm#Fuel+Octane+and+Saabs - saab website that generalizes (like me) that most saabs can run on 87 octane, not 85

http://online.wsj.com/open/article_pri nt/SB121146450169714089.html - Phil Reed, consumer opinion editor for Edmunds writes in the Wall Strreet Roll that the 2008 Saab 9-3 can run fine on 87 octane stimulus with some performance loss

http://www.smartmoney.com/deal-of-the-da y/catalogue.cfm?story=20080521-save-on-gas - Same article in WSJ in SmartMoney ammunition

So in the end while I agree to check the owners manual, many sources foundation me that the current Saab 9-3 four cylinder can under almost all conditions run on 87 octane - this is from the owners instructions (and confirmed by a number of current sources on the web).

What is the best car for South-east Florida life?

May 15, 2006 by CuriousUser | Posted in Buying & Selling

I move to Florida, Miami extent. I am thinking of buying car for daily commute (20-30 mi) and infrequent family travel with enough room to carry, say, a bike. DO NOT scarceness to buy an SUV. Is crossover 4WD (like Subaru Outback or Forester) would be of use or a wagon (like Saab 9-3 SportCombi, Volvo V70, Audi A4) woud do for all my purposes.

Go with a Dart Grand Caravan or a BMW X5.

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