There is also another reason. Someone at SAAB believed it was a better theft deterrent to lock the gearbox, not the steering with a lock. That is why you always need to have the manual cars in reverse to get the key out. Does not apply to the Saab 9000.
Another more minor reason may have been b/c ppl then tended to overload their keychains w/keys and other trinkets, and this could wear out the ignition switch.
What drove GM nuts with SAAB was how much they kept "improving" all of the car planforms GM gave them by making the cars safer and more reliable. Unfortunately, all that R/D doesn't come cheap and SAAB was losing money constantly due to the higher price they were having to charge per car for all the "improvements".
Reminds me of the Top Gear bit about Saabwhere Jeremy was comparing a Saab to its GM sibling and pointed out that Saab had changed so much even the wheelbase was different
To be fair to SAAB, if the GM platforms weren't so crappy in the first place, then SAAB wouldn't have had to do so much remedial work! Sadly, it seems that overbuilding cars doesn't work as people aren't willing to pay more for better quality (or even they are willing to pay just as much to buy, or rather lease, low quality prestige cars, so there is no point in upping quality and durability instead of adding increasing costs for no extra return given it seems that screens, gadgets and bling are what customers want...).
You also forget GM KILLED the brand by foolishly making it a luxury car. It was supposed to be the average Swede's version of a Honda Accord: reliable 4 door vehicles for the masses. I haven't forgiven GM for pushing the price into the skies so I never could find the money to get my hands on one. They also killed Saturn rather than keep pushing with hybrid technology. If they had pursued it, they would have had something to fight the fugly Toyota Prius. After that, I was so let down that I have permanently given up on GM and their mismanagers. They can take a hike for all I care. They will not survive if Tesla becomes the biggest EV brand out there. After ditching those drunks, I went with a Jeep Cherokee. It was VERY reliable. Poured mileage on it for 13 YEARS and it never had engine issues. Switched to a MINI Clubman. Gave up on MINI after they ruined the design by making it ginormous and taking away everything that I loved about it. Now have a VW GTI and still love it.
@@largol33t1 I mean SAABs were never near as cheap as Hondas (new), but you got it right that they are crazy reliable. I'm in talks for an '02 9-3 turbo that has about 240k miles and you can bet those cars go for crazy cheap these days
@@largol33t1 The problem is just that it is impossible to make money in that segment with the low production volume Saab had. The only choice was probably to try to become "premium", but that didn't work either.
I was a Saab salesman in Canada in 2000 and you could absolutely get a 9-3 SE with the 2.0T (turbo) paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. In fact, most of the 9-3s I sold were manual SE turbos. If I recall correctly, all Saabs in 2000 and 2001 were turbos in North America. The one you tested in this video is not the SE trim. The giveaway are the manual cloth seats and manual climate controls; the SE had power leather seats, automatic climate control and a wood trim dashboard fascia. Exterior-wise, the SE had a sportier look with a front bumper spoiler, side aero rocker covers and bigger wheels. I decoded the VIN that's showing at 11:53 to confirm and it's the standard version, not the SE. The 5-speed 9-3 SE was my favourite to drive, it had a good balance of size, performance, comfort, and amenities. Not to mention practicality being a hatchback with a huge trunk. A very smooth ride, I loved it! A few years ago, I went back to Saab and bought a used 2004 9-5 with the 2.3T and a 5-speed gearbox, great car for road trips. BTW, the "W" button on the automatic transmission is for Winter, not Weather. It makes the transmission start in second gear for a smoother start on slippery roads, otherwise the wheels would want to spin, but the Traction Control System (TCS) would prevent them to spin and the car would struggle to move. Love your content! :)
The same goes for Europe I think. Here the motor options was, if I remember correctly, 150, 185 and 210 hp. The 150 hp was called "light pressure turbo" and had no "turbo meter" on the dashboard.
A few corrections: -That is not an SE model, but a base model with the low-output turbo making 185hp. An SE would have power leather seats, ACC, the high output turbo, would say SE on the side, etc. -It's likely a 2000 model since it still has Saab/Scania badges on the hood (though the rear hatch emblem is from a 2001+...) -You could get a manual in all models: base, SE, and Viggen. -The 9-3 started with the '99 model year in the US, which was basically a warmed over NG900 model which started in '94.
But the mirrors are body colored instead of black plastic like the base..? Also cloth seats were available on the SE, so could just be that the side badging was removed/came off EDIT: never mind… I just checked the VIN and it is indeed a Base… I am actually appalled right now we got scammed.
You might be thinking of the rocker covers? Those would be body colored on the SE, but are black here on this base model. The mirrors are body colored on all, at least in the States. And the SE did not come with cloth. @@kiantt11
Yeah the car in the vid is base but se also was available in 2.0i and turbo in 150,154,185 hp and only in 99 200hp HOT ”aero” configurations, 205hp is the aero and viggen obviously the 230 Se was just acc, foglights and leather steering wheel and different fabric on cloth seats atleast from what I have experienced. I think all other things were just added options cause I do have an SE 2.0i 3 door with only acc, leather wheel and foglights
This red 9-3 is in excellent condition for an IL car, so while the cloth seats (no memory, not heated) are a giveaway that this is a base model, the exterior was likely restored w/new badging and other bits added from whatever was available, possibly from different MYs or an SE. If it has the b204 engine like mine, though, it’s very robust for tuning from 185hp to 220, 230-240 (or upwards of 300+ w/mods). My guess is: GM was too cheap (err, cost-conscious and profit-focused) to put different wiring harnesses and such in the three levels, so the good thing about that is many items are interchangeable plug-and-play, on the dash and for the seats in the cv’s like mine; Saab may not have had big sales numbers, but these cars are featured frequently in movies/TV b/c GM did what they then did best - market and product-place the Hell out of them.
I have this exact car! Finding one of these with cloth seats is EXTREMELY rare (vast majority had leather)... also worth noting the SE trim with the "high output turbo" could be had with a 5spd manual - that's what mine is. While a naturally aspirated version was available in other markets, it never came to the US. All US 9-3s were turbos, base models had the 185hp "light pressure turbo".
I also have a Saab 93 2002 in the same color. I live in Sweden and here "light pressure turbo" was 150hp... No road rocket, but OK for daily driving. I really like how practical the car is, with the big boot, the rubber strips on the side of the body to avoid parking damage. The wipers on the headlights are good in our climate in winter, when dirt and snow often accumulate on the headlights. Surely there are such areas in the USA also in the northern states and in Canada? In Sweden, we call the upholstery on seats "plysch". Not many cars have that today...
Saabs are cool in their dorky way. Even with the GM platform, you can still see the engineering and unique styling that made them great. Every car needs Night Panel, especially now with screens everywhere. Saab may not have lasted as long as they did without GM's cash but I wish they hadn't gone away. Saab today would be like Polestar, making futuristic EVs with maybe a spicy 9-3 gas hatchback still in the lineup.
Before they changed it's name to 9-3, I had a 95, 900 SE with a 2.5L V-6. I drove it through out college. It was a great car that was mostly reliable. I put nearly 100,000 miles on it, and in that time it had to have two starters. Rocks also loved to crack the windshield, that happened about three times in the five years that I owned the car. It was fun, and it's sad Saab is no longer around. I now drive a MINI, which reminds me of Saab in a way. Because BMW is starting to take away all the great things that made a MINI a MINI. The next generation MINI coming out next year won't even have a manual transmission. A lot of MINI enthusiast are angry with BMW about that.
Oye the V6 900?! My friend had a V6 convertible. That car felt so fragile with a solid front end and solid rear end connected by a flimsy middle. You could feel the different parts of the car moving in different directions. The V6 was loud and I never wanted to push it hard. Plus the trans liked to jump into limp mode. Also didn’t the 2.5 have to have it’s timing belt done every 30k?
I have one in decent to nice shape black 2006 SportCombi 9-3 Aero V6 that I'm willing to sale for the right price. Grey two-tone leather very plush and smells fresh. Fog lights and headlights ion interchangeable etc. I love the car and it's my 6th Saab vehicle. I purchased it in 2016 when I was driving my 1999 9-5 wagon which I also loved before giving it to my daughter who was starting college. Great cars man
Even though GM had a big hand in these 9-3s the still seemed very Saab to me. I wanted one so bad coming out of high school. My dad talked me out of it on the argument that nobody drives a Saab in Texas. I ended up with a Volvo 740 then a W126 S class. I still like these though. Next gen was where GM was too involved in my opinion
Well, Zack, there was a big difference between GM USA and GM Europe back in the days. Even if that Saab was just a modified Opel, this car cuold be much more than US customers could've imagined.
I have a 1999 Saab 9-3 SE. Naturally aspirated 2.0 engine, 5-speed manual, 3-door coupé, Automatic AC, leather upholstery, wood trim in the dash, front fog lights Color is Imola Red, much more rare than the Laser red Some default features: rear fog lights, front heated seats, electric front windows and mirrors
I drive a 1997 NA 5 speed as a daily driver, i was searching for the 9³ turbo with a manual but i didn't know they never came with one, so i settled for the NA motor which explains why i could never find one lol, bought it at around 60k and im getting close to 100k, they're kickass little daily drivers, extremely fun with the 5 speed plenty of room to haul anything you'd ever need. like i said ive been daily driving one (for around 3 years) and my advice for anyone looking to buy a 900NG or 9³, they definitely need an upgraded sway bar to fix the body roll the car has if you're looking to do a little more spirited driving, upgrading motor mounts does wonders for the car as well. for normal daily driving the car doesn't need any real big upgrades, atleast in my experience. also another note if you wanna buy a 900NG (94 - 97) with a manual transmission the clutch is a cable clutch and not hydraulic, its a bit weird to get used to driving with it compared to a hydraulic one, also expecg the cable to snap at some point, i didnt think it would and it did snap eventually lol, luckily its an easy fix and you can always convert it to hydraulic. anything after 1997 has a hydraulic clutch tho, as for the automatics, I'm not familiar with them i dont drive automatic cars as much lol. but look for a later generation model if reliability is what you want basically. ask any other questions if you want to know more 👋 if you're ever within a few hours of new jersey id love to let you drive one with a manual for a review 🙏 love your reviews and always look forward to the interesting cars like these
I have laser red Saab 93 2002. An interesting thing is to carefully study how well built the folding mechanism for the rear seats is. It is done with safety in mind, so that cargo does not come flying towards the passengers in the event of an accident. It's basically a big iron beam built into the top of the back seat, so it's heavy... Haven't seen such solid construction in any other car. Anyway, thanks for an interesting review!
Had a 2012 Saab 9-3 auto. Really cool car, not quite the quality you would expect for the price, but deceptively fast (highway pulls would surprise quite a few more powerful cars). Unfortunately it had one of the worst ride qualities of any car I've owned, and the very stiff leather seats didn't help. I did enjoy it though, quite unique and built like a tank. If they hadn't gone out of business I'm sure I would have kept it longer, but I got out due to worrying about service/parts once the company was defunct. Was hit from behind in mine in 2013 and the car was down for 6 months due to lack of available parts. Shame, I really dug Saab.
What type of cars have you had? Sporty cars like the Mini Cooper S or WRX STi? I would be surprised if the SAAB was more than "middle-of-the-road" stiff compared to average semi-sporty cars like a Mazda6 or VW Passat, albeit none of these anywhere near as soft an old Buick Park Avenue or something given their sportier pretensions. The industry trend has certainly been away from the lounge chairs of something like a Park Avenue towards firmer seats too, of course.
Unfortunately GM used cheap plastics to reduce costs. This is why quality is down at GM. Instead of focusing on improving quality, the Big 3 are focused on making higher profits and reduce costs
you really cant go wrong with a saab, even as a normal specs like this, such a lovely good looking car, lovely on the inside, lovely to drive, love the feeling you're safe inside as well knowing saab pretty much on par if not better than volvo in terms of safety
In EU markeds you could get the 9-3 with six(!) different engine options. 1 - 2.0 16v Without a turbo making around 130hp. 2 - 2.0 16v Turbo making 150hp (Both with standard and SE trim) 3 - 2.0 16v Turbo making 185hp (Both with standard and SE trim) 4 - 2.0 16v Turbo making 205hp (Only for Aero trim) 5 - 2.3 16v Turbo making 230hp (Only for the Viggen model) 6 - 2.2 16v Turbo-Diesel making 120hp All models except for the Viggen was available with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmission was standard for all models.
We had a two door stick non-turbo 900s with this same body style. Loved it. However when we took it into the dealer for work and I looked at the bill - I thought I was supporting a French mistress!
That’s one beautiful red OG 9-3 there in IL, and those are some fair points about GM ownership being like record company deals. There are pros and cons, but overall it’s pretty amazing for a brand that “died” a decade ago, we can still get parts and service to keep these fun, safe, and reliable cars alive and on the road. My own ‘99 9-3 CV 5spd celebrates this month, Feb. 2024, 25 years since it arrived in CA, USA (not from Sweden but Finland.🇸🇪🇫🇮🇺🇸)
I was going to buy one of these as my first car. Was 300€, had a failed turbo though, but probably not that difficult to fix. Also, pretty sure you could get the turbo in manual here in Europe. Also also, headlight wipers certainly aren't useless if you live in a snowy area. Even with the heat of a halogen bulb, they can still get caked with snow if you get into a blizzard. They're good for wiping away salt too.
Got a slew of info wrong my guy. Thats not an SE, and it may not be an01 depending on if the hood with the Saab/Scania badges which were phased out post 2k is the original hood or a replaced part. Also, it was the 900’s that had naturally aspirated options. The 9-3s *all* had turbos, and you could get manuals easily on all trims. Also the W stands for Winter, not weather. The 9-3s started in ‘99, not ‘97.
As others have said this is not an SE but the base model. I had one just like it in midnight blue with a five speed manual, drove it till it crossed 200k miles with just a few issues. Died because I was in an accident. Great, fun car- drove very sporty with suspension upgrades- especially the hatchback brace, under carriage brace, upgraded anti-roll bar and poly bushings. I liked the clothes seat better than the leather in my '02 SE convertible.
I have a laser red 2002 SE with 185 hp and I love it. Only difference I see is that the skirts are in body color and the interior is skin and fabric combined. Turbo is stamped in the front seats too😄
I had a car very similar as my first car. However, it was 2001 with a 5-speed manual, with the 2.0T engine. Certainly available with a manual and turbo. Mine was the base trim with a few options, like leather and sunroof. Loved that car, lots of torque, cavernous hatchback, and very comfortable seats.
The key between the seats was originally an ergonomic decision. Start the car, move your hand right to the shift lever. As originally an airplane company, their engineers were sent to investigate crashes involving SAABs in Sweden. They found the keys between the seats didn’t impale the driver’s thighs in an accident. As for the cup holder, in that era, few Europeans ate or drank in their cars, so the cup holder was a mild concession to the US market. As several others have pointed out, the car you tested and drove was not an SE. An SE would have “SE” badging on the front fenders above the turn signals behind the front wheels as well as a leather interior. I also think the car is a 2000, as I had a 2001 and mine did not have the SAAB/Scania badging. As for the space under the hatch, the 9-3 (and the 900 that it derived from) were referred to as “Swedish pickup trucks” due to the cavernous space particularly with the rear seats folded down.
It may have lost some SAAB - ness compared to the originals, but it had far more SAAB-ness than my Citroen when I used our company pool car in 2003. A great day long drive. Liverpool and back with 30mpg and seats to die for. Miss you SAAB.
I just got my first car and I got a 2002 Saab 9-3 SE and I love it. I have a lot of work to do on the engine and stuff but it’s really awesome. I got sun green if anyone is wondering
Apart from the obvious safety aspect of the key location and the anti theft consideration, bear in mind that Swedish winters are very severe therefore having to engage reverse gear allowed you to leave the hand brake off and so not end up with rear brakes frozen on. The saying goes " Saab.........A way of life". I drive a 1998 93 N/A 37,550 mls from new, as the saying goes " read it and weep".
I have never seen or heard of a 9-3 without a Turbo. I could be wrong but at least from what I've seen, all of them have had a turbo. Either the small Garrett turbo or the big Mitsubishi turbo
growing up, is knowing you really cant blame GM for the death of saab. sure, you can blame GM for making saab using their plasticy parts bin. but rather, it was really.. saab's own fault, they always had a poor management, they were always thinking outside the box (insert volvo here) thus, they weren't too conservative about money, they kept trying to innovate and in the hands of their new parent, GM, saab is like a rebellious child. for example i heard saab once costing GM 1 million dollars to R&D a cup holder. saab couldn't convince GM about their sales either so obviously, GM closed it down.
I love my 1999 9-3 coupe. Be interesting to know exactly which components were GM and which were not. That red one seems to have the higher output turbo because it has the turbo gauge, mine is a lower output turbo - (has no turbo gauge). It still goes pretty hard though.
Hey man you can get a manual with any trim level. The viggen only comes in manual actually if I am not mistaken. Source: I owned and know several people with a manual 93 SE
few comment were you are wrong there was a base model in europe with a turbo diesel, there were no naturaly aspiraed engine. there is 2 version of the turbo for the 2.0L low pressure and high pressure. this SE model has the high pressure turbo. all model were available with a 5 speed manual transmission. I own a 2001 SE convertible and it is manual
Even though GM had a large play inside Saab. Saab still would fightback against GM. that's why Saab had its unique design- that's why Saab also had the most safety features of any car even better than Volvo - the best seats in the business- engines and drivetrains were of Saab design and engineering- yes gm put their plastics in but Saab really went after gm to keep some of their own identity and uniqueness. It's sad that GM ruined another car company and the crap they're producing today
This, and knowing that so many people don't realize the next Gen 9-3 ecotec was mostly a Saab designed engine. They did most the R&D for the ecotec engine. With opels help. But saying that it's not a Saab engine is saying that the h engine isn't a Saab engine. Saab got the h engines base from triumph. Where as Saab actually did the R&D on the ecotec.
Can anyone help me? I drive the 9-3 soft top. It's now 24 years old but it's mysteriously taken to opening the boot/trunk whilst I'm driving. I wondered whether anyone else has experienced this and how I can rectify the issue?
You need to use a Tech 2 or find someone who has one, if i remember correctly there are boot settings that ask wether you want the boot to to lock/ unlock once the car starts or key removed etc..
My Mom had a 2001 9-3. IMO, it was an awful car. It had leather seats, so she had to get the beaded-wood covers to make them tolerable in the summer. In the winter, any car needs to be able to blow warm air from the dash vents onto your hands on the wheel. The center vent on this 9-3 is SO far away, that it can’t do this. And as with lots of European non-executive cars, the rear-seat knee room is insufficient for tall people.
People have a tendency to idolize the weird era of a company when it's not making money not realizing that era was the reason The company got bought by someone else
This model, although an SE, mid level, it is missing some of the common options. It's actually more rare to see a stripped down model like this than a typical loaded one. It's missing leather seats, power seats, 3 person memory, auto-dimming rear view mirror, 16" wheels, body colored front side and rear body kit, rear - yes, rear heated seats, front dash trim (usually simulated wood, or silver), etc. all of which were very premium options at the time. I had a 1999 9-3 SE and it had all of that + 5 speed manaul. It was a blast. Fun fact, 1999 saab 9-5 was the first ever production car to offer ventilated seats.
![[TH] 2024 PMSL SEA W2D5 | Fall | พลาดวันนี้ จะต้องเสียใจ](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/A5-Cuo12p6A/mqdefault.jpg)
5:35 SAAB placed the ignition switch between the seats for safety reasons, as to avoid knee injuries in the event of a frontal crash.
That is correct.
Beat me to it, that's right
There is also another reason. Someone at SAAB believed it was a better theft deterrent to lock the gearbox, not the steering with a lock. That is why you always need to have the manual cars in reverse to get the key out. Does not apply to the Saab 9000.
@@user-vc3sd9zs3u You are right! I forgot about that. My dad had a 1992 900 and it was a great car.
Another more minor reason may have been b/c ppl then tended to overload their keychains w/keys and other trinkets, and this could wear out the ignition switch.
What drove GM nuts with SAAB was how much they kept "improving" all of the car planforms GM gave them by making the cars safer and more reliable. Unfortunately, all that R/D doesn't come cheap and SAAB was losing money constantly due to the higher price they were having to charge per car for all the "improvements".
Reminds me of the Top Gear bit about Saabwhere Jeremy was comparing a Saab to its GM sibling and pointed out that Saab had changed so much even the wheelbase was different
To be fair to SAAB, if the GM platforms weren't so crappy in the first place, then SAAB wouldn't have had to do so much remedial work! Sadly, it seems that overbuilding cars doesn't work as people aren't willing to pay more for better quality (or even they are willing to pay just as much to buy, or rather lease, low quality prestige cars, so there is no point in upping quality and durability instead of adding increasing costs for no extra return given it seems that screens, gadgets and bling are what customers want...).
You also forget GM KILLED the brand by foolishly making it a luxury car. It was supposed to be the average Swede's version of a Honda Accord: reliable 4 door vehicles for the masses. I haven't forgiven GM for pushing the price into the skies so I never could find the money to get my hands on one. They also killed Saturn rather than keep pushing with hybrid technology. If they had pursued it, they would have had something to fight the fugly Toyota Prius. After that, I was so let down that I have permanently given up on GM and their mismanagers. They can take a hike for all I care. They will not survive if Tesla becomes the biggest EV brand out there. After ditching those drunks, I went with a Jeep Cherokee. It was VERY reliable. Poured mileage on it for 13 YEARS and it never had engine issues. Switched to a MINI Clubman. Gave up on MINI after they ruined the design by making it ginormous and taking away everything that I loved about it. Now have a VW GTI and still love it.
@@largol33t1 I mean SAABs were never near as cheap as Hondas (new), but you got it right that they are crazy reliable. I'm in talks for an '02 9-3 turbo that has about 240k miles and you can bet those cars go for crazy cheap these days
@@largol33t1 The problem is just that it is impossible to make money in that segment with the low production volume Saab had. The only choice was probably to try to become "premium", but that didn't work either.
I was a Saab salesman in Canada in 2000 and you could absolutely get a 9-3 SE with the 2.0T (turbo) paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. In fact, most of the 9-3s I sold were manual SE turbos. If I recall correctly, all Saabs in 2000 and 2001 were turbos in North America.
The one you tested in this video is not the SE trim. The giveaway are the manual cloth seats and manual climate controls; the SE had power leather seats, automatic climate control and a wood trim dashboard fascia. Exterior-wise, the SE had a sportier look with a front bumper spoiler, side aero rocker covers and bigger wheels. I decoded the VIN that's showing at 11:53 to confirm and it's the standard version, not the SE.
The 5-speed 9-3 SE was my favourite to drive, it had a good balance of size, performance, comfort, and amenities. Not to mention practicality being a hatchback with a huge trunk. A very smooth ride, I loved it! A few years ago, I went back to Saab and bought a used 2004 9-5 with the 2.3T and a 5-speed gearbox, great car for road trips.
BTW, the "W" button on the automatic transmission is for Winter, not Weather. It makes the transmission start in second gear for a smoother start on slippery roads, otherwise the wheels would want to spin, but the Traction Control System (TCS) would prevent them to spin and the car would struggle to move.
Love your content! :)
The same goes for Europe I think. Here the motor options was, if I remember correctly, 150, 185 and 210 hp. The 150 hp was called "light pressure turbo" and had no "turbo meter" on the dashboard.
A few corrections:
-That is not an SE model, but a base model with the low-output turbo making 185hp. An SE would have power leather seats, ACC, the high output turbo, would say SE on the side, etc.
-It's likely a 2000 model since it still has Saab/Scania badges on the hood (though the rear hatch emblem is from a 2001+...)
-You could get a manual in all models: base, SE, and Viggen.
-The 9-3 started with the '99 model year in the US, which was basically a warmed over NG900 model which started in '94.
But the mirrors are body colored instead of black plastic like the base..? Also cloth seats were available on the SE, so could just be that the side badging was removed/came off
EDIT: never mind… I just checked the VIN and it is indeed a Base… I am actually appalled right now we got scammed.
You might be thinking of the rocker covers? Those would be body colored on the SE, but are black here on this base model. The mirrors are body colored on all, at least in the States. And the SE did not come with cloth. @@kiantt11
The SE also has a different front and rear bumpers and side skirts that are color matched to the body
Yeah the car in the vid is base but se also was available in 2.0i and turbo in 150,154,185 hp and only in 99 200hp HOT ”aero” configurations, 205hp is the aero and viggen obviously the 230
Se was just acc, foglights and leather steering wheel and different fabric on cloth seats atleast from what I have experienced.
I think all other things were just added options cause I do have an SE 2.0i 3 door with only acc, leather wheel and foglights
This red 9-3 is in excellent condition for an IL car, so while the cloth seats (no memory, not heated) are a giveaway that this is a base model, the exterior was likely restored w/new badging and other bits added from whatever was available, possibly from different MYs or an SE. If it has the b204 engine like mine, though, it’s very robust for tuning from 185hp to 220, 230-240 (or upwards of 300+ w/mods).
My guess is: GM was too cheap (err, cost-conscious and profit-focused) to put different wiring harnesses and such in the three levels, so the good thing about that is many items are interchangeable plug-and-play, on the dash and for the seats in the cv’s like mine; Saab may not have had big sales numbers, but these cars are featured frequently in movies/TV b/c GM did what they then did best - market and product-place the Hell out of them.
I have this exact car! Finding one of these with cloth seats is EXTREMELY rare (vast majority had leather)... also worth noting the SE trim with the "high output turbo" could be had with a 5spd manual - that's what mine is. While a naturally aspirated version was available in other markets, it never came to the US. All US 9-3s were turbos, base models had the 185hp "light pressure turbo".
I also have a Saab 93 2002 in the same color. I live in Sweden and here "light pressure turbo" was 150hp... No road rocket, but OK for daily driving. I really like how practical the car is, with the big boot, the rubber strips on the side of the body to avoid parking damage. The wipers on the headlights are good in our climate in winter, when dirt and snow often accumulate on the headlights. Surely there are such areas in the USA also in the northern states and in Canada? In Sweden, we call the upholstery on seats "plysch". Not many cars have that today...
5:51 Crash Safety!
In a crash = Key could be stuck inside you somewhere
Since the Saab has the ignition at the bottom = When crashing, no key in you
Saabs are cool in their dorky way. Even with the GM platform, you can still see the engineering and unique styling that made them great. Every car needs Night Panel, especially now with screens everywhere. Saab may not have lasted as long as they did without GM's cash but I wish they hadn't gone away. Saab today would be like Polestar, making futuristic EVs with maybe a spicy 9-3 gas hatchback still in the lineup.
Before they changed it's name to 9-3, I had a 95, 900 SE with a 2.5L V-6. I drove it through out college. It was a great car that was mostly reliable. I put nearly 100,000 miles on it, and in that time it had to have two starters. Rocks also loved to crack the windshield, that happened about three times in the five years that I owned the car. It was fun, and it's sad Saab is no longer around. I now drive a MINI, which reminds me of Saab in a way. Because BMW is starting to take away all the great things that made a MINI a MINI. The next generation MINI coming out next year won't even have a manual transmission. A lot of MINI enthusiast are angry with BMW about that.
Oye the V6 900?! My friend had a V6 convertible. That car felt so fragile with a solid front end and solid rear end connected by a flimsy middle. You could feel the different parts of the car moving in different directions. The V6 was loud and I never wanted to push it hard. Plus the trans liked to jump into limp mode. Also didn’t the 2.5 have to have it’s timing belt done every 30k?
2005 9-3 2.0T SportCombi was a really nice car. My dad had one and I’d love to have one again. Such a nice wagon
I have one in decent to nice shape black 2006 SportCombi 9-3 Aero V6 that I'm willing to sale for the right price. Grey two-tone leather very plush and smells fresh. Fog lights and headlights ion interchangeable etc. I love the car and it's my 6th Saab vehicle. I purchased it in 2016 when I was driving my 1999 9-5 wagon which I also loved before giving it to my daughter who was starting college. Great cars man
I fit a 65 inch TV (in the box) in my old 9-3. Thing was massive hahaha. Thanks for the saab review!!! I love saab stuff!
Low-key the key ignition in the center console was pretty cool 😎
Having it down there is pretty, dare I say, low-key
@@ajicycles 💀
@@ajicycles💀
Even though GM had a big hand in these 9-3s the still seemed very Saab to me. I wanted one so bad coming out of high school. My dad talked me out of it on the argument that nobody drives a Saab in Texas. I ended up with a Volvo 740 then a W126 S class. I still like these though. Next gen was where GM was too involved in my opinion
Still looking forward to when you make it up here to MA and review my real Saabs (73 Sonett 3, 90 900 turbo vert & 97 9000 Aero)
9000 isn't a real Saab. Considering its platform is shared with lancia, Alfa and fiat. The rest is true 😂
Well, Zack, there was a big difference between GM USA and GM Europe back in the days. Even if that Saab was just a modified Opel, this car cuold be much more than US customers could've imagined.
Nice review! Funny to see the automatic standard on the turbo engine. A manual is by far the usual norm for the EU spec.
You could get a 5 speed manual 9-3 SE of that generation. I should know, I almost bought one.
I've heard the reason for the position of the ignition switch is so your knee doesn't shoot toward it in the event of an accident.
I have a 1999 Saab 9-3 SE. Naturally aspirated 2.0 engine, 5-speed manual, 3-door coupé, Automatic AC, leather upholstery, wood trim in the dash, front fog lights
Color is Imola Red, much more rare than the Laser red
Some default features: rear fog lights, front heated seats, electric front windows and mirrors
I drive a 1997 NA 5 speed as a daily driver, i was searching for the 9³ turbo with a manual but i didn't know they never came with one, so i settled for the NA motor which explains why i could never find one lol, bought it at around 60k and im getting close to 100k, they're kickass little daily drivers, extremely fun with the 5 speed plenty of room to haul anything you'd ever need.
like i said ive been daily driving one (for around 3 years) and my advice for anyone looking to buy a 900NG or 9³, they definitely need an upgraded sway bar to fix the body roll the car has if you're looking to do a little more spirited driving, upgrading motor mounts does wonders for the car as well. for normal daily driving the car doesn't need any real big upgrades, atleast in my experience.
also another note if you wanna buy a 900NG (94 - 97) with a manual transmission the clutch is a cable clutch and not hydraulic, its a bit weird to get used to driving with it compared to a hydraulic one, also expecg the cable to snap at some point, i didnt think it would and it did snap eventually lol, luckily its an easy fix and you can always convert it to hydraulic. anything after 1997 has a hydraulic clutch tho, as for the automatics, I'm not familiar with them i dont drive automatic cars as much lol. but look for a later generation model if reliability is what you want basically.
ask any other questions if you want to know more 👋
if you're ever within a few hours of new jersey id love to let you drive one with a manual for a review 🙏 love your reviews and always look forward to the interesting cars like these
I have laser red Saab 93 2002. An interesting thing is to carefully study how well built the folding mechanism for the rear seats is. It is done with safety in mind, so that cargo does not come flying towards the passengers in the event of an accident. It's basically a big iron beam built into the top of the back seat, so it's heavy... Haven't seen such solid construction in any other car. Anyway, thanks for an interesting review!
Had a 2012 Saab 9-3 auto. Really cool car, not quite the quality you would expect for the price, but deceptively fast (highway pulls would surprise quite a few more powerful cars). Unfortunately it had one of the worst ride qualities of any car I've owned, and the very stiff leather seats didn't help. I did enjoy it though, quite unique and built like a tank. If they hadn't gone out of business I'm sure I would have kept it longer, but I got out due to worrying about service/parts once the company was defunct. Was hit from behind in mine in 2013 and the car was down for 6 months due to lack of available parts. Shame, I really dug Saab.
What type of cars have you had? Sporty cars like the Mini Cooper S or WRX STi? I would be surprised if the SAAB was more than "middle-of-the-road" stiff compared to average semi-sporty cars like a Mazda6 or VW Passat, albeit none of these anywhere near as soft an old Buick Park Avenue or something given their sportier pretensions. The industry trend has certainly been away from the lounge chairs of something like a Park Avenue towards firmer seats too, of course.
Corvette c5, SVT Focus. The SAAB had a brittle ride in comparison, and only handled ok. Just not the best ride/handling balance.@@TassieLorenzo
Yessssss, more Saab stuff.
Unfortunately GM used cheap plastics to reduce costs. This is why quality is down at GM. Instead of focusing on improving quality, the Big 3 are focused on making higher profits and reduce costs
true, I do think the interiors in these saabs are still adequate
you really cant go wrong with a saab, even as a normal specs like this, such a lovely good looking car, lovely on the inside, lovely to drive, love the feeling you're safe inside as well knowing saab pretty much on par if not better than volvo in terms of safety
In EU markeds you could get the 9-3 with six(!) different engine options.
1 - 2.0 16v Without a turbo making around 130hp.
2 - 2.0 16v Turbo making 150hp (Both with standard and SE trim)
3 - 2.0 16v Turbo making 185hp (Both with standard and SE trim)
4 - 2.0 16v Turbo making 205hp (Only for Aero trim)
5 - 2.3 16v Turbo making 230hp (Only for the Viggen model)
6 - 2.2 16v Turbo-Diesel making 120hp
All models except for the Viggen was available with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmission was standard for all models.
We had a two door stick non-turbo 900s with this same body style. Loved it. However when we took it into the dealer for work and I looked at the bill - I thought I was supporting a French mistress!
That’s one beautiful red OG 9-3 there in IL, and those are some fair points about GM ownership being like record company deals. There are pros and cons, but overall it’s pretty amazing for a brand that “died” a decade ago, we can still get parts and service to keep these fun, safe, and reliable cars alive and on the road. My own ‘99 9-3 CV 5spd celebrates this month, Feb. 2024, 25 years since it arrived in CA, USA (not from Sweden but Finland.🇸🇪🇫🇮🇺🇸)
The central key position triggered the anti theft gear lock function. Please do your research thoroughly.
I was going to buy one of these as my first car. Was 300€, had a failed turbo though, but probably not that difficult to fix.
Also, pretty sure you could get the turbo in manual here in Europe.
Also also, headlight wipers certainly aren't useless if you live in a snowy area.
Even with the heat of a halogen bulb, they can still get caked with snow if you get into a blizzard.
They're good for wiping away salt too.
Got a slew of info wrong my guy. Thats not an SE, and it may not be an01 depending on if the hood with the Saab/Scania badges which were phased out post 2k is the original hood or a replaced part. Also, it was the 900’s that had naturally aspirated options. The 9-3s *all* had turbos, and you could get manuals easily on all trims. Also the W stands for Winter, not weather. The 9-3s started in ‘99, not ‘97.
Great review, that's one Saab story I don't mind listening to.
2:00 In europe every engine and spec are avaible with a manual transmission.
As others have said this is not an SE but the base model. I had one just like it in midnight blue with a five speed manual, drove it till it crossed 200k miles with just a few issues. Died because I was in an accident. Great, fun car- drove very sporty with suspension upgrades- especially the hatchback brace, under carriage brace, upgraded anti-roll bar and poly bushings. I liked the clothes seat better than the leather in my '02 SE convertible.
I have a laser red 2002 SE with 185 hp and I love it. Only difference I see is that the skirts are in body color and
the interior is skin and fabric combined. Turbo is stamped in the front seats too😄
I had a car very similar as my first car. However, it was 2001 with a 5-speed manual, with the 2.0T engine. Certainly available with a manual and turbo. Mine was the base trim with a few options, like leather and sunroof. Loved that car, lots of torque, cavernous hatchback, and very comfortable seats.
The key between the seats was originally an ergonomic decision. Start the car, move your hand right to the shift lever. As originally an airplane company, their engineers were sent to investigate crashes involving SAABs in Sweden. They found the keys between the seats didn’t impale the driver’s thighs in an accident. As for the cup holder, in that era, few Europeans ate or drank in their cars, so the cup holder was a mild concession to the US market. As several others have pointed out, the car you tested and drove was not an SE. An SE would have “SE” badging on the front fenders above the turn signals behind the front wheels as well as a leather interior. I also think the car is a 2000, as I had a 2001 and mine did not have the SAAB/Scania badging. As for the space under the hatch, the 9-3 (and the 900 that it derived from) were referred to as “Swedish pickup trucks” due to the cavernous space particularly with the rear seats folded down.
It may have lost some SAAB - ness compared to the originals, but it had far more SAAB-ness than my Citroen when I used our company pool car in 2003. A great day long drive. Liverpool and back with 30mpg and seats to die for.
Miss you SAAB.
waiting for this one for a long time, you ought to review a convertible viggen next
Saab was an aviation company before automotive. hence the design inspiration.
...and the cupholder fails [insert TH-cam commercial right on cue]. I see a pattern here.
TH-cam places those automatically. I think it’s because it’s the only moment I actually shut up
I just got my first car and I got a 2002 Saab 9-3 SE and I love it. I have a lot of work to do on the engine and stuff but it’s really awesome. I got sun green if anyone is wondering
Apart from the obvious safety aspect of the key location and the anti theft consideration, bear in mind that Swedish winters are very severe therefore having to engage reverse gear allowed you to leave the hand brake off and so not end up with rear brakes frozen on. The saying goes " Saab.........A way of life". I drive a 1998 93
N/A 37,550 mls from new, as the saying goes " read it and weep".
Saab put the key in the center console to mimic a start key for a fighter jet
I have never seen or heard of a 9-3 without a Turbo. I could be wrong but at least from what I've seen, all of them have had a turbo. Either the small Garrett turbo or the big Mitsubishi turbo
growing up, is knowing you really cant blame GM for the death of saab. sure, you can blame GM for making saab using their plasticy parts bin.
but rather, it was really.. saab's own fault, they always had a poor management, they were always thinking outside the box (insert volvo here)
thus, they weren't too conservative about money, they kept trying to innovate
and in the hands of their new parent, GM, saab is like a rebellious child. for example
i heard saab once costing GM 1 million dollars to R&D a cup holder. saab couldn't convince GM about their sales either so obviously, GM closed it down.
The 01 was still mostly Saab parts. The 99 was based more on the 900
900 (new generation) was based on Opel Vectra....
I love my 1999 9-3 coupe. Be interesting to know exactly which components were GM and which were not. That red one seems to have the higher output turbo because it has the turbo gauge, mine is a lower output turbo - (has no turbo gauge). It still goes pretty hard though.
I always thought these have a nice look.
Hey man you can get a manual with any trim level. The viggen only comes in manual actually if I am not mistaken. Source: I owned and know several people with a manual 93 SE
The key was positioned there for safety mate
few comment were you are wrong there was a base model in europe with a turbo diesel, there were no naturaly aspiraed engine. there is 2 version of the turbo for the 2.0L low pressure and high pressure. this SE model has the high pressure turbo. all model were available with a 5 speed manual transmission. I own a 2001 SE convertible and it is manual
You can get every 9-3 with manual transmission.
I loved my 99 9-3 with the 2.0t I had in 2008
you mean 5 gauges....?
nice review i like this car.
The door lock buttons were made that shape so that thieves couldn’t hook them with a coat hanger
Theft is not something Saab owners need to worry about now, especially with a 5 speed.
Even though GM had a large play inside Saab. Saab still would fightback against GM. that's why Saab had its unique design- that's why Saab also had the most safety features of any car even better than Volvo - the best seats in the business- engines and drivetrains were of Saab design and engineering- yes gm put their plastics in but Saab really went after gm to keep some of their own identity and uniqueness. It's sad that GM ruined another car company and the crap they're producing today
This, and knowing that so many people don't realize the next Gen 9-3 ecotec was mostly a Saab designed engine. They did most the R&D for the ecotec engine. With opels help. But saying that it's not a Saab engine is saying that the h engine isn't a Saab engine. Saab got the h engines base from triumph. Where as Saab actually did the R&D on the ecotec.
This is kinda trippy because I own a swedish saab 9-3 01 se and its like your missing a bunch of features and mine is manual from factory
I liked the stealth mode in the G8 better
My gf had one! She let me drive it! And it comensed to talk to me! " let's roll let's roll " hit the gas pedal dude! And we did!
It's a German design, it voud not haft Zaid zat! Dumbcoff!
You could get manual 2.0 turbos. See em in Canada all the time.
I dig the wheels bro. I'm a sucker for straight spoke wheels
1:50 In Europe you could have a manual with this engine. I have one!
Love the color 🔥
The 9.3 is a 4.80 m lenght car. Not sure you can call this "small". Same size as a V70 Volvo wagon of the same era.
Sweet cars
In 2002 they had the turbo with a 5 speed
It's 185 HP Aero was 205 and was a manual.
That version is essentially a revamped 900
A 2001 Saab 9-3 SE does come with a manual I have the manual version
I had a 2002 Saab 9-3 SE 2.0T with a 5 speed.
Always hated Saab designs, always hated silver cars. A silver aero w/ smoked taillights can be quite a looker tho.
Damn I miss SAAB
Key in centre console so you can lock I n gear stop car being stolen .
Saab FTW
You can get these with a manual I don't know what you're talking about
I just bought one for $275? Is that a deal?
I thought saab wasnt gm till 06?
Can anyone help me?
I drive the 9-3 soft top. It's now 24 years old but it's mysteriously taken to opening the boot/trunk whilst I'm driving.
I wondered whether anyone else has experienced this and how I can rectify the issue?
You need to use a Tech 2 or find someone who has one, if i remember correctly there are boot settings that ask wether you want the boot to to lock/ unlock once the car starts or key removed etc..
was this turbo a DI or NAE????
i have a 2002 2.0 Turbo manual 😆
ha 😅 you actually could get a 9-3 with a manual 5speed and turbo. my mom had one lol
i mean is it really a GM if its made before 2003...? its using swedish technology only right now
My Mom had a 2001 9-3. IMO, it was an awful car. It had leather seats, so she had to get the beaded-wood covers to make them tolerable in the summer. In the winter, any car needs to be able to blow warm air from the dash vents onto your hands on the wheel. The center vent on this 9-3 is SO far away, that it can’t do this. And as with lots of European non-executive cars, the rear-seat knee room is insufficient for tall people.
People have a tendency to idolize the weird era of a company when it's not making money not realizing that era was the reason The company got bought by someone else
That's because the "weird eras" are for enthusiasts, not the shareholders.
@@LouisSubearth yes but the enthusiast aren't wealthy enough or plentiful enough to make a profit most of the time
Manual in Europe
Cool 😀
I thought Saabs were meant to be premium? Beyond the heated seats it's seem like a mainstream compact
I do think it's a nice looking car however.
they were never luxury cars they were just executive, and also the 9-5 and 9000 were their "luxury" cars
Nope never been. Both Volvo and Saab was our folk cars, some have been sportier and some have had a bit more luxurious trim level thats all
Heated seats were a luxury in 2001
This model, although an SE, mid level, it is missing some of the common options. It's actually more rare to see a stripped down model like this than a typical loaded one.
It's missing leather seats, power seats, 3 person memory, auto-dimming rear view mirror, 16" wheels, body colored front side and rear body kit, rear - yes, rear heated seats, front dash trim (usually simulated wood, or silver), etc. all of which were very premium options at the time.
I had a 1999 9-3 SE and it had all of that + 5 speed manaul. It was a blast.
Fun fact, 1999 saab 9-5 was the first ever production car to offer ventilated seats.
@@BWTECH0521 yeah he mentions only the base model has a manual, but i have a loaded 5 speed se with leather galore
Wish GM or FCA buy SAAB
GM did buy Saab and is one of the reasons why Saab isn't around any more.
GM kill best cars ever, yeah they wasent so bad. wtf ?!