2000 Saab 9-3: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Introduced in spring '98 as a renamed 1999 update of Saab's 900 series, the 9-3 continues in uplevel SE 2- and 4-door hatchbacks and 2-door convertibles, while a high-performance Viggen 2-door returns from mid-1999 with new 5-door and soft-top companions. Only 1000 Viggens in all will be available for U.S. sale. All 9-3s use turbocharged 4-cylinder engines. The base 2.0-liter unit again makes 185 horsepower. SEs now come with last year's optional High Output 2.0, which gains 5 horsepower and is newly available with 4-speed automatic transmission. The Viggen's 2.3-liter also gains 5 hp and a little more torque; it teams only with 5-speed manual.
All 9-3s include 4-wheel antilock disc brakes, seat-mounted front side airbags, and Saab's front Active Head Restraints that are claimed to minimize whiplash injury. Convertibles feature a lined, hydraulically operated power top with glass rear window and electric defroster. Besides more standard power, SEs add a front "chin" spoiler, "aero" lower-body side and rear skirts, and sports steering wheel; the 4-door gets a special sports suspension as well, the SE convertible a standard rear spoiler. General Motors owns this Swedish automaker and GM's OnStar satellite-based communications system is a new 9-3 option.

COMPETITION

This hotly contested segment has a clear benchmark, it is the Acura TL (and its 2-door cousin Acura CL). The TL succeeds in blending comfort, style, luxury, and sport into an efficient package at an affordable price.
But the Acura's not for everyone. We also recommend the sporty and Euro-flavored Audi A6, the comfortable Buick Park Avenue, the affordable and fast Infiniti I30, and the luxury-orientated Lexus ES 300.