[93 03-07]
Saab Sport Sedan Opinion (2006)
My wife just recently decided she wanted to get back into the Saab family again (PTL) so off to Fla to pickup a new Saab 93 Sportcombi I went. As I began the 700 mile drive back with my friend Tony it became aparent to me that there was nothing on the Saabsite to really give people an honest opinion of the Sport Sedan so I felt it neccessary to do that now. Here goes.
Car Specifications
2006 Sportcombi (Wagon) Aero
Engine - 2.8 Liter V6 Turbo (built in Australia) 250 HP
Transmission - 6 speed automatic with Paddle shift
The Beginning Drive & the interior
As I left the dealer and hit the highway I was immediately taken back by the refinements that Saab has made with the GM influence without the removal of typical Saab appointments.
Seats - Comfortable AERO Seats were just like the ones in my previous Saab 9000 AERO. A little smaller but a bit more comfortable in my opinion.
Interior Room - The vehicle was very comfortable with more than enough leg room inside. (I am about 200 lbs and 6 ft tall and Tony is about 250 and 6 foot tall). There would be no issues at all with a much larger person fitting in the car and still being comfortable.
Buttons - There is a LOT of buttons. However, the buttons are quite self explanatory in that each one seems to have a specific purpose that does not require one being a rocket scientist to figure out.
Stereo system - One of the most exciting things about the ride was the performance of the 13 speaker stereo system. It was truly superb! As I began to play the radio, Tony and I both kept looking at our cell phones because we thought they were ringing. Only to find out that what we thought was our cell phones was the "extra" noises that were coming from the stereo! The system is truly exceptional sounding regardless of which type of music that you listen to.
Road Noise inside - There is some interior exhaust noise. A kind of throaty "old school" Turbo sound in the interior but not too loud. If you are not a previous Saab owner you may not like the noise but for those of us who have always owned Saabs it made me feel right at home. This noise was not at all bothersome but it does exist.
Wind noise - was very minimal
Overall Ride - The ride was exceptional. I always ran the speed limit (hmmm, from 70 to 125 just for testing purposes you see) I did notice a little more body roll than I would like but the smoothness of the ride made up for it. It was everybit as smooth as any car I have ever been in on the highway.
Engine & transmission - The Chain driven 2.8 liter V6 Turbo engine was pleasant surprise performance wise. Regardless of what speed you drive the car has very good power across the power band. You barely touch the gas and your moving very smoothly and very quickly. The japanese 6 speed transmission shifts very smoothly with no complaints about how it functions. The paddle shift is a neat little setup which enables one to shift manually from the shifter or from the steering wheel. Not sure how functional this is but it is fun to say the least.
Overall Interior Opinion - Excellent. The interior looks very sporty, sits very well and even the cupholders (only previous Saab owners know what I mean here) are very functional. They actually work well.
Fuel Mileage - 28.3 is what we averaged on the way home and our average speed was 78-80 MPH.
GM Influence
Most of the time I hear negative comments about how GM has influenced Saab but the further we drove the more I began to think that the negative was coming from old school Saab owners that really just have not given the Sport Sedan a close look. Keep in mind that I am an old school Saab owner that has had just about every Saab made so I definately appreciate the "uniqueness" that Saab has always had. Truth is, it still has the same mistique that it always had but it is now fully owned by GM. If you have not noticed GM has made a pretty strong comeback and their new cars look great. Seems that they are really pointing in the right direction now.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that Tony and I both were more than impressed with this car. This is not a "glorify Saab" session. It is the truth. The car is excellent, the power is very good, the ride was great, the sound system is excellent and the car looks great as well. Is it perfect, no but we do think that Saab is on the right path now. Hopefully this article will help those make the correct decision about the purchase of a Sport Sedan 93. This car is not for everyone but it certainly has a place in our hearts now.
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