All you new 9-3SS owners out there,

What's your impression of your new toy then - how long have you had it, what's good about it, what's bad, what's fallen off it etc

Bill

I know mikej's had an engine out repair on his already http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif

What's your impression of your new toy then[/b]Time for a progress report then...

Have reached 7000 miles this week, after a trip over the Irish Channel and up the West Coast of Scotland. Couldn't stretch it's legs too much - there seem to be speed cameras EVERYWHERE over there..(especially between Stranraer and Glasgow)

The SID display has twice registered a fault, once relating to a central locking failure, and once relating to a bulb failure. Both were false alarms and didn't appear once the ignition was switched off and on again.

Slightly more worrying, I had to take her into the dealer with a strange grinding noise from the steering soon after delivery. Turned out to be a "slight" leak from the power steering, fixed in 20 minutes and hasn't recurred.

Still LOVE driving her day in and day out, always puts a smile on my face, whatever the weather and traffic conditions. Still haven't seen another red one, either !

Fuel economy still improving (about 42.5 mpg now - she's a diesel). Managed to get some photos taken inthe local countryside during the sunny weather, and hope to post these soon.

ok ..just turned 12'000 miles
engine getting freeer by the mile (1.8t arc)
still not as fast as I would like but adequate
Still amazes me by its sheer ability to take corners at insane speeds the handling is sooo nice it has a real bitey turn in and you can feel the rear axle doing its stuff ..however in extremis the tyres really squeel and squirm (which I have put down to their relatively tall profile)
the other thing that amazes me is its sheer ability to cover the ground..it is so quiet,comfortable and surefooted at warp8 and above you do not notice the miles slipping by..
fuel economy is improving it is now sitting at 34.9 mpg
I have the es2/7 infotainment and I like the sound pretty much,it could do with more bass and be louder but it is ok
what is not ok however is the real screw up with the interfaces which I will not bore you with but it has been well discussed
whats gone wrong ?
well the alarm has gone off at random times
but it seems to have cured itself
what is more worrying is that it is still saying I have over 350 days to service !! after 12k miles!!the oil quality is down to 30 % now

In summary 9/10
and really pleased with it (apart from no hatch )

Sport Sedan 2.0t Auto / Vector. About 3000 miles. I like sporty feeling, nice to drive and increrible cornering abilities. Good seats and nice design + interior. Few minor faults so far: SID noticed about central locking and bulb failures without any reason. Audio 4-speaker ES1, poor sound quality, rear speakers real joke. Go for 7-speaker option. Auto gearbox very smooth. Occationally some noise from suspension in big bumbs, especially after could night, also funny engine noise after cold start though it disappears after engine has warmed up. I will contact the service about those problems. Consumption around 10 litres/100km getting less all the time. Oil quality only 78% now, doesn't sound too good after 3000 miles only! After all quite happy except the audio sound !!!

what is more worrying is that it is still saying I have over 350 days to service !! after 12k miles!! *[/b]I thought the intervals on the 9-3SS were 18,000 miles or two years? If so, then you could well have that long left to go.

My 1.8t Vector has now covered 8000 miles;-

Overall;

I'm really delighted with my purchase.

1. The Saab brand is a nice one to have especially as so many BMWs seem to be knocking about these days i.e. 318 etc
2. The clarity of the dials and general interior design is impressive
3. Build Quality is excellent
4. Handling Characteristics also good
5. Boot size (for those that care) is also impressive

Areas for improvement;-
6. The 1.8t engine power although fine could feel a bit quicker. Perhaps the 2.0t should have been the choice.
7. The SID (as mentioned earlier in this thread) references faults when there are none. I have had both (SID)Central locking and bulb failure reports which have turned out to be incorrect.
8. The standard CD player is duff - the power from the 4 standard speakers is not enough.
9. The fuel tank could be a bit bigger allowing for longer travelling distance between visits to the petrol station.

In summary - the only thing I would really change is the amount of power - but then again one always needs a little more bhp... http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/fawlty.gif

My first post to say Hi and give a quick summary of my experiences with the new 93

I got my 2.0t arc in dark blue about three weeks ago. It's a great car to drive and rather rare over here in France unlike the crowds of Audi and BMW.

I got the six cd changer system in the dash which I find very convenient.

Had one problem where the SID told me there was a locking system failure and one of the back doors wouldn't open whilst the boot wouldn't lock. Turned out to be a badly connected cable on the plug in the front of the door. The other problem is that nothing seems to be programmed properly. I asked the guy at SAAB to reprogramme the electric windows to go up by themselves with one touch. After plugging in his computer to the car he told me that nothing was programmed and it would take about 2 hours to go through the whole sequence (that I guess should have been done before they delivered it.) Needless to say I will have to go back soem other time to have this done.

Despite this I love the car and am looking forward to many years of happy motoring.

Hi! and welcome to the board.

I thought that 1 touch window raise was something Saab didn't do because they say it's unsafe. Well, that's what they told me on my 9-5.

hi all,
Own 03 linear-bl/char,every option, 4500 miles
Getting my onstar today along with stereo softward upgrade...have 150w 7 speaker..we will see if there is improvement..car is great but i feel the car is to isolating to the driver..steering is light but not over boosted..little road noise and dull exhaust note..i guess i want the growl and more of a sense of involvement...only real issue though

Howdi all,

Had my 9-3SS Vector 2.2 TiD for about a month today. Done 2000 Miles economy is still not near advertised (but that is to be expected).

Love the ride and the power, enjoy my time driving now that I have a quality car. No problems with the car itself mechanically. However have suffered issues with the Sat Nav system.

The things i most enjoy about my car and that others have said when sitting inside/driving it are as follows:

1. Excellent driving position
2. Comfortable and enjoyable for both passengers and driver
3. Hands like a dream
4. Stunningly good driver experience when driving.

Couldn't have picked a better car

http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/fawlty.gif http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/fawlty.gif

I actually went down to the (only) local dealer in Leeds yesterday. They were quite snobbish about it but i managed to snag a test drive and drew some conclusions about the car

1. Handling waay better than the old 9-3 and seems to grip better than the 3 series
2. Which really highlights the problem of the Aero seats having completely insufficient bolstering.. They're hard, wide and flat (why are they taking design cues from Audi, the old ones were just fabulous!)
3. the interior was interesting enough, especially the cool cupholders, but the plastics used were really disappointing, hard and tacky. I'd especially point to the handbrake. The door trims were also another example of Audi doors. And the basic proportion of the cabin wasn't typically Saab strange (tall and narrowish).
4. It didn't seem very quick somehow.. Didn't quite have anything like the warp speed acceleration of the 9-5 aero. Gearshift action ho hum. Feel free steering, altho precise.
5. Once again the instrumentation is an object lesson in clarity...
6. But the stereo isn't.
7. Boot was dead smart. Audi has the typical scissors space saving hinge on their A4, but it makes the opening too small. I wondered why Saab used the old fashioned loop like hinge until i saw the Audi - the Saab solution levers the boot lid way clear of the small opening.
8. 5 spoke Aero wheel design just totally walks it. Best interpretation of the original BBS design I've seen so far.
9. Had one touch windows all round. Finally.
10. Agree with ylee: needs hatch.
11. Dreadful salesman who didn't even know how much torque the car had.

Jury's still out on this..

9. Had one touch windows all round. Finally.[/b]I don't know what the fuss is all about with this. You obviously don't have children.

I don't know what the fuss is all about with this. You obviously don't have children.[/b]Quite right, nope. And with any luck I won't have screaming brats in my life. Don't get me wrong, some children are lovely and i'm terribly envious of people who do have them, but I'm not too good with the lottery and with my kind of luck, i'll probably end up with the short stick.

I had an impression that the sales lady who told me the same thing sgould's sales rep did said it to excuse the marketing blunder of not including one touch windows. There's that nifty switch to lock the rear windows, so that sort of nullifies that argument imho. Plus i did assume that the windows have a safety cut-off on encountering resistance, altho i didn't check.

There's that nifty switch to lock the rear windows, so that sort of nullifies that argument imho[/b]Very true, but that can't stop someone mistaking the controls. This may sound silly, but a few days ago I saw my daughter's hand rise up much too far when my wife pressed the wrong button.

Done 12.000 km (7.440 miles) so far in GreenAero. As some of you might have seen in other threads, I'm quite disappointed with the car. It's most likely the last Saab for me, sad but true.

The gearbox is a joke (6-speed manual), I thought all-synchro gearboxes were common today, but this one feels more like one of my old Spitfires (with a non-synchro 1:st gear). Also, the 6:th gear only seems to be there as a styling feature, you can't use for driving (the engine doesn't even manage to rev out on 5:th gear...).

Engine, it's really dull and doesn't match the Aero image at all (I've had two 9-5 Aeros before). It will eventually take you up to 235 km/h (on the meter), but that takes quite some time. And maybe more interesting, the interval of 80-120 km/h is really disappointing. Also, after 5000 rpm, the engine is dead.

Quality, well not impressed by quality or finish. Having lots of trouble with the GPS (still waiting for replacement parts), gearbox (see above), finish of interior isn't convinsing (like that multislot dummy, or the switches for wipers and flashers. Also, strange noise from the suspension now and then.

There are however some parts of it that I like. Handling is one of them, when driving on small, winding roads - it's quite fun (if it wasn't for that gearbox and the engine ). Also the look of the exterior as well as drivers view is nice.

You might think I'm whining, but I just think you can expect more from a car that costs close to £28.500...

Cheers,
Stefan

I had the very good luck to be in the passenger seat of the Abbott R3 with Ed Abbott at the controls. That car is incredible (OK, having Ed at the controls probably helped too). Grip around corners is incredible and the car can be flung around with abandon. I'm an incredibly nervous passenger but I just didn't have time to get scared in it. http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/fawlty.gif

Gordy,

I've also had a shot in that car... fantastic!

Talking to a mate at the weekend who'd been down to Abbott's to get his 9-3 convertible tweaked, he blagged a ride in Ed's "R3". Verdict was that it is miles better than the Aero he'd tried out 2 weeks before, much more poke and even better handling.

Ed had some interesting things to say about the Trionic 8 that they're gradually learning about. Difference between 1.8t and 2.0t? Software. Between 2.0t and Aero? Software again. They can't find any hardware difference between the 3 models.

He also said that their SW engineer is spending more time sorting out bugs in the bits that control SID, alarm, etc than on performance stuff. Apparently this is a real issue for Saab.

But the most telling bit was a story I heard about 9-3ss Aeros supposedly being "recalled" recently. A load of unsold ones were pulled from dealers and even some customer cars recalled for 48 hours. Shipped to Grimsby & came back, allegedly, 20bhp short of the quoted 210. Apparently, there is some possible set of circumstances in which one of the control functions could think it was overboosting and the car would revert to limp-home mode, just as you've pulled out to overtake giving it full http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/fawlty.gif .

So those of you who think it doesn't feel very fast may be suffering from premature loss of horses.

Now all this sounds well dodgy and can they do it? Trading standards etc springs to mind, but this is what I heard...

Originally posted by fliptop:
Ed had some interesting things to say about the Trionic 8 that they're gradually learning about. *Difference between 1.8t and 2.0t? *Software. *Between 2.0t and Aero? *Software again. *They can't find any hardware difference between the 3 models.
[/b]Well he's just slightly wrong then according to saab...


A Garrett GT20 turbocharger is used for the 150 and 175 bhp engines with mild maximum boost pressures set at 0.5 and 0.7 bar respectively. A larger Mitsubishi TDO4 unit, operating at 0.85 bar, is fitted to the 210 bhp version, which also has higher profile camshafts. Both turbos have integrated by-pass valves.[/b]

Well there you go, looks like pretty fundamental differences that even a numpty like me would spot. Wonder what Ed was talking about?!

Still a worry about this 210 or 190 bhp issue though...

And it doesn't get away from the fact that the £xK price difference between 1.8t and 2.0t is accounted for by some SW and a badge, so surely the cheapest non-Aero route is 1.8t + upgrade...

Hi all you Saabists,

I'm new here and I have my 9-3 2.2 TiD Vector since last week. It's a great car as posted earlier and has, of course (like all others), some problems, too.
I just brought her to my Saab dealer for a software update but the update crashed the control unit and the locking system blocked everything! Must be a Microsoft based software!! Now they are waiting for instructions by Saab Germany. (Saabs are sold via GM/Opel dealers now and might not have enough experience, I will see) The one touch window function is an extra her in Germany. Btw, at the moment I drive a 2.0 t Vector from my dealer - quite fast engine!

Saw a steel grey 93ss Aero hitched to the back of a break-down truck on the A12 last night. , going towards Saab City I presume

No visible crash damage so it must have been a mechelec failure.

Still early days for this model. If Saab can produce reliable 95 and c93 models they can do it with the 93ss - eventually

Erm, comparing the Aero with the lesser models..

There are significant other mechanical differences : 6 speed gearbox, different suspension and larger brakes on the Aero.

Yeah, but the six speed box on the aero is rubbish and has been dropped from M04 Aeros ...to be available as an option rather than as standard as on M03 Aeros. http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif

It's quite an eye-opener to glance through the technical boards here for the various models. It looks like we're all whinging about our gearboxes at the moment - from 99 owners all the way up (or down http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif ) to you fancy pants 9-3ss geezers.
It's certainly my greatest concern right now .

The 93SS Aero certainly seems to have had a few teething probs... which goes with the old saying about giving a new model 6 to 12 months to bed in before buying one (and that goes for every make).

I just hope those lucky souls who have made the purchase get prompt service from the Saab network.

Originally posted by /john:
Yeah, but the six speed box on the aero is rubbish and has been dropped from M04 Aeros ...to be available as an option rather than as standard as on M03 Aeros. * http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif *[/b]Is that gospel /john?
Would be very interested to know!

Originally posted by Leon (9-5 stg2):
Is that gospel /john?
Would be very interested to know! [/b]Well, I can't say it is definitely gospel but I was informed of this by a respected official Saab source - therefore it is a credible statement.

Originally posted by /john:
*QUOTE
Originally posted by Leon (9-5 stg2):
Is that gospel /john?
Would be very interested to know! [/b]Well, I can't say it is definitely gospel but I was informed of this by a respected official Saab source - therefore it is a credible statement. [/b][/quote]Fair enough.. close enough for me...
I'll be testing the dealers knowledge of MY04 changes tomorrow... good bargaining power

Just going to turn 8K miles.
Absolutely Fabulous
This is our second Saab (the other is a 9-5 2.3t); I leased this one on a whim. I was in a bad mood all week at work and decided to go looking at cars.
2.3t Linear, Steel Gray, Charcoal, Launch, Touring, 17" wheels/sport chassis, htd seats, 5 speed.
OnStar finally installed, had to have the front struts replaced - they were clunking horribly - and thats about it. Sometimes the radio acts up, and things act weird. But its a Saab, and if it didn't do these things, I'd be pretty upset.
I'd do it again - this time after thinking it over - all over again.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3db00b3127cce8838588b93190000001610

Well It looks like you're going to need that bargaining power against the MY04. Just been down to my local dealer today to finalise the details for my MY03 Aero to be collected next week, and he spent half an hour telling me how fantastically lucky I was to get one of the last MY03 before orders closed at start of June (ordered mid May).

Didn't see the full details on MY04 but the edited highlights were (this relates to the Aero model):
£600 price rise
Xenon's are out. Now a £400+ option
Sat Nav option(ES3-13) £250 price rise.
CD changer £50 price rise.
I think Leather has gone up also.
6 speed box is still standard with 5 speed no cost option.

He reckons I saved over £1500 compared to MY04 pricing. When quizzed what the enhancements were on MY04 he mumbled nothing really, reduced CO2 emissions on 5 speed box ?!? And no bluetooth on MY04 until September. (though aparently late MY03s have the prewiring dependent on your ES package).

Again, probably just the edited highlights for my benefit to make me feel better about handing over the cash, but would be interested to hear others experiences.

Roll on next Wednesday for my first Saab http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/fawlty.gif

Cheers,
Paul.

hmmmm
for my projected spec... thats an extra £1600 plus leather.... http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif
Bye Bye Saab?

Hi again all.

Taken delivery of my Black 93 ss 2.0 Vector Sentronic over one week ago, and it has been a mixed blessing.

Things I am very happy with:
1. Handling
2. Design
3. Seats
4. Lack of road / wind noise
5. Brakes
6. Sentronic smoothness
7. Performance (whilst not in the same league as my previous S3 - it is getting quicker with every mile.)
8. Price (Import £19500)

Things I am not so happy with:
1. Rattle from behind radio
2. Rattle from boot
3. Radio - (my fault for ordering 4 speaker )
4. Kick down response time
5. 20MPG in Town / 27 MPG outside

Hopefully I can get the rattles sorted, and attempt some sort of stereo upgrade, but all in all not a bad car.

I will keep you up to date.

Not bad then!

Where did your import yours from? or who?
I'm currently looking at Eurekar myself

Coming up on 1 month old, around 1,400 mi on a 2003 ARC 2.0T.

Only real complaint is some rattling on the passenger side door which I hope to get looked at.

The Fuel consumption has been pretty worrying too - excellent on the freeway (28-30mpg) and terrible on the surface / in traffic (17-19 mpg). I do hope it improves.

Welcome to saabscene Moz

Is yours manual or auto?

Not saying that you cannot save money by importing with Eurekar etc. (I looked long and hard at it), but it is definitely worth striking up a conversation with your local dealer.

If like me, you did most of your research on the web the "discount" car dealer brokers were offering very poor discounts between £90 and £400. Hence import was looking to be the way to go. If you have a dealer that is prepared to do a deal (don't mention the 'I' word straightaway) it's definitely worth a go. Don't give up at the fixed discount or we'll lose the dealership line, there are nips and tucks to be had like hiding certain options as FOC (free) etc.. Although, typically British I hated every minute of haggling, and my wife finally gave the game away on our 3rd visit when I tried walking away looking dis-interested and slagging the car off, while she's ready to sign!

Anyway, you may be surprised - I was. For me the cost saving of importing came down to around £1k which on a £25k car, I'd like a local dealer to go back to for squeaks and rattles and other quirky moans. I know your SAAB warranty is Europe wide but how many local dealers will have the patience to deal with imports if nothing is actually 'broken' .

Just my 'haggled' 2euros/cents/groats/whatever!.

Well i imported in January, from a Swedish Saab dealer, saved £4500, and ended up with a 2.0t Vector sports body kit, twin exhaust, lowered, 6CD dash changer, ES2-7 stereo, including UK VAT, flight to Gothenburg and ferry back for under £20000.(As Leon knows) and i use my local dealer for warranty and service.
So far its been with them for 3 weeks and is booked in on monday for another week, and after the first warranty claim Saab GB gave me ES2-13 stereo upgrade free as compensation for the hassles with the oil leak(even though it is an import and it was Saab AB Sweden who caused the problem with the parts supply)

Sound words of advice!

Eurekar are offering £3100 of the base price of a 9-3ss Aero, and they also offer the full SAAB 3 year warranty, whereas most other importers only give 2...
Plus they seem to have all the MY04 facts and figures... dealer was evasive. http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

I will happily give the dealer the chance to win my custom, I certainly don't expect them to match the saving eurekar can offer, but if I can get a good discount, then it may swing it..

Haymill offer a very honest page about importing:
Haymill Importing (http://www.haymill.co.uk/importdata.html)

Just got mine .... 45 km on the clock , so this is the intial impression

The sound system is awful ..... the 1.6 Astra I just handed back was significantly better!!!
The overall impression is good inside the cabin, but some of the plastics are cheap - esp on switches.
Not BMW or Audi standard.
Looks nice thought, and tonite it wull get a test drive.....

I'm a newby to this web site. Great info on the Saab. I just purchased a 2003 93SS Linear Silver grey and a Lauch package which includes a power sun roof, power windows, power mirrors, power driver seat and heated front seats, sport suspention and 16"wheels, upgrade sound system and a 2.0t engine with a five speed manual transmition. I really like this car. So far I've had no problems with it but only have 1800 km. After driving an American car for the last 8 years this is a dream! http://beemerc12.tripod.com/larrylarochesite/id4.html

Originally posted by Leon (9-5 stg2):
Not bad then!

Where did your import yours from? or who?
I'm currently looking at Eurekar myself [/b]

Originally posted by Leon (9-5 stg2):
Not bad then!

Where did your import yours from? or who?
I'm currently looking at Eurekar myself [/b]I got mine from Euerkar - they were very good / professional with all queries and responses. They did blot copy book by being 6 weeks late with the car - but to save £3K I didn't really mind. You can also save a bit with your options via them - they won't give you any discount on the standard option, but they do throw in extras if you ask them nicely (Auto gear box - £1115, but they throw in the sentronic paddles FOC) - I think they do this with most options - but don't quote me on that.

Also didn't have to pay delivery, as I said I would pick it up myself in Essex £200 saved there....but due to the additional 6 weeks wait - car was delivered to my door.

Hope that helps...

My 93ss and I have parted ways...

Oh why I hear you cry! Well, apart from the misadvertised spec which set the wrong mood on delivery..(Saab GB did compensate me eventually), the dealer severely damaged the car fitting the compensation (ES2-13...), it rattled beyond belief, had a number of weird electrical problems, and just felt like a Friday car.

The seats I found really uncomfortable (aggravating a back problem), and I hated the ride with the sports suspension - just too firm for me, not compliant like a BMW sports set up.

If however, you want a car to chuck around, you can't fault the handling. The engine at 9K was finally getting quicker, and fuel consumption (I had an auto) was up to 27mpg on long motorway runs.

I had the Parchment interior, which was impossible to keep clean (even with Supaguard), and my dealer service guys put more oily finger prints on the roof lining than is good for your health.

Fortunately, my dealer did look after me, and after some negotiations and an exchange of some further cash I'm back in a Saab 95 2.3t Vector. Although the cornering is nowhere near as good or the brakes as efficient, or the dash quite as enticing, but everything else is, in my view definitely superior! Amazingly the bigger engine, with a heavier car is significantly more fuel efficient (another Auto)...Seats are just a dream in comparison with 93ss. Also the extra 10bhp of the 95 really makes a difference at the top end speeds, and overtaking. Finally the Sports mode on the 95 that changes the accelerator responses rather than just holding the revs means its like owning two cars!

Now at the end of the day its horses for courses, and I'm happy for those of you that are enjoying your 93ss. For me, I bought one just too early, and I believe they have some further bugs to iron out.