SRowell's Saab 9-3 Aero 2.8 V6 Turbo

[Eeyore]

Well the time came to get something new. 

Reasons for a new car:

• 1.8 does 18MPG.
  
• Estate requires more money and has crash damage so it will never be right.
  
• Fed up of spending time under the car just to keep it going.
  
• Something thats nice to be in for 300 miles a week.
  
• Something more professional for work.
  
• Someting good for towing.
  
• More time to focus on the 1.8 track project.
  
• Need an estate for sailing kit and moving flats in london.
  

Reasons against a new car:

• £8 - 58 more a month
  

As many of you know ive been a bit arsey and blunt on the forum but also in real life. This is normally lots of whining over the cars and I dont want to spend as much time coaxing every bit of life out of it. 

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Once I had decided that I wanted to get something else the question was what? I had an undisclosed reasonable budget and its amazing for what you can get for the bottom half of four figures. Car needed to be comfy, affordable, better than 18mpg, great condition, and essentially a good deal. I started looking at V70s and 9-5s and realised that these were a little big and there were plenty medium sized estates. I spoke to Ruan about the V50 and he provided lots of advice. I spoke to Atterz about his 9-3. The V50 is essentially a focus and the 9-3 is a vectra. Diesel or petrol? Ideally diesel for many miles... but in the end I ended up getting a petrol...

So I present to you... my new car... a Saab 9-3 Aero SportsWagon . Aero spec so its got the leather seats and the infotainment 3 system with a decent audio package. And as for the engine its a 2.8L V6 Turbo with 250hp. Exactly the same as Atterz's but in black with a charcoal interior.













and then the first photo I took of it in its natural habitat...



Im very happy with it. Its lovely and smooth to drive and its extremely comfortable. Its very fast but there is no drama to it. The 306 feels more naughty and better when you put your foot down. This simply wafts along and when you put your foot down it easily becomes too fast.

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Also just to put everyones mind at ease I will still have a 306. The 1.8 project will continue. I will be keeping bits off the estate as spares and breaking the rest of it. The 1.8 will be garaged until I find a phase 3 diablo 3 door. Engine swap, stripping etc and the new 3 door will be a track car. Once all the goodies are off the 1.8 it can be broken and scrapped.

[Toms306]

Looks excellent Sam, great choice imo!

I won't bother trying to race you in it though.

[Kezzieboy]

Good choice, I'm looking for a 9-5 at the moment, I think they're better looking personally!

[welshpug]

MINT essentially, its a Vectra VXR with zero essex and a massive lump of Swedish flair.


p.s, 1.8 should do a damn sight more than 18 mpg, a friend had a bodied 205 gti6 which did 40 mpg easily, my cammed gti6 engined zx does 32-35 pretty easy as well.

[7057sam]

Looks ace sam

Have you giving it the "Big en" yet

[Eeyore]

Its a great car. It cost me £3100 and its a lot of car for the money. Its done 111k which isnt good or bad. Its got full history, all the manuals/paperworks and a years MOT.

[Tom]

I absolutely adore these things! V6, turbo and they're really good looking!

[7057sam]

I was just thinking if the 1.8 would be just off road use only shurely this would be a great time to get a diablo 6 as you've got everything to swap over from the 1.8 ?

[Eeyore]

I was just thinking if the 1.8 would be just off road use only shurely this would be a great time to get a diablo 6 as  you've  got everything to swap over from the  1.8 ?

Er... That's what I'm doing sam... Any petrol phase 3 diablo 3 door will do. Not sure if I can tow a trailer with a stripped 306 on it. Either that or I'll just tax and Insure the 1.8.

[procta]

S rowell have you gave the Estate the elbow then? As running 3 cars is f*cking brave!

[Davidwheaty]

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motor...1096537263 it's a diesel but its 3dr!

[7057sam]

S rowell have you gave the Estate the elbow then? As running 3 cars is f*cking brave!

Yep it's being rapped for parts then off to the scrap yard in the sky.

[procta]

S rowell have you gave the Estate the elbow then? As running 3 cars is f*cking brave!

Yep it's being rapped for parts then off to the scrap yard in the sky.

he hasn't mentioned it in his thread that's all, just mentioned that it was getting prepped for MOT.

[Tom]

I think the big question is, does it actually cost 485££ a year to tax?

[Toms306]

I think the big question is, does it actually cost 485££ a year to tax?

Yes.

But that's the price you have to pay if you want to run a big petrol post 2001!  Even a Y reg GTi6 is nearly £300 a year.

[lolsteve]

Good god that's extortionate. At least the petrol is dropping

[Tom]

I think the big question is, does it actually cost 485££ a year to tax?

Yes.

But that's the price you have to pay if you want to run a big petrol post 2001!  Even a Y reg GTi6 is nearly £300 a year.

I knew youd chime in at this point

Extortionate is definately the word id use. Id love one though. Been searching for one since this thread arised, none down here for sale

[Toms306]

Lol, yeah I'm almost as anal about tax as mpg lol.

Petrol tax is ridiculous on anything big engine tbh, that's the reason they're so much cheaper than the diesel equivalents!

[1616six]

That tax is absurd!

Think I'd have gone for the twin turbo diesel.

Nice car though, just boring interior

[Niall]

That tax is absurd!

Think I'd have gone for the twin turbo diesel.

Nice car though, just boring interior

Wait, hold the phone...

What?

You of all people, the 3 series owner is saying it has a boring interior?

The tax is pretty horrendous but its a pretty horrendous engine. For a Saab who were always very good with emissions (as they have to be in Sweeden), it was horrendous for what it was.
Even the Jag i was looking at which is a 4.2l supercharged V8 is only £280 a year lol

[1616six]

That tax is absurd!

Think I'd have gone for the twin turbo diesel.

Nice car though, just boring interior

Wait, hold the phone...

What?

You of all people, the 3 series owner is saying it has a boring interior?

The tax is pretty horrendous but its a pretty horrendous engine. For a Saab who were always very good with emissions (as they have to be in Sweeden), it was horrendous for what it was.
Even the Jag i was looking at which is a 4.2l supercharged V8 is only £280 a  year lol

I saw you viewing the thread & would have bet my house on you saying that, lol!

Absolutely, it's the one reason I haven't bought a Saab, they look nice externally but the interiors are horrible, green lights with old fashioned font text, huge vents, loads of square buttons. Just awful.

Do they still have the silly ignition where you have to put it in reverse & the key next to the hand brake? Everyone forgets so the barrels wear out quickly..

It's a shame though as I'd love a 9-3 estate in the twin turbo diesel guise!

[welshpug]

I fooking love the green lighting, and that nigh mode, brilliant!

[Kezzieboy]

Yeah likewise, I think the interiors are lovely! Seats are stupidly comfy too!

[Eeyore]

The night mode is amazing! Everything just works as it should. It looks a bit ugly but it grows on you and then you realise its all extremely functional and actually very well thought out! The seats are very comfy and Ive just been driving everywhere at 60. Doesn't matter if it takes longer when you're relaxing in comfort!

Also as far as Im aware the twin turbo diesel only puts out 187hp?

[Niall]

JJ i think you need to drive one to appreciate the green lighting. Its very easy on the eyes and very easy to read.
Also, the barrels on newer ones aren't linked to the gear selector. It isn't actually a key blade. Its a fob.
The dash is functional and isn't like most modern cars where it looks pretty but theres either shit loads of buttons, a stupid touch screen that takes your eyes off the road and none of it is logical. Drive a saab and you will know what i mean. It all just works and is where you would expect stuff.
Also, Mei is right. Night panel is fooking great!
Id have the Saab interior over any BMW interior any day. They are all just SO boring, masses of plain flat surfaces and you have to take your eyes off the road to use anything. Especially if you have that wanky Idrive system lol

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Yeah likewise, I think the interiors are lovely! Seats are stupidly comfy too!

This. I don't think I've ever sat in car seats so comfortable before with the possible exception of the Freelander i had last year.

[welshpug]

not even that, 178, 285 lbft though, and under 120g/km CO2, bit of a tank at 1690 kg!



I think your V6 is 250 bhp 260 lbft, its a GM engine not a SAAB one.

[Eeyore]

Yeh its the B284 variety...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_High_Feature_engine

[1616six]

JJ i think you need to drive one to appreciate the green lighting. Its very easy on the eyes and very easy to read.
Also, the barrels on newer ones aren't linked to the gear selector. It isn't actually a key blade. Its a fob.
The dash is functional and isn't like most modern cars where it looks pretty but theres either shit loads of buttons, a stupid touch screen that takes your eyes off the road and none of it is logical. Drive a saab and you will know what i mean. It all just works and is where you would expect stuff.
Also, Mei is right. Night panel is fooking great!
Id have the Saab interior over any BMW interior any day. They are all just SO boring, masses of plain flat surfaces and you have to take your eyes off the road to use anything. Especially if you have that wanky Idrive system lol

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I'm not comparing it to any car let alone mine, lol. You constantly bring up your hate for bmw - We get it! I've not got Idrive but my company f30 does & it works great.

All I said was its a lovely car but the interior puts me off, I think it's much better than the 1.8 for Sams needs & it's much more mature.

I've not driven a newer one but my friend has a 53 plate aero hot 9-3 saloon, not sure what engine, Ive been in it at night & the night mode is a nice gimmick but he said he never uses it.

It's a great choice Sam, yeah the diesel is 180 something I think but as you say, with these kind of barges you don't need masses.. You just float along. I just think for the mpg & tax saving they make sense, but then again that's partly why yours was so cheap I guess!

[Niall]

The TTID aero remaps very easily to stupid amounts of torque so can be very fun but i think they started them from 2007(?) so will be fairly expensive to buy at the moment. And still can have 40mpg even when ragging it lol
Im surprised he doesn't use the night mode. Honestly, driving at night on dark roads, use it and it makes night time driving so much more pleasurable and easier! Once you start using it, you would miss it!

[Eeyore]

Theyre all quite cheap mate. Its a 2006 car. Thats almost 10 years now. A big petrol will be cheap but the diesels arent a lot more!