Professional Reviews

• “Inside, there's a prominent center console that's awash with Chiclets-size buttons -- 39 in all -- that are nearly impossible to discern at a glance.” — Car and Driver
• “Rear-seat passengers get generous head- and legroom considering the size of the car. A center console can be folded down between the rear seats that contains cupholders and a map storage area.” — New Car Test Drive
• “Moreover, this 9-3 sedan still looks like a Saab — really, like a scaled-down 9-5 with more graceful lines -- and has quite a large trunk for a nonhatchback (14.8 cubic feet of capacity).” — Edmunds.com
• “In a bid for a larger wedge of the mainstream pie chart, this New Age Norseman even abandons that Holy Grail of Saabness, the hatchback body style.” — Road & Track
• “The other issue we noted during our testing was hesitation on both upshifts and downshifts in the automanual mode — in upshift situations, two taps of the shift lever were often required to coax the transmission into the next gear.” — Edmunds.com
• “It feels strong and eager -- we were never able to catch the Garrett turbo sleeping, even away from the light. There's simply even, uninterrupted power everywhere.” — Road & Track
• “The hand-brake lever is neatly integrated into the center console, the dual-zone HVAC system worked flawlessly, and the front sport seats (standard on the Vector model) are fantastic.” — Car and Driver
• “Side airbags come standard on all 9-3 models along with Saab's Active Head Restraint system that automatically cradles the head in an accident to help prevent whiplash. Active safety is helped by ABS (anti-lock brakes), electronic traction control (TCS) and an electronic stability program (ESP), all designed to help the driver maintain control.” — New Car Test Drive
• “The luxury-oriented Arc [Convertible] checks in at $40,670, while sporty Aero versions start at $43,175. Each is priced among the relevant competitors from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo.” — AutoWeek
• “With 175 horsepower, the Saab 9-3 Linear model is not going to set any speed records.” — New Car Test Drive
• “In terms of handling, the 9-3 is not a one-to-one substitute for the rear-drive 3 Series or the all-wheel-drive A4 quattro, but among front-wheel-drive cars, it doesn't get much better than this Saab.” — Edmunds.com