2006 Saab 9-3 Convertible Aero

Pros

Nearly one of a kind, Styling, V6 engine, confortable seats, convertible mechanics

Cons

Oversized steering wheel, Automatic-sluggish,sentrontic levers awkward, busy dash board.

Saab (GM) finally did something right by introducing a V6 turbo (not a wannabe from GM parts bin.) Saab had a hand in its' design, mainly the turbo. I now think you can justify buying this 40+ thousand SAAB in icomparison to the competition. I have driven BMW convs (I.E. Z's, and the M3) and eventhough it's more a driver's car, I found the Saab overall to be the more civilized for city driving. Living in Los Angeles, BMW's are in abundance and having a SAAB is very unique. Styling is smooth and I feel nothing stands out of place. The V6 auto is slightly sluggish when pushed and the Senstronic paddle shifters (more like tabs) on the steering wheel are in an awkward position for shifting. Since the availability of this new model is still limited...I feel the lack of manual trans. offered is awful since this is a standard feature and the auto is an option. This takes away from the driver's fun. Some people in Los Angeles would like to have one. Another problem I have is the busy dashboard. There many several buttons which are of no use, notibly the On-star buttons which is not available in this area (a useless antenna to boot also!) This automobile still has power and it is fun to drive. If you want something to stand out, and you do not want to pay 100+, then this is your automobile. There are a total 125,000 Saabs delivered to US, so there are not too many out there. If you look at your local paper under dealer listings...See how many Saab dealers are in your area. You will be lucky to find one. I also want to mention that this car as a 5 star rating in safety and well insolated from noise when the top is up. I only heard about the later since I never had the top up while driving ;)