9-3 SportCombi 2.0 is Best All Around Vehicle in its Class

The 2006 9-3 SportCombi (2.0 M5) is a dream machine – probably the car Saab has always wanted to build. I’ve owned many different model year Saab variants, and this one by far tops them all. As much as I loved my 2004 9-3 4-Door Aero A5, this new more Saab-like model, just seems so solid and refined.

To start, let me say that I really wanted to get into an Aero again, but as a long time Saab 4-cylinder fan, I had tremendous reservation considering my environmental sensitivity, and the substantial 6-cyl. gas mileage hit. But what the heck, I took the 6 for a test drive, and was immensely disappointed. The performance was not much better than the 4, and to me the car just felt awkward and unnatural with the bigger engine. And c'mon, dual exhaust on a Saab? If that’s what it takes to win over Beemer and Audi types, so be it, but Saab’s 2-liter-4 gem, has unbeatable performance and efficiency.

Mechanically, the car feels like Saab went all around and beefed it up. It feels much heavier and more substantial. The clutch take-up is oh so smooth and nicely damped. The shifter is tight, solid, purely delightful. Even the brake pedal is less mushy, the parking brake ratchet, sensuously smooth and tight. No more steering system jiggle and play. The seats are Saab's best, and the ride this side of amazing. Wind noise is almost non-existent, and an improved sound system with under cargo floor sub-woofer, rivals home audio.

All previous 9-3's I’ve driven, rode on the harsh side, particularly in the rear. Of course the Aero was even harsher, but damped enough and combined with its exceptional handling, was quite a thrill to drive. I miss the rail-like precision of the lowered, stiffer Aero suspension, but find that the richly comfortable poise and truly decent handling of the this new model, more than alluring. With its bias on comfort, yet a good touch of pavement feel, the ride quality to handling compromise is the best I’ve experienced. It's also the first Saab I've had that is completely shimmy-free at all speeds and torques. If you enjoy driving at airplane-like speeds, this car is effortlessly rock-stable, well into triple digits.

The appearance of the SportCombi is smile-grabbing distinctive, and downright sexy from the rear. But the real treat is inside. Mine, (Silver) with the Parchment interior, wood trim accents, and new black carpeting, is perfectly gorgeous. Panel lines and shapes just flow and meld into rich, warm, contemporary beauty.

Alas, the ease of use, roominess and finish of the cargo area is Saab great. It’s quite effortless to lower either or both of the split rear seats, remove the cargo cover mechanism, and open this baby up. You no longer have to raise the rear seat bottoms for a near-flat surface, and for easy trunk access, the (somewhat cheesy) cover "shade" pops up an angled groove with a mere tap. Like its hatchback predecessor, I suspect you can still sleep a couple of 6 footers in a pinch.

As with all Saabs, I have my share of build quality disappointments, such as wavy distortions in glass and mirrors, a seat trim piece that came off the first week, an immediately creaky clutch pedal, a sticking sunroof, cocked brake lever, too much road noise, etc.

I'm also surprised how unlike my previous 9-3, the degree of torque-steer on heavy acceleration, particularly on an incline, takes some real holding on to the steering wheel. It must have to do with the non-Aero underpinnings and added rear weight of the Combi. Oh well, adjust those brilliantly intuitive vent knobs, sense the powerfully quiet climate system, flip on the seat heaters, tune in a Nav system coordinate, wind it out, and life’s good in this cockpit!

Saab, thanks for building this terrific car. It is dream-like pleasant to sit in, drive and to transport people and cargo. If the social responsibility of size compromise is your thing, the comfort, performance, carrying space and efficiency of the 2.0 SportCombi is probably as good as it gets. Just one BIG nudge for the Saab folks, please offer the 4-cylinder in the Aero, please!