2006-2009 9-3 Aero, Unique Styling, Drive one and you'll buy one.

Background
I bought this vehicle brand new with the "Friends of GM" discount which ended up saving me almost $10k off the sticker with cash back.

First a little history of what we were looking at-
We wanted a four door sedan, but we wanted something a step above a G6 or a Cobalt. Because we had the "Friends of GM" discount the car became a quick winner in it's price range.

We also looked at  Audi A4s, BMW 325's, Cadillac CTS, Acura TL and TSX.
The fit and finish in the 9-3 was pretty, not quite as solid as the Audi, but that's what Audi's known for.  I've spend a lot of time working as a Valet and have had a chance to drive and look at many cars.  The Audi stood out in my mind for LCD panel problems and very noisy suspensions from the ones I drove.

The BMW was nice, but the specs for the price as well as total cost of ownership didn't hold up to the Saab.

The 2006 CTS's interior was ugly and boxy (the 2008 looks very nice).

The TL was quite a bit more pricey but it's as common as a civic.
We did give the TSX a second over as it was fairly similar in cost, but after driving it, we loved the performance feel of the Saab.

--ALL ABOUT THE SAAB--

The 2006 is the first year the Aero has a V6 engine.
The engine used did win engine of the year, but because of it being a first year run, there are a few quirks such as a poorly designed coolant overflow tank (which Saab is standing behind).

The turbo on the 2.8L engine is a liquid cooled twin scroll turbo to reduce the very obvious turbo lag found in the base 9-3 2.0T.

The acceleration is deceptively quick partly due to the low engine noise.
The car also has included maintenance for the first 3 years (a nice touch).


The Aero model comes with a few extras not included with the base 2.0T model:
17inch 5 spoke alloy rims
Larger brakes
Front and rear spoiler
side skirts
HID light kit
Fog lamps
Dual Tone leather seats
metal trim
2 day driving experience at Road Atlanta

Specs: The 9-3 Aero is the quickest car Saab makes
    Powertrain of Aero as driven:
Turbocharged 250hp 2.8-liter V6 and 258 lb-ft of torque.
6 speed manual transmission (Auto with paddle shifters available)
18/28MPG EPA fuel rating (Personally I see about 22mpg city).
16.4Gal Fuel Tank
0-60mph at 6sec with a 6 speed manual transmission

    Safety:  The 9-3 Gets TOP SAFETY RATINGS
8 airbags (Dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags front and back)
Front-seat active head restraints
Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes with brake assist
Emergency inside trunklid release
Daytime running lights
Front and Rear Fog Lights
      Comfort Features
37" of headroom
Large trunk with full size spare tire
Climate controlled glovebox keeps cold things cold
Dual climate Air conditioning w/automatic climate control
Rear center console A/C vents
Cabin air filter
Leather-wrapped steering wheel w/radio controls
Cruise control
Leather upholstery
Power front seats
Split folding rear seat with release in trunk
Heated Front Seats
Heated power mirrors, power windows, power door locks
Remote keyless entry, AM/FM/ 6 Disc CD player
Tachometer with trip computer
Automatic-intermittent wipers
Visor mirrors with lights
Rear defogger


--THE EXPERIENCE--
One of the first things you'll notice is that this car has a LOT of torque. In fact, an impressive 90% of the torque is available at 2K RPM!
First and second gear will feel a bit short, but once you hit 3rd and 4th, you'll really start to feel the power!  This car feels so alive on the long sweeping roads!Once you get up into 6th gear, you'll notice you still have a lot of power available to speed up and even pass on the highway without leaving 6th gear.

The ride is a bit stiff. You can feel the road but it's not so stiff that you're teeth rattle on every bump you hit.  The Aero is lowered an extra .5" and has an added front spoiler which makes taking steep driveways a challenge.

Under steer can be a problem as this is a front wheel drive car, but Saab has done a good job of keeping the wheel from getting away from you when accelerating hard.  The tighter suspension makes this car really hug the road, and eat through tires!
Expect to go through your first set of tires in just 24K miles.

Cornering is above average with the 9-3s passive rear steering which actually allows the rear wheels to turn the opposite direction as the front wheels, giving it tighter cornering.
This car has incredible traction control which applies the brakes to each individual wheel as it needs it!
However, the turning radius is a wide 17.7', a bit on the high side.

Road/Engine noise is low inside the cabin, allowing conversations at highway speed with normal "inside" voices. 

There are two 12V power outlets in the car which is great for those of you with a radar detector and a phone charger.
The car also has a Aux audio line-in jack in the center console for your mp3 player.

The dash and gauges are tilted toward the driver, making the driver feel more in control.

I opted NOT to get the stock GPS as it seemed to lack detail and features found in inexpensive garmin, tom-tom, or even the iphone.

The 6 Disc CD changer/7 Speaker system is a bit tinny and lacks the depth you'd expect in this price-range.  Turning up the Bass and Treble buttons does help a bit.

The little details are what make this car such a blast:
Creature comforts like one touch down windows on all four windows and one touch up on the front windows.
A climate controlled glovebox to keep cold things cold
Homelink on the rear view mirror allows you to program up to 3 garage doors.
Night Panel that turns off all but the most important gauges to help cut down the glare on very dark roads.
A pass-through in rear-middle seat for access to the trunk or skis
Toasty heated seats that can be made to turn on automatically on cold mornings
Automatic windshield wipers that speed up the harder it rains

The cup holders (or lack thereof)
    There is a gimmicky 'pop-out' cup holder in the dash which is too flimsy and small for anything other than a can of coke.  There is a pop out cup holder under the middle seat which is a bit more useful as well as one more in the center console.

Dislikes
Although the 9-3 has many features we liked, there is one that stood out against it.  NO BLUETOOTH! 
Why? Because bluetooth is used differently in Sweden where the car is built.  So because of this, you have a few pretty phone buttons that don't do anything. 
In fact you basically have to "hack" the car in order to install a Motorola bluetooth unit.

The engine management is VERY picky and makes modifying this car almost impossible!

Overall this car is a blast to own.
I get comments frequently on the great looks and nice interior!