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by RobinM

Testing the Pressure in a 9-5 TTiD

July 4, 2011 in Editorial

As some of you may know, friend and fellow Saab enthusiast, Graeme Lambert, took delivery of a Saab 9-5 TTiD Aero as a long term test back in April of this year. Graeme is a journalist for the British Car Weekly Auto Express. He has just sent us his latest artical about life with the stunning 9-5 Aero which can also be seen in full online. (Now with added pictures)

Big saloon is under pressure to deliver with better efficiency after we switched to Eco tyre readings
Read the rest of this entry →

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by RobinM

Low carbon Saab is a hit with Alex

April 3, 2011 in Saabology

Below is a piece written by Steve Sowden from The County Gazette in Somerset, England.

Alex is a good friend of mine and my co-founder of South West Saab. The snowy photo’s were taken on the 24th December which was the day Akex received his new TTiD.

With an ever increasing focus on how we can do our bit to help protect  the environment, eco-conscious Alex Rankin from Yeovil has invested in one of the cleanest, low carbon Saabs ever produced.

When Saab recently launched its low emissions Saab 9-3 range, Alex headed straight to Astley Saab in Yeovil to find out more and was
instantly impressed by the quiet and smooth drive and superior  styling combined with class leading fuel performance and low emissions
offered by the Saab 9-3 SportWagon.
Read the rest of this entry →

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by Swade

Lasse Sward – we live in different worlds :-)

January 21, 2011 in Saabology

DN.se’s Lasse Sward has published a review of the low-emissions Saab 9-3 TTiD today and I had to have a giggle as I read the ending.

The test goes extremely well, to be honest. One could go so far as to say it’s almost a glowing review. Well, about as glowing as reviews get in Sweden.

Sward praises the work done on the car to get it below the magic 120g/km mark, and notes that even though the model is older now, it’s still quite capable on the road, very reliable, very safe and despite some cramping in the back when there’s a tall occupant in front, it’s still comfortable and very driver-friendly.

The bit that made me giggle was near the end when he was discussing the fact that three models are available under 120g. They are 130hp, 160hp and 180hp versions – and the fact that the 180hp version is the most powerful ‘green’ car in Sweden is noted.

Sward opines that people should save some money and go for the 130hp version, arguing:

The price starts at 267 800 SEK for version Linear Active. The corresponding ethanol version with 175 hp is 18 000 cheaper – but drink more and thus provide higher mileage, and must also be serviced more often. If you settle for simple diesel engine of 130 horsepower, you’ll get away with 244 000 SEK, a clearly smarter choice in terms of their wallets. And honestly – how many need 180 hp?

It was that last sentence that made me double over.

And honestly, how many [people] need 180hp?

Mr Sward, I’d like to employ you to moderate my comments section. Please. If you can convince a readership that 130hp is perfectly adequate then I’d love you to come in to SU-land and help me to persuade some people here that a 220hp engine, with the option of taking it up to 260hp with factory-backed tuning, is more than perfectly adequate.

It’d certainly save me some time, angst and heartache :-)

Seriously, it just goes to show the different philosophies from place to place. Sweden is the land of Lagom and Saab, a company who embrace this concept to a large degree, are selling cars to a lot of very different markets from it’s little base in Trollhattan.

Check out that review. It’s well worth the read.

And people – don’t take the bait. I realise quite clearly that more is needed in other markets. I’m just amazed at seeing the difference so stark in this article.

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by Swade

Saab building as a good company car choice in Sweden

January 14, 2011 in News

It seems Saab are receiving some very favourable consideration in the Swedish corporate fleet market.

From Swedish Radio:

Swedish companies are beginning to trust Saab again and more people choose one of the company’s models. [This is] an important market for Saab as great company cars constitute [a large number] of sales.

NCC, one of Scandinavia’s largest construction and property companies, were last at the turn back to that retrieved their car from Trollhattan. (i’m not sure how to accurately translate that in context – SW)

- We have pressure from our employees that Saab will be an eligible car [for company purchases/leases]. Saab has produced a pair of models [with] carbon dioxide emissions below 120 grams. And then there is another reason: it is a Swedish car maker, says Lennart Persson, head of car purchases in NCC.

Bottom line – this refers to the Saab 9-3 TTiD Sport Sedan and with that, Saab are offering a range of cars that are popular in Sweden because they’ve been able to give the market something it wants: a sub-120g/km car with good space and power.

Just wait until they get the SportCombi below that level. They’ll have to build bigger doors at the factory to ensure they can get them out quickly!

This is something that the numbers have told us might be the case (sub-120g/km cars cost less to register, etc), but it’s great to hear it being confirmed.

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by Swade

AMS.se on sales, Saab 9-3 and TTiD SportCombi

January 9, 2011 in News

Our friends at Auto Motor and Sport have been speaking to Saab and there’s some indications there that some good news we’ve been expecting for a little while now is just over the horizon.

Cue the Googletrans:

——

Saab started slow, but climbing up
Pär Brandt – 2011-01-07 09:21,

Sales forecast was written down twice and Saab sold not more than 32 000 cars in 2010. But the year ended with a faster tempo and according to managing director Jan-Ake Jonsson, [there is] confidence [for] sales [in] 2011.

Saab’s new start after the change of ownership in February was significantly slower than management had imagined. The original sales forecast of 60,000 cars were written down twice and finally ended up at only 32 000 cars. Although an improvement of 53 percent compared with 2009, but it was a particularly bleak year for the automotive industry as a whole and Saab in particular.

Despite the problems is managing director Jan-Ake Jonsson happy with what you did to accomplish in 2010. Saab loaded bearings out at the shops and established new sales organizations in several countries. Important markets such as China, Russia and Australia in the starting blocks and they will contribute positively, as the launch of the new 9-5 sedan and the 9-4X. In addition, hope you capture the more important to company clients during the early years then also 9-3 SportCombi in an eco-rated version with a low emissions to 130-180 hp. 9-3 will also get a face lift to increase interest.

——

The bit of particular interest there is the last few sentences, where it states a couple of things we’ve been expecting, but hadn’t heard much of from a Swedish source.

  • The 9-3 SportCombi will achieve the same low-emissions status with TTiD engines as the 9-3 Sport Sedan, and will be available in three versions from 130-180hp. This is expected early in 2011.
  • The 9-3 range will receive a facelift to carry it through to a replacement model in late 2012.

It’s noted that those items aren’t direct quotes from people at Saab, but the author of the article is a man I know reasonably well, Pär Brandt, and I know he talks to the right people at Saab. He’s not one who’s given to idle speculation.

Anyone who knows anything about the Swedish market will recognise the massive drawcard a 119g/km emissions SportCombi will provide for Saab. Sales have been up already on the strength of the Sport Sedan offering this much power with such little emissions. To have to configuration available in the Swede’s favoured body style, the SportCombi, is going to be a huge bonus.

——

It’s nice to see Pär make use of an article penned by our newest contributor, Red J, as part of his column.

Great stuff, and I imagine Red J might feel quite happy about that. As well he should :-)

Thanks to Tobias for the tip!

Tags: , , , , 62 Comments »

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by Swade

Friday Snippets – CRS edition

January 7, 2011 in Saabology

It’s a Charles River Saab -ish edition of snippets tonight, though it’s not intentional.

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First of all, Pierre’s set an unofficial goal for Saab dealers in the US and I think it’s a pretty good one, actually – conduct at least 100,000 test drives (amongst the dealer body) in 2011.

That’s 1.5 road tests per dealer, per day, which should definitely be achievable. I’d love to see them tally these up.

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Seth, one of the service guys from Charles River Saab, is selling his Saab 99 on Ebay.

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Dimini.ch, sellers of fine Saab scale models, have a fantastic new Saab 900 model in stock. 900 models are the one scale model I’ve never seen much of, so this one is a very attractive item to me. An order will be placed.

They have a new red convertible which looks the goods, too.

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Speaking of convertibles…..

We’re featuring Saab’s four-seasons four-seater drop top all this month with Winter Convertibles in focus.

It’s great timing, then, that motoring website Pistonheads has an article celebrating the development of the Saab Convertible.

I’m going to reproduce a special release from Saab on the Convertible shortly, which will give their own take on the car’s background.

——

Road tests……

City AM drives the Saab 9-5:

It’s a lot of car for the money whichever way you look at it and a breath of (Nordic) fresh air if you like to be different.

Autocar, one of the British mags that didn’t like it’s first drive in the TiD, drives the Saab 9-5 TTiD Aero:

This new engine is much more responsive than Saab’s regular, single-turbo 2.0-litre diesel. Performance below 2500rpm is much less lethargic than it was in our road test car, and engine refinement below 3000rpm is better too. The 9-5 hardly feels fast, even in this guise, due to those tall gear ratios – but at least this one’s quieter and easier to drive at normal crank speeds…..

….This new version of the 9-5 proves that, if you dress it with the right options and go for the latest diesel engine, you can make this Saab meet most class standards.

–

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by Swade

Owner review – Saab 9-5 TTiD XWD

December 10, 2010 in Saabology

UPDATE – Pictures added

When XWD was first released, one of the most desired vehicle combinations was TTiD with XWD. The drive system gives you the traction and the diesel gives you the low-end grunt.

That combination is now available in the new Saab 9-5, and a guy who signs in here with the name TTAero recently picked one up. He’s sent in the following for your consideration.

——

Today, this afternoon, we have had our TTiD XWD for 8 days. And this is my third new SAAB.

The dealer gave us an hour to walk us through the most important features in the car and check all the chosen options.

This happened just before closing time so we took the first trip in on cold, dark and icy roads. We took her for 190 km straight away. The car felt comfortably and stable. This night wasn’t the real testing night, but the impression was very good.

The lighting is phenomenal, and it’s a feature I need where I live because moose, reindeers and deers comes running up the roads. Probably the best safety feature there is and a feature many car makers just don’t care about. All the electronic assistants in the world can’t help you if you don’t see the road or the surrounding areas.

We now have 1100 km on the meter and have done some more testing. The car feels even better now than the first 600-700 km. The fuel consumptions is down and the car makes “less resistance” when changing gears and accelerations. It’s getting smoother. I knew this was going to happen because the same thing happened in my former 9-3 TTiD SC. I guess the car will be broken in after 6-7000 km.

Some thing I did notice and frankly got a bit worried about was the engine sound. At first, it sounded like a pimped bimmer M3 with an exhaust pipe the size of a waste bin when doing 80-110 km/h uphill or accelerating. But after some driving during cold climate I realized that the sound was only apparent until the engine got up to working temperature. And if the outside temp is under 30 degrees C then it takes a bit longer. The temperature inside the car is not a problem since it is equipped with an electric extra heater. I didn’t realize at first that my car was “actually freezing” one bit when I had a warm and comfortably ride. The first 7 days we had no higher temperatures than -20 C. And the record was 32 degrees below zero.

This morning, when driving to work I tried hard to hear that sound. It’s gone! No matter how hard I accelerated, the smoothness, comfort and stability was great.

Now, lets go to the road handling… it is so good. It’s feels surreal and it’s difficult to find the words. I have stopped a couple of times just to “manually” check if the road is slippery. The grip just don’t let go if I’m not provoking it. And if you put your foot down in corners, there is nothing dramatic about it, just a nice flow thru and a constant acceleration.

WARNING: This is addictive.

We have now tried the entire configuration range (Drivesense) and my choice of chassis settings during the cold, dark and icy part of the year is “comfort”. It smoothens out the small but hard ice vibration we have gotten used to and the direct contact with the roads are seldom possible since there is a layer of packed snow or ice in the roads.

This is by far the best winter vehicle I’ve ever driven. Overtaking with 15 cm of snow between the lanes is not a problem. Just turn, accelerate, turn back and you are done!
I do many rentals in my work and compared to those the XWD 9-5 is nothing but wonderful. The A6 (the old), VW Passat, Volvo V70, Skoda Octavia, Toyotas, Ford Mondeos and so on just don’t measure up to this. I’ve tried the Volvo, Audi and Passat as a 4×4, but still there isn’t the same stability, grip and comfort as in my new 9-5. Astonishing is the only word that I can find to describe what I feel.

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by Swade

Saab 9-3 TTiD – Why 119g/km of CO2 matters

December 8, 2010 in News

If you’re living outside of Europe, then you might be wondering exactly what all the fuss is about when it comes to Saab’s new low-emissions TTiD engine range.

Comparing the Saab TTiD with its low-emissions competition shows that this new engine range has lefted Saab into a super-competitive position in the European market. There are few, if any vehicles that offer the similar amounts of space, power and low CO2 emissions as the 9-3 Sport Sedan fitted with one of these updated TTiD engines. And they’re close to getting the SportCombi under the 120g/km threshold, too.

So why does all this matter?

Fleet News have done a review of the Saab 9-3 TTiD Sport Sedan and their writeup spells it out nicely:

In addition to the twin turbos, Saab has reduced friction in the engine, added low rolling resistance tyres, lightened the car by replacing the sound deadening material, improved the aerodynamics and altered the gear ratios.

It means the Saab now circumvents first year VED and costs just £30 per year thereafter.

It also means 62.8mpg.

And it will be music to fleet users’ ears that the 9-3 has dropped below the all-important 120g/km threshold for the first time (except Aero models). With that comes BIK tax at 13%…..

….The 180bhp diesel engine is a real cracker and the 9-3 balances responsive handling with pothole-smothering comfort. Tall gearing means it settles at low engine speed on the motorway, nice and quiet….

[The gearchange] and a cabin that’s starting to look its age now are the only real gripes; the 9-3 isn’t a benchmark car in any area, but nor does it feel a generation behind any more.

Verdict

In a nutshell, the 9-3 diesel is better and cheaper than it was before – and you can’t really ask much more than that.

Recommended reading.

–

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by Swade

Robert Collin praises low-emissions TTiD Saab 9-3

November 29, 2010 in Saabology

It’s great to see Saab (finally) getting some love in a Swedish newspaper.

The writer is Aftonbladet’s Robert Collin and the subject of his affection is the new range of low-emissions TTiD cars in the Saab 9-3 range.

Unfortunately, the full article is subscriber only, but the start goes something like this:

In the true Saab spirit

Both eco-rated and super strong – the new 9-3 knocks out all competitors

180 horsepower. On diesel.

Saab has succeeded in building an unbelievably fast green car that goes one better on both Volvo, BMW and Passat.

The new Saab 9-3 is a true Saab fairytale.

Thanks to Börjesson for the better-than-Googletrans translation

The ‘true Saab story’ part would likely refer to Saab engineers being able to pull something miraculous out of their hats whilst the company’s back is against the wall.

In the 1970′s, when Saab could have been seen by some to be stagnating to some degree, they pulled a turbocharger out of their hat and changed the company’s raison d’être completely.

Today, in the aftermath of a sale, limited brand awareness and consistent criticism from various quarters, the company’s engineers have pulled out what is the highest output, lowest emissions engine setup in Europe: 180hp with less that 120g/km of CO2.

Saab are innovating for their lives at the moment. It’s nice to see their work recognised, especially when its recognised in this sort of historical context.

Thanks to Joe, in comments.

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by Swade

Saab 9-3 TTiD – A Star is born

October 28, 2010 in Saabology

Last time Auto Express tested the Saab 9-3 TTiD was when the new engine made its debut in the latter part of 2007.

Back then, AE gave the car with a new power plant 3 stars out of 5.

Their new review, published this week, covers the 2011 iteration of the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan. This new model comes with a choice of three new TTiD engines that emit less than 120g of CO2 per kilometer, making the car a very attractive option for those who are more conscious of their road tax costs.

How big an impression has the new engine lineup made?

You might have expected the Saab 9-3 to lose half a star given its advancing age relative to the competition. But the opposite has happened.

The Saab 9-3 is awarded 4 out of 5 stars in this new review and the praise for the new TTiD engine lineup is significant.

It has a mighty 400Nm of torque available from only 1,850rpm, so it’s powerful and flexible in any of its six gears. In addition, it’s superbly quiet and smooth on the go, feeling every bit as refined as the benchmark 2.0-litre TDI units from Volkswagen.

Saab has achieved the hikes in performance and economy by reducing friction in the engine, adding low-rolling resistance tyres, thinning some of the metal bodywork to reduce weight, and using lighter materials with the same soundproofing qualities…..

…..It all adds up to a car that hasn’t the slightest whiff of being an ‘eco’ model, yet delivers fuel economy that keeps up with the best the BMW 3-Series can offer. The front-wheel-drive Saab will never quite match the dynamic prowess of the 3-Series, but it still grips well, turns in sharply and is refined on the motorway. The only gripe is the lumpy gearchange.

You can click here to read the full review.

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by Swade

Report – Saab working on diesel hybrid

October 26, 2010 in News

A reporter from Automobil magazine in Sweden has apparently sighted a hybrid in testing while he was in Trollhattan testing the new Saab 9-5.

The vehicle he saw was a very looking Saab 9-3 sedan and the reporter claims he saw a lot of battery packs in the back when the trunk was opened.

Automobile has just visited Trollhättan. The mission was to return the 9-5 Aero we had on test. As a bonus, we saw a diesel hybrid.

After a pleasant drive from Stockholm the writer and Oscar Carlquist arrived in Trollhättan. We will return the test car and go back to Stockholm in our own car. It is good manners to return a test car with a full tank, so we drive to a roadside petrol station affiliated to the factory. We are not alone, there are 9-5s and is 9-3s everywhere.

A 9-3 catches my attention because it is towed to the pump by a 9-5. When the car is to be refueled the co-driver goes out and open the luggage compartment. I notice a hefty collection of batteries and units, but my camera phone is not fast enough so I can take a picture.

I walk closer and see the sign in the rear side window. “Hybrid” it says, and now things get really interesting. When fueling is completed, the car is started and it becomes clear that there is a diesel engine that is being adapted for hybrid technology. I look up the car in the car register and indeed it is a diesel. It has automatic transmission and came into service in April 2007.

The development is a longstanding one. Already in November 2007 a Senska Dagbladet’s reporter spotted a white 9-3 with the combination of diesel and hybrid.

“We are developing hybrid technology for different types of engines,” said Magnus Wall, Director of the Development Laboratory at that time to SvD.

Since then much has happened with Saab. But it is gratifying to note that Saab proceeds with this project. Given how long the work has been ongoing they should soon be ready. It would be exciting if Saab could be at the forefront now. The world’s first diesel hybrid will be the Peugeot 3008 HYbird4 which goes on sale in 2011. Join now, Saab!

OK, so it’s only a sticker, but still…..

What was most interesting is that when the driver started the car, it was quite apparent that it was a diesel engine under the hood, meaning Saab could well be testing out hybrid technology in combination with their own frugal, low-emissions diesel powerplants.

Whilst petrol hybrids have been reasonably well received and appreicated for their mileage improvement, diesel hyrbids offer an even greater frugality promise and would surely be a great seller in European markets.

Thanks to Dippen and Arild for the tip!

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Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Saab 9-3 TTiD comparison table

October 25, 2010 in Saabology

The following table was compiled by “Me” (a regular commenter here at SU) in response to the following questions by Jeff, in comments:

So what cars is this 9-3 TTiD competing against? Or rather, who else has something with less than 120g/km?

Here’s the table, which shows figures obtained from German data about the respective models listed. As you can see, the new low-emissions Saab 9-3 TTiD emitting just 119g of CO2 per kilometer is pretty much in a class of its own when it comes to delivering proper power with sub-120g emissions.

BrandModelVersionPower (hp)CO2hp/CO2
Saab9-3TTiD1301191.092
Saab9-3TTiD1601191.345
Saab9-3TTiD1801191.513
VolvoS40DRIVe1091041.048
VolvoS40D21151141.009
VolvoS40D31501341.119
VolvoS40D41771341.321
BMW3er316d1151180.975
BMW3er318d1431191.202
BMW3er320d1841251.472
BMW3er320d ED1631091.495
AudiA42.0TDI1201270.945
AudiA42.0TDI1431311.092
AudiA42.0TDI1701341.269
AudiA42.7TDI1901591.195
AudiA42.0TDIe1361191.143
Mercedes BenzC ClassC200 CDI BE1341301.031
Mercedes BenzC ClassC220 CDI BE1681271.323
Mercedes BenzC ClassC250 CDI BE2011341.500
VolkswagenGolfTDI1051190.882
VolkswagenGolfTDI1401261.111
VolkswagenGolfTDI BM1051070.981
VolkswagenGolfTDI BM1401141.228
VolkswagenJettaTDI1051220.861
VolkswagenPassatTDI BM1401191.176
VolkswagenPassatTDI BM1701391.223
VolkswagenPassatTDI BM1051140.921

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Thanks “Me” for the hard work in compiling all this data.

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Avatar of Swade

by Swade

New Saab 9-3 diesel road testing underway

October 22, 2010 in Saabology

The following photograph was taken by one of SU’s Swedish mates, Tim R, just outside the Airport Hotel at Landvetter Airport, Gothenburg.

As you can see, there’s a fleet of Saab 9-3′s in place there. These are cars featuring the new, low-emissions diesels that Saab announced at the Paris Auto Show last month.

Journos Testing 9-3 diesel

My guess is that we can expect to start seeing reviews in automotive magazines fairly soon. That 180hp TTiD engine is a cracker and with the new, lower CO2 figures, is now a more attractive cracker than ever. The’re going to sell a few of those, I can tell you.

And if the press guys look a little chilly…… a friend in Trollhattan reported it was -4C there yesterday! Can’t have been much warmer at Landvetter.

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by Swade

Monday Night Snippets

October 18, 2010 in Saabology

Tonsilitis sucks.

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It’s not Saab related, but this is the coolest father/son project I’ve seen in a long time (maybe ever): Flying an iPhone to 100,000 feet with the camera running – and then getting it back again!

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There have been a few Saab road tests popping up online in the last few days, several which have been mentioned in comments but I’ll bring them here to the front page anyway.

The Daily Mail in Britain had a Saab 9-5 review that read quite well, albeit coming from a celebrity chef. The guy’s name is James Martin and he thinks Saab from the 1970′s on were ugly (the 900 is ugly?) but all’s not lost:

If you’re in the market for a new saloon this is a great option. It’s cheaper than comparable German motors and just as good, in my mind. The Swedes have had their problems, but this should put them back on the map.

Maybe there should be more chefs rating cars in the UK. Saab haven’t had too many favours from the regular motoring press :-)

–

Swedish paper, Svenska Dagbladet, has published a test of the new low-emissions Saab 9-3 TTiD. This engine’s going to mean a lot of sales in Sweden, I think.

Diesel 180 horses and 400 Nm makes the 9-3 good. Even before the car was a scale movable class but in the previous version was diesel motorn not exactly fun. With the new engine, which is fully in class with, for example, Volvo or BMW’s two-liter diesel engines, is 9-3 remains competitive.

They give the car four stars (and it might be out of six, I’m unsure).

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Here’s an interesting one that a couple of people have emailed me about in the last few days (thanks Daniel and Kai).

What’s the one engine that Saab could really benefit from in Europe? If you answered a V6 diesel, you’d be correct.

A company in Sweden called Sintercast has just started casting blocks for a new VM Motori V6 diesel. It’ll be available for use from MY2011, though there’s no mention of who’ll be using it. The engine makes 240hp and 550 torques, so it would be an ideal offering for a 9-5 or 9-4x in Europe.

Fingers crossed.

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A great photo, from Robin M on Flickr.

Saab 95 closeup

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If you like the image below, there’s plenty more of it at SaabActu

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Stay tuned……

–

Tags: , , , , 25 Comments »

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by Swade

Marko gets back to Saab

October 16, 2010 in Saabology

I showed you a first image of Marko’s new (to him) Saab 9-3 SportCombi yesterday and I promised that the story would follow soon.

Here it is.

I’m so happy about this, not only because it’s great feedback for me as publisher of Saabs United, but because this is what it’s all about. These are great motor cars and it’s just so much fun to see people getting into them, especially when it’s reuniting people after a time away.

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Hello Steven,

I thought I´d drop you a line about getting back to Saab again.

The idea of getting back to Saab had been growing on me for some time already. But, I have to mention that it was your blog entry I want the Saab that finally pulled the trigger for me.

As you remember, we had Subaru Outback. We drove it for 2 years and over 50000km. Nothing really wrong with that car. It’s a capable and good all-round car. But all this time I´ve been considering to buy 9-3X XWD or 9-3 XWD. But as there is no diesel version, I simply could not do it.

There were no cars available for test drive etc. so I could not judge the extra I’d have to pay for a gasoline XWD car. Especially, because I want to drive automatic and XWD + automatic -> quite thirsty considering the size, if you ask me.

We also considered a 9-3X TTiD (FWD), but there were no pre-owned cars available for the price I was ready to pay (Saab dealers do not like to have Subaru as a trade!) and I do not value the extra 20mm clearance that much.

Okay, so in the end we started thinking, what the heck, we’ve happily driven low riding FWD Aero’s (900, 9000) before, so why couldn’t we do it for some time more?

Then I read your “I want the Saab” entry. It was like click in my head. I want to drive Saab. That’s it. I started hunting for low mileage 9-3 SC TTiD Automatic (be it 9-3 X or not).

Finally, I found this pre-owned Titan Grey 9-3 SportCombi Aero TTiD with automatic transmission and 5,500km on the clock. The car had been standing at the dealers for a long time and the value had dropped. I made a trade offer, the dealer responded and now we are here.

I’m the new owner of 9-3 Aero SC. And a happy one.

I know this all sounds very stupid. How do I think I can manage if I had problems with our previous 9-3 and low ground clearance. Well, I don´t know.

But I know I want the Saab. And now I have it. And in the end, it feels very comfortable. Like coming home after a long time.

So, right now I have my target set on a next generation 9-3 (diesel + awd). Of course we´ll look for 9-5 wagon XWD, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to afford to buy it.

Also there’s a possibility that I’ll get a second car, like a cheap old Forester or the like.

But at the moment I’m just happy. So thank you Steven for clearing my thoughts!

Needless to say, Marko – you’re more than welcome. – SW

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