One of our regulars here, Till72, has had his Saab 9-3x for a few months now and sent in this report.
It’s my favourite Saab in the current range. I had one for a few days back in September last year and just loved it, so I was really pleased to get this report in.
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As stingray74 requested back in February here’s a first summary of my experience with the 9-3x after a bit more of two months and 3200 kms of driving it. I have to admit that I’m quite biased as it is a very special car for me. Not only because it’s got that birthday card under the hood but also because I called my dealer and confirmed the deal on that car exactly one minute after the news of the wind down of Saab popped up on SU.
In fact I was looking for a convertible but after Swade’s review of the 9-3x last year I got interersted. And as my dealer got this one in stock I just fell in love with the car. I didn’t even test drive it.
On the car itself: it’s a 1,9 TTiD auto, jetblack with black sports leather and most gadgets except Xenon. Things I added from Hirsch are (of course) 20 extra hp, 18″ wheels for summer, 17″ brakes, carbon leather interior and aluminium door sill trim. I still wonder why I didn’t get the exhaust, too. Sometimes you got to stop shopping at a certain point I think. Another thing I got was a park heater.
The engine is amazing. From Hirsch you get 400 Nm and 200 hp if you got auto and so far that’s been enough for me. You know I’m the diesel guy around here and this engine just made me stop asking for a bigger diesel in the Saab lineup. Quick acceleration is possible in every situation. I do quite a bit of driving with a trailor in the back and even with the max load in the back you have enough power all the time. Yesterday I drove on a empty autobahn and on a slightly downhill part I managed to go 240 km/h (normally top speed is somewhere between 220 and 230). Right at that moment a Porsche passed me and made me feel slow. 😉
Can’t say too much about fuel economy right now because I did half of the kilometers with my trailor in the back and the rest in the city. Right now I’m at about 8,5 l/100 km which is not best but not too bad either.
Though the car handles great even at those speeds it can be experienced best when driving small, curvy roads. Handling has of course improved again when putting on the 18″ wheels but even with the 17″ winter rims you’re always in control. I switched from the Impreza to the 9-3x in the middle of winter and I have to admit that I didn’t miss the AWD too much. One very snowy day I had a ton of firewood loaded in my trailor and was surprised how easy it was to handle driving on the snowy and icy roads.
But sure the car with this engine would have deserved XWD. Would be the icing on top.
To me this is the most saaby Saab since my 2001 9-3 hatch. It’s an extremely practical car with lots of turbo power. And extremely relaxing to drive. If I need to replace our 9-5 SC in two years it will be a 9-5x I think.
And: this car is a good answer to the question asked before “Why should I buy a Saab in 2010”. Get people to test drive Saabs. A good number will buy one.
Cheers
Till
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