Saab 9-3 Saloon (02-11) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 10 March 2011
The Saab brand has always appealed to buyers looking for something a little different to the mainstream and the 9-3 is a prime example. It's less obvious than a BMW for instance and has an air of understated style about its looks while still retaining a premium reputation. Sadly the model is starting to feel dated, especially inside and although Saab promotes it as being sporty to drive, it's not as enjoyable as the marketing would have you believe. It's safe though and was one of the first cars in the class to have a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. A facelift in mid 2007 brought a fresh look and a redesigned interior - it's still good value but lacks the sophistication of newer alternatives.
3 out of 5

Other Saab reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

The 9-3 has 18,000-mile (or two-year) service intervals but Saab dealer servicing tends to be pricey (although there are a lot of independent specialists). Insurance costs are reasonable, however some of the petrol models can be a little thirsty - especially the 2.0T and 2.8-litre, so if running costs are a priority go for the 1.9-litre diesel.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,461 - £2,455 *

Diesel

£1,034 - £1,526 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

18,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£30.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
    119
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
    269

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The 9-3 scores reasonably on the eco front. With an average of 186g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are standard for a medium-sized saloon but there are no dedicated low emissions models. The greenest model is the 1.9TiD with 120bhp which emits 147g/km of CO2 and averages 52mpg. the 1.9TiD 150bhp was tweaked in 2009 and is actually cleaner with emissions of 137g/km of CO2 and economy of 54mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2