Saab 9-3 SportCombi - Car for Fun Drive

As you know, the crossovers have been among us for years. We had them as kids; our parents loaded us into those Ford LTD Country Squires (or equivalent Chevy behemoth) to take us to Grandma’s or on some family vacation. So when I got an opportunity to test the Swedish-built 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi, I was very glad.

I always had passion to wagons and the SportCombi only furthered my devotion to a group of vehicles no one seems to want to drive. Wagons have all the advantages of crossovers but at the same time they don`t look so strong und muscular. They are just long. But even not so long, as the SportCombi stretches 183.2 inches; its sedan equivalent measures 182.5 inches. But the differences are incomparable. The 9-3 sedan has 15 cubic feet of truck space, whereas the SportCombi offers 29.7 cubic feet with the second row up. Drop it, and you have 72.3 cubic feet available. You won`t be able, for instance, to load a television into the sedan. For people in the 21st century, wagons are the way to go.

The 9-3 Aero SportCombi mixes sporty ride with pure utility. My $37,960 test vehicle, however, came with the 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6, producing 255 horses and 258 pound-feet of torque. The turbo provided that sneaky speed — and fortunately, a speed alarm at 77 mph kept reminding me to slow down. I never felt in need of power on the highway or on city streets — as my six-speed manual transmission seemed to have an excellent gear ratio for quick starts and steady cruising. Whenever I needed power to pass or merge onto the highway, I’d just stomp the pedal and whisk right past one of those big gravel trucks. Of course all this drive cost me at the pump where I had to fill up with premium fuel. I averaged about 21 miles per gallon on the highway, despite an EPA rating of 24 mpg. The only complaint I found with the car’s performance was the gear shifting. It felt a little loose and there was some torque steer on quick acceleration. The throws were long, and it was easy to miss a gear down shifting, even after practicing for nearly a week. The interior of the car is really enjoyable - plush leather seats and clean, elegant lines along the dash.

The silver trim along the curvy dash and steering wheel brought pop to the instruments without being over the top. There’s a Swedish practicality to the form and function in the SportCombi’s cabin. However the dash mounted pop-out cup holder was flimsy and couldn’t handle a large Dunkin’ Donuts coffee cup. I was left to hold it between my legs while shifting, almost causing a burning incident in a Meijer parking lot. The seat bolsters could have provided more support, but that’s a minor point, considering the beautiful black leather and overall comfort. But in general the car is much better than most of this type.[VIA: info.detnews.com]

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