Overview & Reviews
The 2003 9-3 is an all-new design from top to bottom. It rides on a new platform, has new engines and an interior that's considerably more modern than the previous version.
- Sharp handling, frugal yet powerful engines, generous passenger room, class-leading trunk space, excellent audio systems.
- Some turbo lag at lower speeds, not as vaultlike as some of its European competitors, front-wheel drive also a slight disadvantage.
User Reviews:
Showing 71 through 80 of 375.00-
THE CAR? - 2003 Saab 9-3
By marcin - May 1 - 2:00 amtest drove the japanese and german rivals. saab feels and rides better. great acceleration in manual but need to concentrate on first gear. good overall car. some reviewers trash saab, im not sure of their validity! im a proud owner, test drive it and make your own opinion. ps. other competitiors have similar performance but you have to rev the engine v high, saab has great low end torque!
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Objective 2003 Saab convertible review. - 2003 Saab 9-3
By geek - December 10 - 8:03 pmQuiet (yes a convertible) solid feel, comfortable seats, highly responsive engine, reasonable few blind spots, good MPG. Some odd features but not annoying and something Saab is noted for. The torque steer nonsense you read about is something that average drivers will never notice or care about. This is nice riding and driving car, that was a great purchase. It has all the options that you would expect in a car that sold and sells in this price range. The higher than normal depreciation means you can buy an expensive car for less. The cost of repair is not out of line with any high end car. BTW the trunk is functional for trips, the back seats go down to extend the storage.
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Ive owned four Saabs... - 2003 Saab 9-3
By rsg4 - November 28 - 2:03 amI purchased a used 2003 9-3 Saab a few years ago. This was my fourth Saab. It was still under warranty. This model is a far cry from the old Saab. I too, have had issues with lights, engine light on, heat/cooler blower...just to name a few. Even the 6 CD gave me issues. I had the CD into the local dealer several times -- of course, never acted up while at the dealer. Finally (200 miles out of warranty) it acted up -- and they were refusing to honor the warranty!! Gave me a price of $2000 to fix. I was on the phone quite a bit with Saab, when they finally agreed to fix it. Funny thing, the dealer only fixed $1100 of the $2000 -- said the other didnt need fixing!
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arc 9-3 - 2003 Saab 9-3
By fishtank - November 5 - 2:00 amIve had my car almost a year and for the most part I like it however, Im reminded daily that I hate the 6 speed transmission. The shift from 1st to 2nd is very slow and I often catch the teeth on the snycros. I read in one car magazine that the Audi A4 with less power was faster from 0 to 60 because of the slow shift. Im at a loss as to why the traction control has come on so often, and on one road I turn it off so it doesnt come on. At night it can be scary when you cant use your brights on a real dark road because of traffic. The dont shine far enough. These Thule roof racks are only available at a saab dealer.
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Great car - 2003 Saab 9-3
By neil martin - October 29 - 1:53 pmI love this car. It is fun to drive yet luxurious at the same time. I have never had any trouble with it and I love the way the turbo kicks in when you stomp on it. It is not extremely fast or anything but it feels great on the road and has great low end torque. It handles great too for only sixteen inch wheels and when I buy a new car it is definitely going to be a saab. Thank you for reading this.
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Too good to be true - 2003 Saab 9-3
By Jessica - October 22 - 9:16 amI leased this car the first year it came out (I have since been told this was a mistake) because the price was right and because it came with free maintenance for 3 years. Within the first 5 months of owning the car, it started giving me problems. My lease is up this month, and I couldnt be happier. The car is too technologically advanced for its own good, so although it has great "extras," the electrical malfunctions are numerous. Ive have problems with everything from the engine light, windows, radio and locks (they lock and unlock while Im driving on their own) to the gear shift box, in addition to several recalls. On average, the car is in the shop every 4-6 months.
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2003 Saab 9-3 Linear - 2003 Saab 9-3
By Perdition - October 12 - 10:00 amThe turbo lag on this car is frustrating and dangerous. Initial boost takes a full second or more to engage making crossing a road with traffic impossible. After turbo boost, however, this car propels the car like a high end sports car. Get a manual transmission, not an automatic.
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Great dynamics - shame about build - 2003 Saab 9-3
By ChasB - July 24 - 2:00 amWonderful driving dynamics. Shame about the details. Too much electronic control. Changing the band on the radio is a major job. Door locks problematic. Stalling problems & stability control warnings. Back to the dealer 4 times in 4000 miles.
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What high hopes......What a mistake! - 2003 Saab 9-3
By bd - April 4 - 1:46 pmI searched for a used Saab to replace my 02 Passat and found an 03 9-3 Linear w/Touring Package. The car was beautiful, and had all the difficult to find bells and whistles I was looking for in the Linear. However, as we all know, looks arent everything. The car has been at the dealer 10 times in 5 months. It takes forever to get parts and the techs are terrible at diagnosing problems. Saab North America could care less about customer service, their reputation, or dealer service standards. Tomorrow, the Saab is going away in favor of the 06 Passat. Word of advice, stay away from used or new Saabs until they start building quality w/ a decent residual
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Concervatively stylish - 2003 Saab 9-3
By turbofan - March 17 - 2:00 amGreat job by SAAB! Stay away from auto tranny-its slow.I dint like some interior plastics-seem to be hard and cheap to touch(door handles) Those who say its build on Grand Am platform are on BMW payroll. Saab wheelbase is 105.3, Grand Am 107 and BMW 325 is 107.3. BMW is built on "stretched" Grand Am platform:)
