Overview & Reviews

A new wagon body style called the SportCombi has been added to the Saab 9-3 lineup for 2006. Additionally, Aero models get a new, more powerful turbocharged V6, which packs 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Linear and Arc trims have been merged into a single base 2.0T trim, and the Aero's old 210-hp turbo four is standard on this model. Finally, all 9-3s now come with body-colored door handles.

• Handles well for a front-drive car, frugal yet powerful engines, generous passenger room, class-leading trunk space, excellent crash test scores.

User Reviews:

Showing 91 through 100 of 182.00

• 

  2006 Saab 9-3 - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By dcoggins - March 26 - 8:06 pm

  This is my third Saab and it is absolutely a wonderful driving experience. Coming from a former Indy race car fan, Im vividly reminded of the race... the engine sound & speed of the cars. It has that certain sound reminiscent of that great noise. It feels lots more powerful than my other 9-3s due to turn-on-a-dime cornering, hold on the road fast speed, the inside quiet, speakers (woofer in the trunk). I had to watch my speed with the prior car. Now I absolutely have to watch it. So fast so quickly!!! I love it the best of the other Saabs. My only wish is to have this performance placed inside a smaller but the remarkable Saab body style of the 80s. That was THE CAR!!!

• 

  Review after one-year of ownership - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By Ryan - March 21 - 7:20 pm

  I am an aggressive city driver (Washington, DC). Overall, an amazing improvement from my 1999 9-3 SE, which was a disaster. The only reason I bought another Saab is because I was deployed with the army for all of 2008 and returned to my hometown (Detroit area) to a completely depressed economy. Bought this car at 12,000 miles in MINT condition for $16,000 out the door. A year later at 25,000 miles, it has not let me down. 100K / 6 years from inception bumper-to-bumper. Failures thus far have been minor. No warranty claims yet, but will drop off soon for a center console arm rest that slides too freely. My #1 gripe is the sub-par sound system and iPod input jack.

• 

  Frustrating/Disapointing Experience - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By HK Pearson - March 6 - 8:36 pm

  Bought the car 20 months ago and it has been in the shop 12 times. Most were warranty items. Replaced the coolant reservoir 4 times and the coolant temp sensor 5 times. Very disappointed in the car. Love to drive it, when it is running. Other warranty items have been stereo cuts in and out, wiring in door loose, replaced the tires 3 times in 37,000 miles, and replaced struts and shocks already.

• 

  Disappointed with vehicle - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By 2006 Saab 9-3 - February 16 - 4:33 am

  From our purchase date we have been very disappointed with this car. You would think for the price of the vehicle it would hold up better. The car constantly has problems. Problems with the windshield wipers, windshield sprayers, headlights, gas tank cap, doors locking, ingition switch, sunroof, and it rattles. And the problems re-occur. We take it to the Saab dealership service department and two weeks later it is back in the shop for the exact same problem. The front leather seats are very uncomfortable. There is no support in the seat. When you are riding in the front you have a tendency to slip forward almost coming off of the seat. Cheap leather also. Very disappointed w/car.

• 

  Buying Saab was the worst decision of my - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By Nataliya - December 25 - 11:20 pm

  I can say now confidently that buying Saab from GM was the worst decision we made with my husband so far in our lives! The car design is simply put flawed, the car is constantly breaking and each morning you are praying that your 3-year old nice looking car will start. I had 6 battery problems – each time it is something new around the battery: faulty switch, wires, corrosion, alternator, throttle motor is draining it... 5 issues with coolant system, my AC was passing smoke into the cabin since antifreeze was leaking into AC system, ESP failure, faulty gas cap, etc. Not mentioning constantly peeling exterior, cracking knobs on the dashboard, leaking washer nozzles and tank...

• 

  I made the right choice - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By Jeff - October 10 - 6:36 pm

  I looked into the Accord EX V6 as well as the Acura TL w/Nav before choosing the 9-3 Aero. While I am not happy with the navigation system (and did not spend the money for it), the car is an absolute blast to drive, meets or exceeds ALL of my expectations and is everything I wanted. I got this as a replacement for my RX-8 after having our second child and I was worried I would be disappointed. Was I wrong! It corners amazingly, has immediate pickup, is well laid out inside, and comes with a bevy of standard features that you pay extra for in Volvo, BMW, Infinit, and others. Everyone seems to have an Acura or BMW but FEW have a Saab.

• 

  5000 MIles - Better Than Expected - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By Jyerka - October 6 - 11:06 pm

  I have driven this car enough to know that I am very happy with my choice. The car looks sharp, it handles great, and is well engineered. I had previously heard that the suspension is too soft and that the turbo doesnt feel right. Im fairly picky, and I think the suspension is perfect for casual or "aggressive" driving. The turbo seems fine to me, though this is my first car with turbo. The cargo area is very useful - I needed this for work, and it holds plenty. The folding seats, cargo cover, and nets are logically set up and functional.

• 

  "Double Pick" front and side impact GOLD - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By Gerry - September 19 - 10:46 am

  Safety #1 "DOUBLE PICKED" by the IIHS for front and side impact GOLD, even the Volvo with its well known safety features was not on the top 10 awardees. Awesome car we where looking at the Volvo S60, MB C230, Audi A4, and BMW 330i... But no one could beat the price even with all the optional features tacked on. I could not pass that up, great car, nice ride semi road noise when the moonroof is up in freeway. My wife loves all the buttons, dual control climate control w/ filter, dual power seats, roomy back seats, and cooled glove box. They have really got a winner here now all they have to do is redefine the 9-5...

• 

  2006 9-3 - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By DetroitKid - September 1 - 3:43 pm

  This vehicle has been great. It has the ability to accelerate without the feeling that you are being thrown around the car. The overall comfort of this car is second to none.

• 

  Excellent car! - 2006 Saab 9-3
  By N Duck - August 31 - 5:53 am

  Having two small, sporty cars (Contour SVT and Focus SVT), I had been looking for a car with more room that still had a sporty feel to it. This car has it all. Lots of room, plenty of power and smooth torque from the V6 twin turbo, and great handling. Added bonus - no torque steer, (and very quiet, especially compared to the Fords). It is very easy to go faster than you think in this car, so watch out! Fusion Blue paint is really good looking, and the seats are extremely comfortable as well as attractive. EPA estimate is 18/28 for this car (6 speed manual). So far I am getting around 18 in town, and got about 29 mpg on a 1000 mile trip. No quality problems after 1600 miles.