RE: Shed of the Week | Saab 9-3 'Aero' cabriolet
Discussion
The shape has really aged well, love the simple lines without over-styling. I would imagine this is a budget boulevard cruiser and not one for a brisk twisty drive. This for me is ideal for a 2-3000 mile euro adventure without having to worry about scrapes, dents and selective parking spots. Would it be trouble free?
Who can say? But I've owned mine for three years now, taken it all round the UK and around northern Europe a bit with only one issue - a snapped handbrake cable when parking on the ferry to come home! Fortunately it was a smooth voyage or I might have been sat in the car with my foot on the brake all night!!
Definitely not a sporty drive, undeniably suffers from the wobbles at low speed but less noticeable at higher speeds.
Effortless overtaking, sometimes you don't even need to steer to change lanes when doing so!! Comfy seats, pretty good ride, boot big enough for a couple of sensible sized bags, decent mpg on a run and with the wind deflector up easy to do motorway speeds with the top down.
I wouldn't take it on a driving holiday where the main aim was to attack amazing roads, but for a week away with the missus, varied roads and traffic and driven at 40-80% it has been spot on.
Definitely not a sporty drive, undeniably suffers from the wobbles at low speed but less noticeable at higher speeds.
Effortless overtaking, sometimes you don't even need to steer to change lanes when doing so!! Comfy seats, pretty good ride, boot big enough for a couple of sensible sized bags, decent mpg on a run and with the wind deflector up easy to do motorway speeds with the top down.
I wouldn't take it on a driving holiday where the main aim was to attack amazing roads, but for a week away with the missus, varied roads and traffic and driven at 40-80% it has been spot on.
Owned two coupes from new, from this era. First a black, low pressure turbo then a silver grey Aero. Total of 6 years trouble-free ownership.
Great motorway and A road cruisers. Aero had super mid range overtaking grunt in its day.
But in the wet, torque steer was epic in the Aero. 'Sloppy body' Aero (and Viggen) convertibles were said to be even worse.
Still, a nice looking car this one. And cheap too.
Great motorway and A road cruisers. Aero had super mid range overtaking grunt in its day.
But in the wet, torque steer was epic in the Aero. 'Sloppy body' Aero (and Viggen) convertibles were said to be even worse.
Still, a nice looking car this one. And cheap too.
99t said:
... only one issue - a snapped handbrake cable when parking on the ferry to come home! Fortunately it was a smooth voyage or I might have been sat in the car with my foot on the brake all night!!
If that ever happens, tell the car deck crew when you park - they will chock the car properly. Depending on the company, they only chock the wheels if you're on one of those moving ramps (you part horizontal, and come back to the car on a slope).I had an SE lpt for 18 months or so, spent a fair bit on the handling side, Eibachs/B8’s, fully pollybushed, 22mm ARB, VRK etc etc which made a massive difference but still not great. Had a stage 1 map on there which was fairly quick, was going to fit a massive turbo and stage 6 it like my old 9000 but sacked it for the V6 Aero (much better car imo)
Pic with my old beast it replaced!
Pic with my old beast it replaced!
Have an LPT one with all the correct mods, steering rack brace and subframe brace, a decent set of shocks and slightly lowered on decent tyres. Bought it as a summer second car that was three years ago £1100. Yes, it shakes a bit on poor surfaces, however a very comfortable mile muncher. Not sure what it is about Saabs so much wrong balanced by lots of stuff that makes you like and want to keep driving them.
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