talk to me about sabb 9-3 aero's 2.8t

[k15tox]

due to a change in job and circumstances im getting rid of the current alfa gt.

i was intially after a 2 seater sports car, but with a new addition to the family, thats not happening.

(luckily for me i still get to keep my bike)

i wont be doing many miles now and would like a quick discreet wafting estate i can chuck the dog in and still have some power. was orginally looking at 330 tourings but these caught my eye.

not really interested in the diesels currently got one now and after 5 months of ownership i prefer petrol.

following on from the previous similar thread my budget is 5k and these seem to be excellent value.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

i understand its probably not going to be the first thing in driving dynamics but ive always like sabb's.

so anybody got/had one?

cheers

Edited by k15tox on Friday 27th January 16:45

[philmots]

Got one. Had all the 330's etc.. Prefer this to everything I've had in the past.

Goes round corners well, too. Not the last word in feedback but it hangs in there!

Goes like the clappers, too

[k15tox]

philmots said:

Got one. Had all the 330's etc.. Prefer this to everything I've had in the past.

Goes round corners well, too. Not the last word in feedback but it hangs in there!

Goes like the clappers, too

i find the interiors a very nice, and i love how discreet they are.

out of interest what sort of economy are you getting?

any known problems with the v6 turbo engine?

[s_zigmond]

I have the Vectra version and its an excellent car and engine. Very reliable.

Have a look here for potential http://www.vtunersaabs.com/

I would have got a Saab, but wanted the extra space in the Vec estate over the Saab.

[k15tox]

s_zigmond said:

I have the Vectra version and its an excellent car and engine. Very reliable.

Have a look here for potential http://www.vtunersaabs.com/

I would have got a Saab, but wanted the extra space in the Vec estate over the Saab.

how much smaller is the boot in the sabb?

[philmots]

k15tox said:

i find the interiors a very nice, and i love how discreet they are.

out of interest what sort of economy are you getting?

any known problems with the v6 turbo engine?

I get about 24/25mpg but that's being quite heavy on the loud pedal. Like most things it'll do early 30's on a decent run.

No known problems with the engine. Just keep ontop of the plugs. I gap to 0.8mm to take the strain off the famously fragile coils. I'd change them every 20k. It's not worth letting them go too long and overworking the coils as they're not cheap!

[philmots]

s_zigmond said:

I have the Vectra version and its an excellent car and engine. Very reliable.

Have a look here for potential http://www.vtunersaabs.com/

I would have got a Saab, but wanted the extra space in the Vec estate over the Saab.

I'd of had the Vectra tbh but I didn't want an auto or a vxr.

Interestingly the 9-3 shares the engine with the VXR, the normal 2.8 Vectra is slightly different. I don't know the differences but they go by a different engine code.

Out of interest, who's mapped yours?

[Baryonyx]

I've always quite liked these. As an A Road cruiser, they must be great value for money. I've never thought the 'hot' Saabs were wildly fast (including the HOT models), but they can do a good turn of pace when needed. A bit limp in the corners, but then few if any estates can claim to have really mastered the tight B road. I think these Saabs could be excellent value for money.

[k15tox]

philmots said:

I get about 24/25mpg but that's being quite heavy on the loud pedal. Like most things it'll do early 30's on a decent run.

No known problems with the engine. Just keep ontop of the plugs. I gap to 0.8mm to take the strain off the famously fragile coils. I'd change them every 20k. It's not worth letting them go too long and overworking the coils as they're not cheap!

thats good to know,

just found this while browsing,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVjFlWyQxS0&fea...

tbh i think it wouldnt be too far off a e46 m3 in a straight line!

[flatline84]

k15tox said:

thats good to know,

just found this while browsing,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVjFlWyQxS0&fea...

tbh i think it wouldnt be too far off a e46 m3 in a straight line!

[Maxus]

Very nice car and incredible value for money. Had a few Autos and really enjoyed them. Compared to BMW's you sit a bit high in them but you get use to that. You should see between 25-30 MPG out of a manual.

Thess cars will surprise a few people with its speed but its more like E46 330 quick not M3. I always felt it could do so much more if the wick was turned up a bit (remap).

[philmots]

k15tox said:

thats good to know,

just found this while browsing,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVjFlWyQxS0&fea...

tbh i think it wouldnt be too far off a e46 m3 in a straight line!

Standard they're 90hp down and the same torque but with a map it'd easily match an e46 M3... Most newer maps offer 300hp and 400lbft. So slightly down in bhp but that torque is available from like 2000rpm.

That video you found is the Hirsch mapped car... 275hp/300lbft iirc.

Try find a car with the optional 18's. Make the car IMO.

[philmots]

Maxus said:

Thess cars will surprise a few people with its speed but its more like E46 330 quick not M3. I always felt it could do so much more if the wick was turned up a bit (remap).

Compared to my old 330 this car standard is in a different league...

Running a map it'll be M3 quick plus a bucket load more torque. So your mid range overtaking is pretty good.

[Baryonyx]

philmots said:

Compared to my old 330 this car standard is in a different league...

Running a map it'll be M3 quick plus a bucket load more torque. So your mid range overtaking is pretty good.

The cornering, though, will be disastrous. My boss has a boggo spec 9-3 hatchback, and whilst it is actually a very nice car and quite the A road wafter, it is fairly dismal in the corners. Fettling these beas for more power won't improve that aspect one jot, but then the chassis is over 20 years old now IIRC.

[philmots]

Baryonyx said:

The cornering, though, will be disastrous. My boss has a boggo spec 9-3 hatchback, and whilst it is actually a very nice car and quite the A road wafter, it is fairly dismal in the corners. Fettling these beas for more power won't improve that aspect one jot, but then the chassis is over 20 years old now IIRC.

Sorry, we're talking about the newer model that hey didn't make in a hatch. 2003 onwards.

I've owned some of the best handling saloons and hatches and this doesn't lose out in the corners at all. It doesn't offer the same interacion or feedback - quite a chunk less than my old ST220 infact. But, it can do it and wouldn't lose out on a back road. You just have to belive it can rather than feel it can! (if that makes sense)

[k15tox]

Looks like a may be having a look this weekend!

[Baryonyx]

philmots said:

Sorry, we're talking about the newer model that hey didn't make in a hatch. 2003 onwards.

I've owned some of the best handling saloons and hatches and this doesn't lose out in the corners at all. It doesn't offer the same interacion or feedback - quite a chunk less than my old ST220 infact. But, it can do it and wouldn't lose out on a back road. You just have to belive it can rather than feel it can! (if that makes sense)

I know exactly what you mean. My Volvo S60 was the same, incredibly good down B roads for a big car but it was navigating on trust rather than feel at times!

Is this model of 9-3 on the Vectra chassis?

[Syd knee]

Had one from new untill the midle of last year, in 5 years did exactly what it said on the tin. Only one fault, depreciated like a brick but someone else has had that for you. Went like st off a shovel and cornered well enough. If you dont need a knob extention it is perfect.

[Mr serge]

i had an auto and was getting low 20's mpg it is a nice car but be prepared to pay out when things go wrong

[s_zigmond]

philmots said:

I'd of had the Vectra tbh but I didn't want an auto or a vxr.

Interestingly the 9-3 shares the engine with the VXR, the normal 2.8 Vectra is slightly different. I don't know the differences but they go by a different engine code.

Out of interest, who's mapped yours?

Mine was mapped by RS tuning in Leeds. The engines are the same. In the later 280bhp vxr there is an extra hole in th airbox (which mine now has) and slightly different injectors (but this is only in the later 280bhp models). They all map to the same (the autos weak point is the gearbox).

Edited by s_zigmond on Monday 30th January 15:09