The 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X is the car born from the people who make jets…and wagons.
Saab has produced a car as homage to their original 1985 Saab 900 SPG Turbo which came in all black; consequently the 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X SportCombi is available in only one color --Jet Black Metallic. The interior of the car is also black. This car would have been perfect for Johnny Cash, assuming he was into turbocharged, all-wheel drive Swedish sport wagons.
The Saab 9-3 Turbo X SportCombi has an aggressive stance and a nice profile.
The first thing you notice is the overall shape of the Saab. The front end has a nice aggressive design, and this carries back through the rest of the car, right down to the titanium-finished exhaust pipes.
The Saab 9-3 Turbo X is powered by a turbocharged 2.8L 6-cylinder engine that produces 280 hp. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, but the Saab I drove came equipped with an automatic transmission. You can still control the up- and down-shifts through the steering-wheel-mounted shift buttons. I would have preferred the manual transmission for this car, as the automatic seemed ill-suited to the engine. Shifts were not crisp, and it made me feel that the computer was programmed by a 16-year-old kid who just learned to drive a stick. Downshifts were almost violently rough at times, and this made the overall ride disappointing.
The engine of the Saab 9-3 is certainly peppy, but it suffers from quite a case of turbo lag. You push down on the gas and you are off smoothly enough, but a few seconds later the turbo has spooled up and you get a burst of power. The acceleration is by no means smooth, but it is welcome once it finally arrives. The car is not quick off the line and needs that additional power to get up to speed. If you are already cruising at a good speed, however, the power is standing by and ready when you need to pass. Just don't try to beat too many people off the line, if you get into a "stoplight to stoplight" race…not that I would ever do anything like that, nor be disappointed as I was continually beat…never happened.
Once you get the Saab 9-3 Turbo X up to speed, the real shining point of the car comes out – the handling. This Saab is equipped with an XWD Cross-Wheel Drive system, and it goes around corners like the wheels were designed by Elmer's Glue. They may not be Elmer's but they are the next best thing, Pirelli P Zero Neros. The all-wheel drive system and 18" Pirelli tires, coupled with the sport suspension, sport tuned chassis, electronic rear limited slip differential (ELSD) and self-leveling rear shock absorbers keep the Turbo X very smooth and very quick when you take it around a bend. I was very impressed with just how well this car handled.
The color scheme was designed by Spinal Tap and is called "None More Black."
The interior of the Saab is a minimalist concept that I feel works against the 9-3 Turbo X. If you are planning on spending $46,105, as equipped plus destination charge (the base MSRP is $42,565), then you should expect a little more in terms of refinement. There is an optional navigation screen and upgraded sound system that was not equipped on the car I drove and would drive the price higher. I felt the sound system was average at best, and the quality of materials (with the exception of the carbon-fiber trims, which is a nice touch on this sporty wagon) felt a bit cheap. The dash and center console are basically a sea of black plastic and it gets very bland very quickly. I did not feel like I was sitting behind the wheel of a $46K+ car.
It may be boring on the inside but it was comfortable. The dual power sport front seats keep you nicely bolstered, while you are exploring the handling capabilities of this 9-3 Turbo X SportCombi. I cannot say the same about the seating in the back though. There is not a lot in terms of legroom for rear passengers. Occupants will be safe, thanks to the safety cage energy management system and side-curtain airbags, which are both standard; however, they might not be all that comfortable -- att least not while someone over 6' tall is driving.
Plenty of room for all your friends who practice Hatha Yoga.
I enjoyed my time in the 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X SportCombi, but I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I believe manual transmission would have helped, but SportCombis with those are hard to find. This Saab is limited to 2,000 units throughout the world with only 600 Turbo Xs making their way to the US. Of that 600, 450 will be sedans and only 150 will be SportCombis. 75% of the 600 cars will be automatics and the remaining 25% will be manuals. This means only about 38 Saab 9-3 Turbo X SportCombis with manual transmissions will be here in the United States. If you can look past the bland interior and the turbo lag, you are in the market for a $40,000+ sport wagon, you want a limited-edition car and you want to stand out in a sea of Mercedes and BMWs, then I think the 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X SportCombi is for you. It is a fairly fun car, and its limited production numbers are appealing, but I feel there are better ways to spend this much money.
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