2005 Saab 9-3 Consumer Reviews

2005 Saab 9-3

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2005 Saab 9-3

Kelley Blue Book Retail $5,625–$9,900  

Best Bet

Average Rating

4.4 out of 5
Review This Car
Comfort:4.6 out of 5
Performance:4.4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:4.5 out of 5
Interior Design:4.2 out of 5
Value for the Money:4.3 out of 5
Reliability:4.4 out of 5

18 out of 20 people would recommended this car to a friend

Consumer Reviews

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Saab 9-3- Best High end car for the Money

by Saabs for Life
from New York, NY | December 17, 2008

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Handling: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Features: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"If you like the feel of the BMW- but do not like the sticker price- then think about a Saab. You can get a great price on a used Saab. I have had no problems with my Saab- this is my 3rd Saab. Very sturdy feel, tight steering, comfortable seats, high end leather, just all and all great car."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Work


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Comfort and Style!!!

by Love my Saab
from Philadelphia, Pa | December 8, 2008

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Handling: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Features: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 4 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I love my Saab. Very Reliable and rides very nice. Seats are comfortable. My friend has had her Saab for 10 years and have 200,000 miles on it- I am hoping to get the same on mine!!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Work


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

owned for 3 yrs

by owner
from CT | October 25, 2008

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Handling: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Features: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 4 out of 5
Reliability: 4 out of 5

"only problem Ive has was i blew the turbo 3 yrs into it(but i drive it hard). I recommend getting the warranty extension for an extra 3 yrs 45k miles. And if u wanna put a system in its a pain. Best handling car Ive owned. even better then my 07 93 aero."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Work


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Great performance!

by Helga
from Toronto | October 16, 2008

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Handling: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Features: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"Its a powerful machine and a smooth ride. It gorgeous. The only thing I would say is that its a larger car than I'm used to (I used to drive a GTI), and the clutch was a lot different than other ones I have had in the past, but overall I'm very impressed with the car and would totally recommend it to everyone."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: N/A


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0 out of 0 found this review helpful

All around great car!

by JJ
from NY | July 8, 2008

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Handling: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Features: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I've had this car for eight years now, so far no complaints. Very reliable and easy to own. I am getting another Saab later this year because I've been happy with this car."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: N/A


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Great car

by Charles
from Midwest | May 17, 2008

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Handling: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Features: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I own a 2005 9-3 Linear. I have tried about every make of car. I ususally only buy new, but I on a sunny afternoon drive, I saw this car in the lot and decided to give it a test drive. Great excelleration! Very roomy, I couldn't believe how much leg room. I am 6'1, and there is plenty of space. I now have 38,000 on the car...and still love to drive it! I highly recommend this vehicle."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: N/A


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Great Car, Fun, reliable and cheap on gas

by Johnny
from NE | April 8, 2008

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Handling: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 3 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Features: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 4 out of 5

"So far I'm very pleased with my 05 9-3 2.0t. It has 35k miles on it with no major problems and is still driving like a new car. Pros: Gas mileage- I have the 2.0t and it gets an average 30mpg with a mix of mostly highway and some city. Comfort- I'm 6'4 and have always had trouble fitting into smaller sized sedans. This isn't the case with the 9-3. With the proper seat adjustments, I don't have the sensation that my head is about to go through the roof. Performance- The 2.0t has quite the punch in the higher gears. It's fun and easy to pass slow pokes on the highway. Handling- Compared to my 04 Honda Accord, it handles the corners much better. Turbo- This is my first turbo and I don't think I'll ever get another car without it. It's too much fun! Maintenance- Oil changes are only necessary every 11k miles. It could be more or less depending on your type of driving. Value- you can't get a cheaper luxury car. If you're gonna buy used then you can't go wrong with this one. Saabs have horrible resale value. I guess the demand isn't really there for the used ones. This could also be a "con" depending on how you're looking at it. Cons: Back to gas- If you're gonna own a Turbo then you're gonna have to shell out the extra cash for higher octane fuel. Interior- some paint peeling; very minor but annoying. Exterior- My front badge has already peeled off (replaceable under warranty). Performance- Though the performance is great in the higher gears, the low (mainly 1st) gears leave very little to be desired for. You won't be getting a lot of punch coming off of those red lights. Overall this car is a great value and is really fun to drive. Though, you might find yourself taking lots of trips to the dealership in order to fix the potential paint peelings and badge issues. Even though it's covered under warranty, it's still an unnecessary annoyance (my only major gripe about this car, thanks to GM)."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: N/A


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3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Hold onto your Keys

by Disappointed
from Connecticut | March 15, 2008

Rating from

(2)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Handling: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Features: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 1 out of 5
Reliability: 3 out of 5

"I'll be brief... my wife got a 2005 9-3 Linear as a company vehicle new in March 2005. She drove it for 60000 miles and we purchased it in the fall of 2006 as we needed a vehicle and had it since new. While it was out of warranty we figured Saab's reputation meant it would be reliable. In February I dropped a key and it failed next time I tried it. We went to bring the car to the dealer to reprogram the key and I dropped the remaining key about 3 feet onto a rug. It too failed thereafter (it worked just prior to the drop). The car had to be towed, the dealer stated the CIM module in the steering column was "dead" and that it was not the keys. They changed it at a cost of $1400, then found the original keys were no good. We were charged another $100 for two keys. They said they would speak to the Saab rep to see if they would pick up any of the repair... that was over a month ago so I'm glad I wasn't holding my breath. I cannot help but wonder if it was the keys all along? Maybe I do not understand the workings of the system, but I would have checked the keys first. I'm really disappointed first with the product and secondly with the company not backing the product in this case. We have had Chrysler products in the past, and in at least 2 cases, Chrysler split the bill with us even after the warranty expired. They apparently felt the product should have held up better. Now they have longer warranties than in the past... I think I'll take a hard look at them next time we need a vehicle. I'm done with Ford because of 3.8 Liter head gaskets and now I'm done with Saab."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: N/A


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Worst Car Ever...

by Saab_Let_Me_Down
from Cleveland, Ohio | March 9, 2008

Rating from

(1)
Comfort: 3 out of 5
Performance: 1 out of 5
Handling: 3 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 3 out of 5
Features: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 1 out of 5
Reliability: 1 out of 5

"Maybe it was just a lemon, built on a Friday afternoon, but it has been nothing but problems. At 12000 miles the engine started using massive amounts of oil. after 7 attempts to repair it the engine finally seized. Now hopefully the new engine won't have the same issue. Also, sun roof stopped working, throttle body needed to be replaced (took dealer three times to fix) radio button on steering wheel replaced twice, both headlights burned out at the same time, at night, wheel bearings need to be replaced, air bags needed to be repaired and finally the hood ornament peeled off (maybe out of embarassment...) GM is killing this brand."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: N/A


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So Far..Best Car I've Ever Had

by Love my 9-3
from Braselton, GA | February 28, 2008

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 3 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Handling: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Features: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 3 out of 5

"Outstanding gas mileage on 175 hp 5spd. 31hwy/27 city. Great handling, peppy peformance, no turbo lag at all. Bought a 2005 Linear 5 months ago and love it. I also like the styling and color schemes. Great value when bought used. I compared to other used and new, and for performance, gas mileage, sport sedan, nothing can touch it. I've owned BMW 3 series, SUV's, foreign, domestic, etc. and this is the best yet. Compare to anything in it's class for value, and you will buy it."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: N/A


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