2009 Saab 9-3 Among Best 10 Used Convertibles Under $10,000, Says KBB
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Having made it to KBB’s list of best used convertibles under $10,000 last year, the drop-top has once again landed on the same list this year.
The Saab 9-3 Convertible was ranked ninth on KBB‘s top 10 list, bumping it up one spot from its ranking the previous year. The publication praised the GM-era Saab convertible for its exterior styling and peppy powertrain.
“The much-loved but sadly departed Saab brand is part of history now, but it can still be part of your present – take the 2009 Saab 9-3 convertible, for example,” the publication says. “With looks just as funky-fresh as the day it rolled off the production line, an available 255-horsepower V6 engine, and a manual transmission option, the Saab 9-3 is a characterful companion, top up or down.”
Speaking of engines, there were two choices available for the Saab 9-3 convertible. The standard engine was the turbocharged 2.0L I4, capable of 207 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. This was offered with front-wheel-drive in conjunction with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. Meanwhile, the Saab 9-3 Aero harnessed a turbocharged 2.8L V6 rated at 280 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a six-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive.
Until its discontinuation after the 2012 model year, the Saab 9-3 was produced at the automaker’s Trollhättan Assembly plant in Sweden and was underpinned by the GM Epsilon platform. This platform was also found beneath the Chevy Malibu, Buick Regal, Chevy Impala, Cadillac XTS and Pontiac G6, among many other GM passenger cars.
KBB listed the 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata as the best used convertible under $10,000, praising it for its status as a legendary two-door roadster, and for being a vehicle that’s very fun to drive. It is followed by the 2009 Ford Mustang Convertible. Other mentions include the 2008 Toyota Solara convertible, 2014 Mini Cooper convertible, 2011 Infiniti G37 convertible, and 2008 Nissan Z convertible.
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I still have my 2008 9-3 Aero V6. Still drives great. 135k on the clock. I could only imagine if real money was injected into the brand. SAAB lived off the GM table scraps for too long. Too many years between new models being released and the brand suffered. The brand was really mismanaged for many of the GM years. Water under the bridge I guess.
Maybe if SAAB had not built a niche car, it’d have sold well enough to continue making it. Even the Swedes had moved on.
True. You are correct. But GM knew full well the state of the brand at the time of acquiring them and did nothing with it to try and better the brand they 100% owned, especially if you are trying to move units with a decade old design. Back then it was trendy to have a Euro nameplate in ones portfolio. Ford took Volvo so GM said hey, we’ll take SAAB. It’s like in the board room the GM executives said ok, we now have a 100% stake/ownership in SAAB. Cool…now what should we do with it? Uhhhhhh…how bout nothing? Sounds good, let’s go to lunch. Niche or not, you need to do better than models that have not been refreshed/redesigned for 8 or more model years. May as well been 100 years. Had to do better than rebadging the Trailblazer as a 9-7x.
Volvo was lucky enough to get a second chance with Geely when Ford dumped them. Unfortunately for SAAB Spyker could not make a go of it.
Miss SAAB
Have a 2005 Saab ARC convertible with the turbo 4 banger. Every several years it goes into the limp home mode function, which makes it barely driveable. The fix is to unclip the wiring harness from the throttle body, to do a hard reset. It runs fine after that. GM replaced several throttle bodies when it was under and out of warranty, when this was all that was needed. Apparently Saab modified the GM wiring harness, causing this issue. Other than that, it has been a great vehicle.
I own a 2007 Saab 9-3 convertible. I’m almost 80 and have no intention of ever selling it. With a mere 101,000 miles, my mechanic figures it is good indefinitely. He even said, if and when I m ready to sell, come to him first. Love this car. Still drives like a jet!