Drove my friend's 04 Saab 9-3 Linear yesterday
10-08-2005, 08:31 AM
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Location: CT
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Car Info: 2004 Impreza Outback Sport
Drove my friend's 04 Saab 9-3 Linear yesterday
My friend let me drive her 04 Saab 9-3 Linear (2 liter turbo) yesterday for a bit.
I have to say I was really let down. First, the interior while nice defintely felt very GMish and nowhere near the level of a 2000 or so 9-3. The seats had little padding and the doors didn't feel solid. The plastics seemed thing too. I would sum it up by saying it looked like what another car company would to if they tried to copy the Saab style of interior. Definitely didn't seem like the Saab interiors of old (my brother has an 01 9-3 and his wife an 00 9-5 wagon)
So I go to start it and I couldn't believe how close together the clutch and brake pedals were. I was seriously afraid I'd step on the brake when I went to hit the clutch and I don't have particularly large or wide feet.
My final complaint, the shifter. People knock Subaru's for having a notchy shifter but the shifter in this thing was so vague I couldn't tell if I had the thing in gear or not. I did like that it had the reverse lockout though.
It's funny too the gear ratios or smaller displacement engine than my OBS made me get the thing shuddering a few times because I would shift out of first too quickly. When I got to the parking garage and got into my car, the first things I noticed were how much more supportive my seat was (though part of that may be because she had her seat angled back pretty far and I didn't mess with it) and how insanely stiff my clutch is compared to the Saab's. Overall though, if that's the way Saab is going these days I am quite disappointed.
I have to say I was really let down. First, the interior while nice defintely felt very GMish and nowhere near the level of a 2000 or so 9-3. The seats had little padding and the doors didn't feel solid. The plastics seemed thing too. I would sum it up by saying it looked like what another car company would to if they tried to copy the Saab style of interior. Definitely didn't seem like the Saab interiors of old (my brother has an 01 9-3 and his wife an 00 9-5 wagon)
So I go to start it and I couldn't believe how close together the clutch and brake pedals were. I was seriously afraid I'd step on the brake when I went to hit the clutch and I don't have particularly large or wide feet.
My final complaint, the shifter. People knock Subaru's for having a notchy shifter but the shifter in this thing was so vague I couldn't tell if I had the thing in gear or not. I did like that it had the reverse lockout though.
It's funny too the gear ratios or smaller displacement engine than my OBS made me get the thing shuddering a few times because I would shift out of first too quickly. When I got to the parking garage and got into my car, the first things I noticed were how much more supportive my seat was (though part of that may be because she had her seat angled back pretty far and I didn't mess with it) and how insanely stiff my clutch is compared to the Saab's. Overall though, if that's the way Saab is going these days I am quite disappointed.
Last edited by Cardiff Giant; 10-08-2005 at 08:36 AM.
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