Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £26,030 to £34,622
Distinctive image; excellent new diesel engine; E85 option; solid and comfortable; good value
Thirsty petrol engines
Substantially updated and more powerful, the Saab 9-3 Convertible is a very nicely thought-out all-rounder.
Demand on the second-hand market is strong and the 9-3 Convertible holds its value well, though not quite as well as the A4 Cabrio or CLK.
Fuel economy isn't great, however, even considering the power of these cars; the 255bhp 2.8 V6 manages a claimed 26.6mpg (manual) and the 210bhp 2.0T 31.7mpg, but in real-life driving, you'd be very lucky to match that.
The new 2.0t Biopower does 33.2mpg and the 1.8t 32.8mpg, which sounds more impressive, but as there are no fiscal incentives (as yet) to use E85 in the UK, the diesels remain the economy options -44.8mpg from the 150bhp version, and 44.1mpg from the 180bhp TTiD. The diesels have much lower tax bandings, too, due to their reduced carbon dioxide outputs (169g/km and 173g/km respectively); all the manual-transmission petrol models are in either Band F (186g/km-225g/km), emitting 200g/km-plus, and the automatic versions are all Band G (225 g/km-plus) along with Range Rovers, Porsche Cayennes and suchlike. With some local councils threatening extra gas-guzzler charges for parking permits for Band G cars, and Ken Livingstone's intentions to up the congestion charge to £25 a day for cars in this sector, be wary...
Saab dealers don't tend to be the cheapest around, but prices for servicing and parts are more affordable than at BMW, Audi and Mercedes franchises. There are also a number of very well-respected independent specialists.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Saab 9 3 Convertible
wrote on 13 09 2007