Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £26,030 to £34,622
Comfortable, creak-free and very complete car that should prove a pleasure to own
Some wind noise hood-up, not terribly exciting to drive, confined in rear
Attractive styling, few flaws and good to be in
The 9-3 saloon has not only scored the full five stars in the NCAP crash tests (though it only netted one for pedestrian protection), but is also one of highest-scoring cars ever tested, which certainly bodes well for the Convertible. Saab claims that this version achieves exactly the same results as the standard car. The passenger cell has been reinforced to compensate for the absence of a roof, and a pair of pop-up roll-over bars protect occupants if the car upends. Also peculiar to the Convertible are front seats fitted with integral seatbelts, and side 'bags that extend upwards to protect the head; the folding roof prevents the fitment of curtain airbags. Saab makes much of the fact that their cars are engineered on the basis of evidence gathered from real-life crashes, which the company, long committed to safety standards that go well beyond what is legislated for, has been collecting for years. To this end the Convertible also features whiplash-countering head restraints and intelligent airbag systems, ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution), emergency brake assistance, CBC (cornering brake control) and optional ESP (electronic stability programme). Thief-proofing includes deadlocks, unique-fit stereos coded to the individual car, an advanced immobiliser and a Thatcham category 1 alarm.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Saab 9 3 Convertible
wrote on 13 09 2007