Saab 9-3 TTiD owner review
I’m pleased to be able to present this review, sent in by Stefan in Belgium.
I have very, very fond memories of the Swedish highway system thanks to a Saab 9-3 TTiD, one of which is Par Brandt from Auto Motor and Sport looking over and saying “we don’t overtake like that here…” 
As I found out last July, the TTiD is one buttkicker of an engine. Stefan is finding that out himself right now!
Click any photos to enlarge.
——
In 2006 I bought my first Saab. A Chili Red 9-3 TiD (150 bhp) Vector Sport (with Aero trim). I loved the car but it lacked some power so I had it Hirsched. Unfortunately I totaled the car a month or two ago (very short story: I turned left and didn’t see the other car and got hit in the passenger side. Nobody got hurt, but my car was a total loss)
Luckily I had ordered a 2008 9-3 Aero TTiD. Here in Belgium, you can only get the TTiD in Aero trim. Since I was used to the 175 bhp from my Hirsched 2006 9-3SS, this was the only choice.. And let me tell you, it’s a good choice!
It’s Jet Black with the brushed aluminum side mirrors, 18″ wheels, Black Premium Leather Seats, Navigation, BlueTooth, 300w Bose and some more. Since I make about 45000km/year with my car I decided to drive them in comfort and style.
This car is unbelievable! It drives like a 6 cylinder. It pulls from 1500rpm and doesn’t stop… It just keeps on going. The overtaking power is enormous.
Some may consider getting a Hirsched TiD but let me tell you, the TTiD is in a whole other league! The Hirsched TiD has some turbo lag, but the TTiD engine responds immediately if you push the throttle. No turbo-lag. Remember the sketch of an exhilarated driver Saab made a few years ago? That’s the feeling you get when you floor the throttle on this car…
Every minute I’m not driving it is a minute lost.
In the two weeks I’ve had the car, I’ve driven about 2500km. The changes they made are incredible. It’s much quieter, less wind and tire/tyre noise, no rattles or squeaks AT ALL! The steering feels a little more direct than the 2006 model. The suspension is great. The 2008 Aero sport suspension with 18″ wheels is more comfortable than the 2006 Aero sport suspension with 17″ wheels.
I love the new interior. It’s very clean and organized. While waiting for my new car, I drove my parents BMW 525D and I hated the interior: Too many small buttons, too many places to get your information. I spent more time looking which button to push than looking through my windshield.
At first I (as many) was a bit skeptical about the new interior, but it’s great. I even love the “batwing” steering wheel. Also the interior is a lot better put together than my previous car. The dual exhaust makes a very nice sound. You can hear it growl for more.
The only downside about the car is that it’s not possible to get XWD on a diesel engine. I would’ve bought it in a heartbeat. I would love to have 400Nm and 180 bhp on 4 wheels and I know I’m not the only one. It would definitely sell in Europe. Hopefully Saab is clever enough to make it available in the near future.
If you get a chance, go and test drive this car…
More from this category
- One Owner’s Turbo X review
- Edmunds provide puzzling Saab Turbo X road test
- Quite possibly the best 2008 Saab 9-3 road test report - ever.
- Friday Snippets
More from this author
- GM and Chrysler sitting in a tree?
- Weekend Snippets
- News on Saab and GM Powertrain
- What shall I do with my Saab 900?
Subscribe to this author
Recent Comments
- 900_S on Saab Pride Book - call for entries!
- Johan on GM and Chrysler sitting in a tree?
- Johan on News on Saab and GM Powertrain
- fred@dzlsabe.com on GM and Chrysler sitting in a tree?
- ctm on GM and Chrysler sitting in a tree?
- 99GL on Cadillac HUMMER Saab consolidation comes to the Music City
- Kroum on GM and Chrysler sitting in a tree?
- eggsngrits on Cadillac HUMMER Saab consolidation comes to the Music City
- 1985 Gripen on Cadillac HUMMER Saab consolidation comes to the Music City
- mo on GM and Chrysler sitting in a tree?
Congrats Stefan, have to say I agree with everything you say. I just collected mine last week (first TTiD delivered to Ireland according to my dealer) and it is better than my last car (TiD) in every sense. Wow, it’s fast and feels incredibly taut. No rattles or squeaks at all and the the Bose sound is tip top. I will send a proper review with pics after 2000 km. I ordered this car in December 07 and naively believed that it would be mine by the end of January! Thanks Swade for helping me to keep my sanity through the wait . . . by the time my car arrived I knew more about the TTiD than my dealer! Fantastic site, keep up the great work. (Voluntary contribution to follow!)
Een enthousiasteling
(a real enthousiast)
Congrats to a great car, I’m just waiting for it to come with XWD(still hoping that SAAB wil come to their senses), then it’s on my list.
Great car!! How did you get the mirror casings?
My attempt at finding a company who will do a short run of chrome mirrors for me is rather futile. No one will do it.
So I guess that venture is no longer viable.
Were the mirror casings an optional extra? Will Elkparts be stocking these soon?
I was offered metallic mirror casings at no cost when we ordered our new SC TTiD. But being a Snow Silver I thought it would make no sense to get them. So you should be able to get them from Saab!
Well done Stefan, I also agree with everything you say, I have really enjoyed my TTiD and I will miss her when she goes. I’ve managed to clock up 2,500 miles in just over 4 weeks and have loved every minute of it. There are a couple of things missing compared with my 9-5 which I feel are penny pinching but apart from those the car is top notch 100% great. I’ve never cleaned a car so often, 9 times so far!!!!
Re. offering XWD with TTiD, I am sure if it was straightforward Saab would be doing it. The fact that they are very quiet on the subject makes me think it won’t happen - not on this car anyway. However, on next gen 9-5 it ought to be a dead cert.
Any reason given for the lack of XWD with this powerplant? or is it simply a matter of phasing XWD into the lineup one engine at a time?
Seems like this engine would be a natural for a top-end model, so why limit the options for it? Aren’t diesels supposed to be more “torquey?” (Forgive my ignorance, I’m an American, and we don’t really know much about diesel in passenger cars.) If that is true, then one would think that XWD would actually benefit this engine MORE than the others. (Are there other issues such as displacement, weight that could be technical reasons?)
I would love to go and test drive this car…..if GM North America ever got their act together and brought the TTiD’s to these shores to fulfill a growing demand for diesel powerplants. Or Hirsch components for that matter.
Very nice writeup Stefan. I can just hear that growl from those twin pipes!
Yes, its very torquey! I mean VERY! And so it would be a perfect match for XWD. There hasn´t been even a slightest hint from Saab about ttid xwd, so I believe we´re not going to see it.
I guess we all know that for Europe 9-3 SC TTiD XWD cross country version would be a hit. The only reason why it´s not in production, IMO, is that it´s not possible to make in a reasonable costs. There was a talk that XWD simply cannot fit with a TTiD? Maybe that is true? We know that it´s very heavy engine and the compartment is so full. Even that battery cover is missing in ttid´s case.
So, let´s hope that develoopment is going on and ttid with xwd will see the light in this year. I know that the press in Europe would love and praise it. Almost every TTiD review that I´ve read here ends with a comment of missing four wheel drive (xwd that is).
Really envious in Canada…Come on Saab (a.k.a. GM)! Get this emisions thing sorted out for North America! Putting all your eggs in the ethanol basket just doesn’t make sense.
Oh that’s right…we dont’ have BioPower here in Canada either. You can also add that to my wish list.
Which brings me to another point about fuel efficiency. My previous Saab was an ‘85 900 Turbo that was quite capable of delivering mileage in the range of 8-9L/100 km. My current ‘02 9-3SE does about the same thing. When you compare Saabs with other vehicles on the market today, that’s not too bad. But historically, mileage has not improved significantly in the past 30 years - given the amount of technology that we now have at our disposal. This needs to change in today’s world of declining oil supplies.
As gas prices continue to rise, fuel costs become a larger and larger component of a monthly budget (and I don’t even commute with the Saab). As much as I do love the SportCombi, I cannot envision myself actually purchasing one given that the mileage is worse than my current Saab. BioPower is a great temporary alternative to wean us away from oil, but it is only temporary.
I mean, it WOULD be a great alternative, if it was actually available for sale here.
@ Richard
and yet you can buy flex-fuel versions of almost every Chevy, Buick, or Pontiac
Chris: Here HERE!! Righto!!
Nice to read about a belgian over there
I recently visited the Dinitto dealership at the nice and warm oppenings days..a very pleasant dealership ! Congratulations for your purchase anyway !
I most agree! I have been driving my TTid for a week. It is a vactor sport (in sweden you can get it without Aero, saves some money because it virtually the same trim)
It is Very powerful, as soon as you pop gear number two in it doesn’t want to stop. XWD should be meda available the car would probably be even more smooth (less torque in the steeringwheel) and faster.
Congratularions! I would have ordered mine exactly like yours, Stefan!
Could anyone explain or even better, show me the difference between standard black and jet black? I’ve been wondering about this for a long time, but I’ve never figured it out..
Congrats for your great car!
I have the same feeling about the car - it never runs out of power and almost never runs out of fuel (well, assuming you remember to fill it up every 900km).
I’m seriously contemplating the idea of moving my office into the car, as the seats are about the best I ever set in (no more back problems since January).
Hopefully one day we’ll get to see the TTiD coupled with the XWD. In my opinion would be a winning combination.
Great car. I wish there was a XWD TTiD coming to the States, I would be all over.
BTW, from what I’ve heard the 17″ version of the wheels on the car above are the wheels that are to come on the MY08 XWD Aero in the States.
TTiD IN THE USA PLEASE!!!
This is Saab innovation that is non-existant in a market that is finally fanatical on good performance and good gas mileage.
WE DONT ALL WANT A PRIUS OR VW FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
SAAB USA, TTiD NOW! NOW! NOW!
Edonis,
It’s very hard to see the difference in “Black” and “Jet Black Metallic” in a photograph but in person, there is a world of difference. I almost ordered my ‘07 9-5 Aero SportCombi in “black” to save $595 but I saw a Jet Black Metallic car in person and I had to have it. It’s a very, very, deep purple metallic (think about a dark eggplant). There are far more metallic flecks mixed into the paint compared to the other metallic paint Saab has used in the past and in its present lineup. All of the other “metallic” colors are more of what Audi calls “pearl effect” paints (with super fine metallic flecks mixed in) however, Jet Black Metallic glistens with huge titanium oxide flecks. It’s a beautiful color that’s not appreciated in the shade or at night but watch it shine in direct sunlight.
Bonne route !
There is lot of torque in the valley of the Meuse.
You can choose upstream or downstream …
Apparently both ways.
Stefan, you are a lucky man! If GM got its ‘head from up its hindquarters’ and realised powerful turbodiesels are the way of the future and imported them here to North America Id be up front and get one. The torque on that car of yours must be AMAZING?
Reviews like this do NOT make my waiting any easier
I´ll be getting my TTiD SC Vector in the beginning of May.
I’m glad you all liked the review.
I just passed the 3K kilometres yesterday and fuel consumption dropped to 5,8l/100km.
Pretty inpressive for a 180hp car. My Hirsched 1.9TiD had an average fuel consumption of 6.0l/100km.
And.. Still a happy driver
For those of you who ordered one: It’s worth waiting for!
For the Belgians among us: If you get a chance, visit Saab dealer Di Nitto. They have a very nice showroom and provided me with excellent service in the past.
They helped me a lot when I totaled my 2006 Saab.
I have been driving my 9-3 ttid for 3k and although I am very happy with it there is certainly still a turbo lag. It is actually worse than in my previous 9-3Turbo. It appear that nobody else is complaining about this so can it be just mine? I would like to hear from you before a go back to the garage.
Congrats….and a nice review and now it’s even more difficult for me to wait on my third new saab. Just orderd a few hours ago my new snow silver 93 TTiD in a vector sport trim with a set of 18″ rims and a nav.set from Kenwood. As soon as it arrives it will be lowered with a spring set of Hirsch. This will lower the car with 20 mm. This is 10 mm more then the sportsprings that comes standard with the aero. Also planning to apply chiptuning by zipptuning in the Netherlands. Can someone tell me after which mileage its best to do this? I’d like to have an audi/bmw diesel killer :P:P:P
Another saab enthousiast
congrats to some great reviews. Like Billy B from Ireland i believe i’ve have ordered the first TTid Aero Converible in the country. I hope to get delivery in Jan 09.It will be my second Sabb and i’m hooked on them. I currently run a 2006 95 Tid Linear Sport which has covered over 120,000 km. No faults to date and its a great car. Love the site keep up the good work !
Bjorn N,
I also do feel a little lag. Especially when I go through the gears in higher revs. Somewhere between 3000 and 4000 rpm. When I stay below 3000 rpm, there’s no lag.
I don’t think it’s turbo lag. The Turbo Boost Gauge goes towards the red zone pretty quick. I guess it’s the torque limiting device or something.