Who uses the smart slot?
I was perusing an accessories catalog not long ago and was reminded of the Saab 9-3’s Smart Slot.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Saab 9-3 Sedan, Combi and Convertible all have a handbrake on one side of the central ignition, and on the other side is a little thing called the Smart Slot. On most 9-3’s this has a ‘handle’ that mirrors the handbrake, but there were a number of accessories made to fit into this slot. These were as follows:
The CD holder:
The cup holder:
The Ice scraper:
These were all great ideas, but I’ve never seen any of them in use.
So who uses their smart slot, smartly? And how much do you love it? Or not?
And is there anything else that Saab should have made for the smart slot? A trigger mechanism for rotating number plates, perhaps?
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I’ve only read about the various options for the smart slot so I can not speak to them. What I can say is that the plastic cover that occupies the smart slot when there is no featured option in place is CHEAP.
I have the ice scrapper. It’s cool, but pretty useless when there’s a serious amount of frost on the windshield. I typically just use a normal sized scrapper that I keep in my trunk.
I have the ice scraper as well and I keep it in during the winter months, but have yet to actually use it for the two winters that I’ve had my 9-3. It is cool to whip it out and show passengers, but has very little functionality for scraping of subtantial ice. As for when it is not winter, I keep change in the ’stock’ smart slot. Not sure what else to keep there…
I’d go for a control aiming stick for a hood mounted heat-seeking missile launcher…
I have a smart slot ice scraper for my car. I had my ipod stolen out of my car, so I perchused a new one. I didn’t want my new ipod to just rattling around in my car so I started to put it in the slot where the ice scraper sits, but it still rattled around. I then lined it with fleece. Now it is a very nice place to put my Ipod.
My wife and I are both fans of the cupholder and each have one in our cars…
I’ve not seen the cupholder in action, but I think I’d be a fan as well.
I got the dealer to upgrade it to the cup holder. It is good, better then the one in the dash, but very flimsy. It has broken about 4 times from people using as leverage to get out of the car and I have only had it for about a month. It is a neat idea but needs to be a lot more sturdy.
I live in a city and am frequently parking in covered garages which give you a time-stamped ticket upon entering to determine how long you’ve been there when you leave. The plastic cover holds these card-sized tickets exceptionally well.
I have the cup holder in my 2006 SportCombi, purchased after European delivery (those were the days!) for ~$40 from an independent Saab parts outfit. A genuine Saab accessory, but pretty disappointing. Flimsy, as others have reported. I have had to reassemble it a number of times after passengers have innocently used it. It also sort of interferes with the key/ignition, and I worry about potential spills in that vulnerable spot. But, so far , so good.
It makes a perfect coin holder.
The coins fit in the slot and if you need one, just pop off the cover. I use it alot.
Even keep a USB thumbdrive in there for emergencies.
I was thinking about getting that cup holder just to have something there to use, but this entry has given me some additional ideas.
That ice-scraper looks like a weapon! Any one ever utilize it to defend themselves?
While the cupholder is not the sturdiest pice of equipment in the world, we have only broken one over the past four years (my wife’s purse strap was the culprit) and have had good luck with them.
Definitely the most useful cupholder in the car, as it leaves the center holder free for my iPhone.
I’d not be mad at the cupholder for it’s inability to support a passenger’s weight. Any passenger who casts an eye on it should know that it doesn’t look that strong. I think it looks quite useful, as does the scraper, but the proof about that one seems to be in. The CD holder is sooooo 2003.
My smart slot remains unused, although I have looked at all the options a couple of times.
The cup holder is by far my favourite, and I agree with Swade about the CD holder being so 2003. Saab should introduce an iPod SmartSlot accessory.
I use ice scraper quite often during winter time. I like it.
Being one of those persons who try not to have objects of various colors lying around in my car, as I don’t want to disturb the sleek look of the cabin, I am a big fan of the ice scraper, which enables me to forego carrying around one of those mostly pretty ugly ones you can buy at tank stations or car shops. The Saab ice scraper is also perfectly sufficient for current Upper Austrian winters.
Actually I like the concept of replaceable, integrated, functional accessory. Though these three are maybe not of the best quality. Nothing wrong with scraper though.
Id like the ice scraper, but its only available for LHD cars
I’ve always liked the idea of the Smart slot, but it doesn’t seem Saab has done a good enough job at making things for it. I purchased an aftermarket cupholder/coinholder to go in the DIN-slot in the 9000, as it has no cupholders in the front at all! If I had a 9-3, I think I’d go with the cd-holder or cupholder. For Scandinavian winters, the ice scraper looks a little bit too flimsy.
I use the standard one, like a piggybank for the parking-meter change, just perfect.
My 2008 93 has a factory standard second cup holder in front of the centre arm rest that pulls down. There are two drink holders in the back centre seat also. Thought about buying the Smart Slot drink holder, but couldn’t see the need for three drink holders in the front. Now that sounds like a Dumb Slot to me!
Saab need to come up with something “smart” as a modern accessory for the Smart Slot, like a iPod holder, mobile phone holder or a small emergency umbrella that folds and pushes down. Now that would be very Saab like!
Swade you have got me thinking.
On another site (which shall remain nameless), someone said the smart slot cupholder doesn’t work if your car has the Aero seats. Does anybody here have experience with that?
Hi,
I have the CD holder for my MY2007 93 Convertible.
It is nice to have it, especially if you want to park, leave the roof down and take it with you. You can put 8 CD’s in it.
BUT I was very dissapointed about the material (cheap plastic, don’t believe the pictures!).
Here in Germany it costs 60 €(!!!)…I was happy when my dealer offered it to me as a gift.
Greetings, Alexandros.
Unfortunately the ice scraper is only for lhd cars, or so I have been told by the Glasgow Saab dealers. A really good ice scraper would be a very suitable thing for a Saab to have in the slot.
I used the cupholder in my ‘06 9-3 Aero. Very handy but flimsy. I didn’t have anyone grab on it, thank goodness. But, the internals wore out from use. The “stops” wore off. The arms began to pull up and off.
BTW, the best 9-3 accessory investment was the rubber floor mats. They collected a lot of sand and made the car look like it was meant to be used.
I have the ice scrapper. I didn’t see the need for another cup holder and the CD holders is so 2003
Compared to the standard Smart Slot, the ice scrapper is sturdier and the plastic looks less cheap. I have never used it to scrape my windows though, the car is garage kept, of course! One thing I noticed is my snow scrapper blade is not silver, it’s a translucent blue plastic…………
Having sold 9-3’s since their arrival in the U.S.in Fall of ‘02, I am very surprised that Saab is still bothering with this “feature”.The only improvements to it’s functionability is a tighter fit and less chance of it popping off when inadvertently hit.I’ve had Two (2!!) clients buy anything to utilize it …and that covers 5 1/2 years and app.450 9-3 deliveries! The “cup” holder is in reality a”can” holder!If you take note of any picture of it fitted with a “cup” holder it always has a soda can in it.
Yea, I got the cup holder as well. It tends to un-assemble itself it you try to put anything bigger than a soda can in it. Not terribly useful.
Maybe they should just put in an “oh-sh*t” handle for spirited manaeuvers to help out the passenger
I’d think the “slot” would be very useful idea for concealing small articles from valets. That’s what I used it for on the 9-3 I drove.
I keep looking at the cd holder but, I just don’t like the way it changes the sleek look and line of the interior. I purchased the Saab leather c.d. holder and just keep that in the glove box.
It’s just neater.
The cupholder comes in handy for those extra tall coffee cups that would otherwise dump their contents all over the interior with an aggressive turn. Slow down you say? Meh. Ice scraper is too small to be useful and the cd holder ratlles. Waste of money IMHO.
I have an aero 08 with the CD holder which i think works perfecly, but I agree it shold rather be used for ipod docking.
For those who want the ice scraper in their RHD cars:
The ice scraper is just plastic epoxied to a standard cover. So you *could* get the LHD scraper, remove it from the LHD cover, then melt/epoxy it to the RHD cover…
Just a thought.
I think the cupholder is crap, it´s made of very bad plastic and the function is not the best….but it looks better than the original plastic lid. Waste of money!
I have the Hirsch black leather interior-kit consists of dorrhandles, handbrake-lever and a cover for the “slot”.