There’s reviews by journos who get test cars to drive for a week and then there’s reviews by journos who get flown to exotic places to drive impeccable cars in impeccable conditions after dining on impeccable food served by impeccable waiteresses.
Then there’s reviews like this one. Written by an average guy like Joe Lobo in Sydney, who’s shelled out thousands of his own hard-earned and gave up a magnificent Saab 9-3 Aero as part of the deal.
This guy is fussy. He has some of the cleanest cars I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he has his family hermetically sealed for hours prior to letting them into the car. And his cars go hard. They aren’t show ponies.
So when Joe wrote this to our little Saab email circle here in Oz, I figured it was something that should be shared here. The words are from Joe, the photos were taken by Richo (and you can see more of Richo’s work here).
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…..The area that has impressed me the most is the ride and suspension dynamics despite the 19’ wheels. This car makes my 9-5 feel like a muscle car and too hard on the steering wheel!!! I would have sworn that this comment would have never come from me but credit where credit is due. In this instance the whole of the 2008 range’s ride clearly makes these cars a totally new experience as compared to my 9-5 and my former 2001 9-3 Aero.
It’s a totally different ball game as the behavior on the road is very predictable, solid and with a lot more adherence to the road. At times it feels like it’s on rails whilst in some instances you do feel the AWD rather than the XWD. This is by far what impressed me most as I had some fears/reservations on how well the car would handle our roads and if the ride would be too bumpy. They have done a superb job in this area.
In the power department, this car is a monster. When you ask for it, with all this traction, it delivers mighty fast. Coming out of the dealer and accustomed to my 9-3, I drove on to the Princess Hwy and was doing near 110km/h in a 70k zone without even feeling it. Lucky that no one was around. It is true that at times in 1st and 2nd the revs need to increase to get the punch, however it’s a Saab after all!!!
You get it in the right conditions (up a hill, preferably), hit the gas and this thing is diabolical. My favorite test drive is going up the hill to Channel 9 studios off Whilloubgy Road (in Sydney). I’ve only done it once and once is just about enough, doing nearly 110k on a 50k road. I purposely do not go on that road as the temptation may be too costly.
At this point a BSR or Nordic ECU enhancement is not a priority as the car is only 1400km old. After it’s broken in and loosens up it will go faster. This is a point of debate as all the owners of this masterpiece have only got 5000km or so. I believe that as the car has so much stability and adherence on the surface you get the full 205 kw delivered at its maximum, so we need to wait a bit and establish if the ECUs are a must.
The other mystery that we’ve all been hearing is the petrol consumption. Unless you are driving it flat to the boards, this car hardly uses any petrol as the torque is massive. They may as well remove 1st gear as the torque kicks in so early that you hardly change down to 2nd in slow traffic. In some instances heading to work, it’s like having an auto as I go from 70-80 down to 40km/h through the school zones in 4th and it keeps going. I have made very close comparisons with the 9-3 and the expense per week is the same at worst. The efficiency is magnificent !!!
Inside too is another aspect that also continues to amaze me. Despite all the gripes and criticism, the interior is superb. There are a few little areas where a bit more carbon fiber should have been present, but all in all the ergonomics are magnificent. I do not get the feeling of inferiority as many mention and seeing as it’s a Saab, the seats are the best. Your sitting position is beautiful and you are in control. I no longer sit in my 9-5 admiring the interior as I used to as the X has it all, except for the A/C seats.
I got the full blown navigation system and fully integrated premium sound unit as made exclusively by Kenwood. It’s magnificent and the sound is superior. I have a friend with a 530i and my cousin in Colorado has an A4 Quattro, both with their premium Bose sound. Well, mine is better and is complete as theirs does not have the navigation unit. God knows how much extra that will be !!!
Should I mention the exterior looks??? No need to regurgitate the obvious as it’s mean, classy and unique. What a car, what a design, what an end result from Saab. Anyone that criticizes this car out of ignorance needs to get his/her lights punched in as there is nothing left out.
OK, the boot has got only 2 anchor points instead of 4, the key entry is on the left door, the window controls are no longer in the centre console. I couldn’t care less and it doesn’t bother me at all. It’s perfect!!! It took me a few days to get used to how mean it looks sitting in my garage next to the 9-5 as it certainly stands up!!!
Before the X, I wouldn’t have gone for a black car out of choice. Now, after only one month I have to say there is no other color that fits the character of this car so well. The wheels are magnificent.
If business conditions improve and allow me to accommodate some enhancements, the Hirsch carbon fiber dash fascia is perhaps the only alteration that I would add. Other than that there is nothing else to add/alter/modify.
So, to put it simply, owning the Turbo X as compared to all its predecessors is like having “Mr Smoothie on Steroids”. That’s how it feels!!!
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Nice writeup and photos. Glad to hear the fuel economy isn’t as bad as some have been saying, I was starting to get worried about that. Also… I’ve never heard about the key-opened door being on the wrong side for you guys! C’mon, Saab!
-Rogan
Joe, thanks for the great article. But how did you get the Kenwood rather than the Bose sound system? I agree with you about Bose systems – I had them in my Audi and my Alfa. So it would be great to get something different in the TTiD I’m planning to order when I get home next month.
But even on the Saab Oz website the Bose is the only published option – so can a friendly dealer get something different sorted out? If you can get it in Australia I hope I’d be able to get it in the UK too.
Gareth
Great review.
Any reason why you are considering the BSR or Nordic ECU upgrade over the Hirsch?
If you are going for the Hirsch instrument panel, you may want to consider the leather door handles etc and the aluminum pedals. Those really add alot to the interior of the Turbo X.
Lastly, how did you get the Kenwood In Car Entertainment system? My Turbo X came with Bose speakers and amp but paired with the generic GM head unit (made by Fujitsu Ten I think) that I want to replace.
Can’t get over how great those wheels look.
Nice review. Thanks. Saabs are meant to be fun cars, not track cars, so it’s nice to read a review like this rather than some auto magazine trashing the car because it’s not as fast around the Nurburgring as an M3 or something stupid. I don’t drive on the Nurburgring!
Nice review!! If Saab can accomplish this level of engineering on a starvation diet of resources, imagine what would be possible for the product line with a little more love from the collective? I’m dreaming of a beautiful Saab 3-door with XWD….will it ever happen?
I have driven on the Nurburguing with my Turbo X and passed by a M3
Nothing can take a car on the outside like a Turbo X.
Nice work Adam.
Joe, did you get that personalised welcome message I suggested programmed in to the T-X?
Swade, you beat me to it as I was working on a revised version of our own private communiqué with this summary. I guess the photos from Richo were too good/magnificent to wait any longer as it came out very nice overall !!!
Guys, thanks for your feedback and acknowledgement to my own points of view as having driven my older 9-3 Aero for 5 years, my perspectives on the changeover are as real as they can get. This article is a bit of a pay back and “in your face” to these jurnos that are out there only looking at whatever they can highlight as bad rather than the positives. I will get the message personalized tomorrow BTW. The Kenwood Navigation/Radio/CD/DVD unit is only the preamp of the full blown Bose Amplifier and Speakers. The sound quality is a huge improvement from the standard Radio/CD unit as when I collected the car from the dealer, they did not fit the Kenwood on time. I got it fitted afterwards about 2 weeks later. We shall wait for the ECU upgrade debacle. I guess on the practicality of this, BSR continues to lead the way. But after talking to other Saabatists that have used Nordic in favor of BSR they claim that a full ECU replacement is better. More research is needed on this maybe in another year or so. Thanks Swade for using my feedback !!!
Shyang,
Hirsch products aren’t available through Saab in Australia, nor are Australian customers allowed to purchase from Hirsch individually. A crazy situation, but that’s how it is.
Hence, aftermarket tuners like BSR etc are the options for us Aussies.
Hi Joe, if possible can you give me the model of the Kenwood head unit you are using? Thanks in advance.
Off course, let me look in the manual and will send this over. This unit has been programmed and delivered as an original Saab accessory. It launches up the Saab emblem on power up and integrates in full with the on board steering buttons, hands free telephone, etc etc. It fits perfectly and looks as if it is original. We had some previous reports in here about this unit when there was some outcry by many suggesting that the X won’t be having the Sat Nav as an option. I’ll have a look once I get back home.
Very nice writeup indeed.
Having written a reply to one of the other notes last month praising the car overall and nitpicking at very very little, I found myself nodding countless times and smiling to virtually every area you mentioned.
The only area which is still a challenge for me is fuel consumption. Maybe my ’01 Aero wagon with Abbott tuning was a miser or maybe having a 4cyl with 2 wheels of drive train created less drag; but I still struggle to average (and I do like to have fun) above the rated 24mpg highway USA. Some of it I think is related to short trips and the drive train not being fully warmed up and slippery. My best mileage has been back roads averaging 27 mpg. Granted I haven’t broken 4000 miles yet and according to the computer, my oil is still 42% efficient.
I did decide to fill the tank a few times and have virtually all fun (heavy peddle). I discovered my mileage only dropped to ~22. For all THAT fun, I was very satisfied as I expected it to go into the teens.
Only issue I need to deal with this month, is the purchase of tire/rims for winter (which I have already picked out Dunlop Winter sport 3D on SAAB 17 rims) and to squash the annoying plastic mold that creeks now on my driver seat (apparently a common problem).
Satisfied, definitely !!!
Oh yea, my black Aero wagon’s nickname was Vader. And I never associated Vader with the original 99 turbo until I started reading these blogs some 30 years later .. geez
Im considering a vanity plate of XOBRUT. Should be good in another cars rear view mirror if they can see me long enough. :>)
Barry
Great write-up Joe, and beautiful car. Just beautiful.
I stopped by our one Saab dealer in Hawaii this week and they have 2 TurboX’s on the premises. So tempting…!!! I’m thinking it would be the perfect complement to our white 9-5.
Thanks in advance Joe. a couple more questions if you don’t mind:
1. Is the navigational function of the Kenwood head unit powered by Garmin?
2. Does it come with full iPod integration?
Lastly, love the shine on your car and those 19 inch rims look absolutely great.
Here are the model details of the Kenwood Unit as DNX7200 “GPS Navigation System”. Yes it is powered by Garmin as it has a full unit integrated in it. Not only come wit the full iPod integration cable but a USB and external full video inputs too. It plays CD/DVDs let alone MP3 & MP4. As mentioned, it’s a plug and play incorporation to the rest of the peripherals of the car. The first of these units I saw was in one of the Convertibles at the Turbo X release event in the Proving Grounds. My understanding is that Saab has got an agreement with Kenwood and this should be available for sale depending on the market and country you live in. If I managed to get this in OZ there is no reason why this unit can’t be purchased in other countries. I will take some pictures of this and send them across to Swade for another feature blog so that everyone can see it and appreciate how well if fits. I’ve taken note of some of the accessories pointers you’ve mentioned. As Swade mentioned, I like keeping my Cars very shiny especially this masterpiece !!!
Reads like my own Turbo X experience that are on the Saab Car Club of Australia web site , also if you read the Australian Turbo X warranty and service manual it actually mentions Hirsch as the approved tuner… clearly, on page 9 . Maybe something is happening at last with Hirsch in Australia, after all the r performance parts can be fitted by any approved Saab dealer
Thanks for the information!
What is the message you have had programmed on the display of your turbo X?
My favorite so far is “unleash the beast!”
What do others think the message could be?
Nice post – I recently posted an update on my Turbo-X on my blog in case anyone is interested. For other “X” owners perhaps the most interesting thing is that I’ve found Meguiar’s TechWax 2.0 to work very well with the paint.
Hi Joe, did you have to pay extra for the Kenwood system? If you did, may I know how much? Thanks in advance.
Joe, a hell of a write up my friend with plenty of positive thoughts as the 08 range deserves from a guy that has actually bought one! Your Turbo X is a fantastic car and I am proud to know this owner well. I know your X is destined to be one of the best in the country with all possible extras added and an owner that has passion beyond many peoples understanding.
Here’s to years of happy driving and that special feeling of elitist that only a Saab can deliver.
Thanks Ferd !!! Talking about passionate of the highest degree you are not doing too badly in that department too. As a matter of fact you are worse than me. As for the neatness, shininess, immaculate looks too you are up there with the best mate !!!