Saab 9-3 Sport Combi 1.8t

[LotusLocost]

So now I have a new car! Picked her up today and have done some good driving in her already. The decision was between many cars in this range, from the Renault Laguna to the Bmw 3 series. After a lot of testing and calculations i found out that this Saab 9-3 would give me the most car for the money, and still a car that has a good resale value. The Audi A4 and the 3 series, was a bit over my budget, and the Laguna was a bit under. The Citroen C5 was also strongly considered, but that also, as the Laguna, has poor resale value in Norway. Generally the swedish cars has strong resale value in Norway.

The car is a 9-3 Sport Combi 1.8T BioPower.
So I am able to fuel E85 on it, as well as 95/98 unleaded.
Though the E85 is not much sold up here, only one gas station in my town has it. This engine is stated at 150 hp on 95 unleaded and 175 on E85. I am considering a chip after I have broken her in. The swedish company BSR have a chip that gives 220 hp on both E85 and 95/98 unleaded.

So here is some pics I took tonight

[scottie300z]

I do like how they touched up the front fascias on the new saabs. They pieces fit together so well.

[Roentgen]

Fantastic car. Congratulations on your new purchase! Great Choice too!

[ScionDriver]

I like Saabs, no one ever really talks about them or they usually find them to be ho-hum but I think they are good looking and fun cars. Congrats on the new purchase.

[Roentgen]

Originally Posted by ScionDriver

I like Saabs, no one ever really talks about them or they usually find them to be ho-hum but I think they are good looking and fun cars. Congrats on the new purchase.

I agree! Saabs are far understated. I have a 1998 Saab 95 SE, and compared with the cars of the same class back then, it was far more spacious, much safer, much faster, and better looking. And because it is so understated, it was cheaper as well!

I reckon people need to be more open minded about things like this. I've got a lot of friends who have Mercedes and Audis, and they all say my car is rubbish because it's a Saab. Of course, their ones are only a 2-3 years old, and it's only slightly better than mine which is close to 10 years old!

[Klemmel]

It's the first time I see the new front-design and it's not bad at all
Grattis

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Groovy little vehicle. Kudos.

[Waugh-terfall]

Now that is a nice car! Colour complements it too, I've only ever seen silver and black over here. What sort of equipment did you get it with?
I really like the look of this face-lifted 9-3, with the nice LED Daytime running lights and those tail-lights it looks fantastic.

What's it replaced in your line-up?

[Ferrer]

The Saab estate is such a nice looking car.

Congratulations.

[henk4]

do I spot a nice location for a sticker in your 5th pic?
Why is power higher with E85?

[Gt1Street]

Congrats ! sounds like an excellent choice.
I wasnt aware that they offered them as Biofuel versions, Probably because we dont have E85 at all here and Saabs are quite expensive (at the level of BMWs and MBs) and are selling alot worse then them

[Knuto]

Congratulations! Very nice choice.

[coolieman1220]

i wish we got 95/98 octane gas over here..... it would be so much nicer and give us even better fuel efficieny but the highest we see is 93 and some places only go to 91. why? i don't get it. higher octane is better! i've always liked saabs but they've always been shadowed by other cars. poor saab.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by coolieman1220

i wish we got 95/98 octane gas over here..... it would be so much nicer and give us even better fuel efficieny but the highest we see is 93 and some places only go to 91. why? i don't get it. higher octane is better! i've always liked saabs but they've always been shadowed by other cars. poor saab.

our 95/98 octane is calculated differently, it is probably comparable to your regular fuel.

[MRR]

Originally Posted by henk4

our 95/98 octane is calculated differently, it is probably comparable to your regular fuel.

Yeah in the EU I think it is RON 95/98 but in the US and maybe Norway I think it is the (RON + MON)/2 which calculates to about 4-5 lower than the RON number.

Cool car though and I didn't know they sold ethanol in Norway. How do they make the fuel there (probably far improved method to using corn in the US).