#3- Legends Never Die - 06’ Saab 9-3 2.0T Ownership Review
The NG Saab 9-3 is an all-time great FWD production car. This one was lost in January of 2023 on Mulholland Dr. near Encinal Canyon. What started as a fun Thursday group cruise in the canyons ended with my car getting scraped. Many people complain about GM ownership in these times, but Saab engineers were able to work their magic into these cars while producing them in Trollhättan, and it shows. Despite the ending, we had a great two and a half year run with this 9-3, adding 20,000 miles in that time. I struck a deal for this Swedish beauty on July 3rd, 2020 which automatically makes it a time to remember. I was off work four months in this peak COVID time, and noticed how close the Sequoia and Kings National Parks are while scrolling iMaps. It was the perfect reminder to not take them for granted while I live this close. A road trip into some lovely nature was the right way to break-in the 9-3.
How was the name Monica conceived? First, the car was serviced at Volvo-Saab Santa Monica for most of its life. Next, it was imported through Port Hueneme, CA, so its origins remind me of the coast. There's a Swedish model named Monica Hudlt and she is quite the lady. And lastly, a memorable line from Fast and Furious where Edwin (Ja Rule) watches his fantasy dissolve, "Nooo, Monicaa!"
Monica had two previous owners and the people s from couldn’t have been nicer. I received the stories about the original owner making the purchase for their daughter as a high school car that she used into college, living the first parts of its life in the Brentwood area. Regularly serviced at Volvo-Saab Santa Monica, they seem like a great option if you can afford it. I was glad to meet with them, but quickly knew it wouldn’t be my regular service shop, as they’re based in SM with a $250 per hour labor rate. I would keep them in my back-pocket if we ran into an issue another shop could not solve.
Monica was serviced at Magic Touch Auto off La Brea Ave. and Your Right Solution off Venice Blvd. during my ownership. Magic Touch is a general automotive shop, but the master mechanic worked at a Volvo-Saab shop in Hollywood for years, so he’s familiar with them. For Your Right Solution, its in the name that this family-owned shop is a great service option. Drive past on any given day and you'll see multiple Saabs in the service area. The family and mechanics have Saabs of their own parked up too. These are signs you're in the right place. For reliability, I think the 9-3's lean into the positive category, but I hear plenty of issues on them adding up or being hard to diagnose. In my two and a half years I had some scares, but was never left stranded, and don't feel the problems I encountered occurred too often.
The second owner was DTLA based and owned Monica for a few years. I saw she loved the car, but I also saw the cost were adding up. I got into the car for $3500, which you can't beat, but you'll need to be prepared for potential euro spec maintenance and repair bills. Monica cost roughly $3800 in annual maintenance over two and a half years. When I saw this opportunity to own a second Saab pop-up, a simple google search quelled my fears that Saab parts would be hard to find. I hear people voice this concern, but they did sell enough in the US that spare parts are available and OE/aftermarket parts still being made. Things got tighter during covid, and will continue to do so, but for most sourcing that should not be your issue any time soon. One cost the previous owner had to incur was a transmission replacement at 102k. Another significant one was an ECU replacement about two months prior to selling. An example of where doing your research and being plugged into the enthusiast community comes in clutch. I found out the ECU can fail earlier because they're mounted to the intake manifold, so they will overheat. I was linked to an independent seller in Taiwan who ships a plastic plate that will separate them and save your ECU.
Another great feature on these NG 9-3's is a patented ReAxs system that uses passive rear (toe-in) steering to reduce understeer. This makes for a well balanced fwd car in the canyons and fun to push closer to its limit while feeling in control of the rear. I only experienced this 9-3 in stock and minor modification settings and it was always a fun ride. They use a high-pressure, 12psi Mitsubishi turbo. Something Saab has done right since being first to mass produce models with turbocharged engines in 1977. The 9-3's make a beautiful, distinctive whistle that starts up quickly after getting on throttle. The B207 engine is a smooth yet rowdy engine that continues to pull well at higher speeds. It’s agreed by those who've driven these 9-3's that they likely make more than the claimed 210hp. The block is known to be porous and cause slow coolant leaks, but mine were always gradual, so never caused a major issue.
After analyzing the crash I concluded a split between driver error and mechanical failure. The hard driver's wheel pull left caught me off guard and I hoped for the chance to counter-steer, but once I felt the rear weight shift that much I knew there was no time to change the outcome. Anticipating the crash, I knew not to tense up, because that helps nothing. In that moment I was aware of how vulnerable the stomach is and was glad to not have the wind knocked out of me. I had a lower back scare for the next 18 hours, but received good treatment at BH Urgent Care, and was back to playing football a few days later. The SAHR II (Saab Active Head Restraint) headrest did its thing because I had no kind of neck issue after the head-on smack into a collection of big rocks. I was doing about 6/10th through that section and didn’t hit the gas too hard, knowing traction control was off and tires were wet. There are some other potential causes I won't type-out for time's sake. Shit happens and I appreciate everyone in the drive that was supportive and looked out in this tough time.
I acquired the car with 119k miles on it and had ticked over 140,000 about 10 minutes before the crash. I didn't have collision insurance on it because the listed value of the car being low. I meant to inquire about adding it, but it was something I was putting off, as I was not expecting to crash in the meantime. Unfortunately, that was enough damage that a rebuild wouldn’t be in the equation. I'm looking forward to getting another Saab soon, and the next one will be a manual.
She lives in the clouds now!