Saab 9-3 Stage 1 TUNED review.
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- A review of a stage 1 tuned 2009 Saab 9-3. The tune was done by
Boost Customs: boostcustoms.ca/ , and they did a fantastic job. Software work was done by AMT Tuning.
Thanks to Aaron Silverthorne for camera work assistance.
Getting a 9-3 as my first car this summer. I'm excited.
Cameron Chitra-Straley did you end up getting the Saab?
Great reliable car! Just keep up the maintenance!
how’s it been going?
Thats me tn but my second 😆😂
This review makes me proud to be a Saab 9-3 Owner. Now I need to drive up to Toronto to get this tune.
dont know why they this polish sausage with a slit at the end.. said sever bad things about saab and all were untrue..
I got a stage 1 from Maptun on my 2000 Saab 9-3 SE 2.0t, It's like night and day, it's so amazingly fun to drive now, boost reaching 1.4 Bar, just wow.
the SE is the one with an extremely easily modifiable computer system right?
If I remember correctly my familly had a 3 door one for a while
@@houseking9211 all first gen 9-3 are super easy to tune
These cars are one of THE best used car values out there. Still some clean ones out there. Yet there is no price premium. Everyone has given up on them. But the cars run well, especially 05-09 cars. A lot of fun and they are reliable transportation.
+777jones totally agree!
I totally agree, I see Saabs going for sale with crazy low miles for their age going for so cheap just because so many people are sleeping on them. I'm seriously considering picking one up after winter when I can live without awd from my a4. They're very gorgeous too and make a ton of torque
Put some good winter tires on the Saab and you have no problem driving in the winter, I drive a Saab and its no problem in the winter whatsoever unless you drive like an idiot or dont know how to drive in the winter, 4wd is usefull, but not if you only drive in the city and not going the fuck into some remote area in the winter.
4wd is just kinda unnecessary really.
eLoeL but i want to drift ;)
Yeah they are! I️ just bought a 2007 9-3 2.0T and it has 87,000 miles for $4600. Interior and exterior are in great shape.
GM really did screw Saab over. And over. And over again. They took away all that made Saab great and then wondered why the sales dropped. Then tried to fix the situation with even more dumb ideas, such as the Saabaru 9-2x and the Savrolet 9-7x. Blasphemy. In Europe, they first introduced the Opel Insignia and only afterwards the new 9-5, which made it feel like a posh Opel. Just the wrong way around. GM was really, really poor at managing Saab. They just didn't understand the brand.
NEVS is currently in the process of reviving. Although it will be electric, and first model will probably we close to the 9-3 in terms of looks. But they are filling up the barn with engineers down in trollhättan :)
Basically only because they don't own the rights to the SAAB brand. SAAB Airplanes still owns it afaik. They manufactured and sold the last under SAAB brand a year back "MY14" which was only produced as Aero 2.0T with basically full gadget spec.
Of course, we can't assume it will be "SAAB". But they do state on their website (freely translated) "... and just like their models (SAAB), we will keep being innovative. When we look to the future, our Swedish heritage and culture will be the baseline of everything we do - from open cooperation-strategies, to quality in design and innovation in ergonomics and environmental responsibility."
This does at least give a shine of hope that the saab spirit will be kept.
GM is 71% owned by the goverment, any who buys GM is a cock boy...
Pierre Colombo actually Saab didn't follow GMs directions. GM told Saab to take a cavalier and change the body and badges and nothing else, Saab didn't do it that and they changed soooo much that it was a completely different car. The same with the insignia/9-5 Saab killed. They made their own infotainment system and other things. They were losing money on their cars so GM had to cut them. Saab doomed themselves unfortunately but I love my 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0t manual
Man, 6 years ago and still great reviews. Saw a 9-3 for sale cheap locally, looked up reviews and knew you (guys? No james here, but he seems kinda core to the channel now) would tell me exactly what I needed to know about it.
Once again thanks for another mothers video... I've just bought a Saab 93 convertible 2 L turbo and I'm looking forward to many happy days of motoring
I've had one for a few months now and it still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.
it goes faster than what the book says, so taking it in to see if it has been remapped .
If you're stalling a car with 210bhp, because it "hasn't got enough power" stick to an auto pal.
210 is a decent amount of power this guys tweakin
He probably meant in the lower rpm when the turbo hasn't kicked in yet, where you drive most of the time
Still - stalling it is unnecessary. I have a 9-3ss and stalling is not that likely
Agreed, my firsr car was a Fiat Punto 60hp, and it never stalled because of low torque.
The car is about 4600lbs they need heavier clutches!
Amazing video. I have a 2006 9-3 2.0t and it runs circles around my 2011 bmw. Love these cars so much.
I have a 07 9-3 2.0T and the sounds of the turbo spooling addicting. There is a steep hill near my house that I love driving up because it will it loads the rpms high enough in a lower gear that the spool sound gets so loud. Let off the gas right as it fully loads the turbo and that magical release of spooled air.
Joeybabbs .BABBS. There's plenty of Saabs that would leave Sti's in their wake.
Great review 👍 I've been driving my 9-3 2.0T Aero -04 Hirsch tuned for 16 years. I did the Hirsch tune quite fast after I bought it exactly for the reason you mention. It should have been like that from the factory. Have now over 350 gps performance logs with video of the car. Love it!
Now I know why I like your car reviews so much, you came from Saabs.
i have a 2007 9-3 with automatic transmission running an aero turbo and injectors, front mount cooler, custom intake, 3" exhaust and a stage 4 maptun and it's an absolute joy to drive. i have had it for many years it's now got 430,000km on the clock and has never had any engine issues what so ever.
please let me know what kind of exhaust system you got.
saab was the first brand to put turbos into all of there cars. i have my saab and i love it. if the 2003 93 arc is this fast imagine how fast a 2019 would be, so sad we will never get to see that.
2009 Saab 2.0T owner here. Went to test drive several other cars and only fell more in love with my Saab. It just drives so well - hard to explain. Threw plenty of money into it since. Do88 intercooler, full turbo-back exhaust, stage 3 tune, koni springs, Bilstein B8 shocks/struts, better control arms, $3k sound system. Anybody who gets in it instantly loves it despite not being a "modern" vehicle.
Wow! As a saab nut and a throttle house fan, it is refreshing to know you are a saab guy too!
How did I not know that one of my favorite UA-cam channels owned a Saab?
Nice man. I totally understand how you feel. I got the turbo bug 10 years ago when I bought a B5 Passat 1.8t. And gained 50 horsepower and 65 foot pounds of torque with a $399 tune. I still have the car. I can never sell it. And now has a front mount, catless downpipe and intake and intercooler piping. Still so fun to drive every time I drive it. Most fun I've ever had in a cheap car under 5 grand. I was honestly looking for a Volvo S60 T5 manual. But I could not find a manual worth buying so I got the Volkswagen instead.
Crazy how far you guys have come lol just got mine two days ago and stumbled upon this relic of a video
Just bought a 2004 9-5 Arc in 2021. I love it so much already. Diesel-levels of smooth torque and so eager to rev, such a nice clutch feel.
Great video! I have a 2009 Saab 9-3 Aero XWD 2.0T SH tuned stage 3 300bhp. Just a pleasure to drive, and a VERY VERY exclusive unit. To give you an idea, in manual they sold only 23 for the all American market...
Great great great video. I've been apart with my Saab 9-3 Aero for almost a month due to major repair. Miss it so bad. This video soothes me.
Nicely done... really love the quality of the shots, the editing and all the work put into the video :) and not to memtion the car ;) i've got a 2009 twin turbo diesel myself (remaled to 210-ish bhp, stupid amount of torque and excelent fuel economy)... what a powerplant that is :)
Keep up the good work :)
Saab isn’t dead. They’re scania overseas and they make big rigs.
Saab work with aircraft, navy and submarine. Sistems for arms and air traffic.
Scania is owned by VW lol not Saab
Really great review, you just gained a new subscriber. I agree that anyone with a turbo car should get a custom tune. Car manufacturers leave so much power on the table it's not even funny. I have a Forester XT and a MINI Cooper S both of which were custom tuned. Of course they're faster/more powerful but the biggest reason to do it is driveability. Smoother and more linear power delivery and better gas mileage (the MINI improved from 27.4 mpg overall to 30.1 mpg overall and I drive like a maniac sometimes). Both have been 100% reliable.
Excellent reivew of the 9-3. Thank you. I have owned one for more than 5 years and every drive is fun!
So I know this video is really old but I wanted to thank you for making it. I'm a very late bloomer to driving and due to various real life things I ended up with a 2004 Saab 9-3 with a stick and nobody to teach me how to drive it. I watched a lot of UA-cam videos. A LOT of UA-cam videos. I had to drive around late at night in my neighborhood hoping I didn't get stopped by the police or roll around empty car parks hoping not to draw too much attention because I had no one to drive with me. Thank you especially for explaining why the hell I was constantly stalling the damn thing, I still do from time to time because I'm trying to be too light with the clutch. I thought I was just a horrible driver but what you described makes a lot of sense, sometimes it idles at such low RPM I'm waiting for it to stall itself. I love my Saab and as I bought it with 99k miles on the clock it's going to be with me for a long time because I have so much fun driving it. This also explains why you have such excellent taste in automobiles. Thanks again.
Awesome video! Just got a 2008 9-3 aero xwd and love it
That's a SWEET car! Do you still have it by any chance, and if you do how do you like it? (P.S. I'm a SAAB fan, so if you have an Instagram I'll definitely give you a follow.)
It's 2020 and I'm out here watching a video from 2016. I'm getting my dads Saab which is the 9-3 2.0t (not sure what year but definitely older than the one in the video) and I am already in love with Saab from the look to the engine feel and I have to agree I drove the 9-3 aero and the turbo made a huge difference but with the 2.0t it seems like it's just kinda there with little to no difference from a nonturbo car. I just found the channel hope I find more Saab content.
Very nice review. Your passion for the car is beautiful.
Beautiful car. Only 223,000 miles
Absolutely love Saabs. Even these later base model ones like this one. that front end is perfect.
It is very stunning from the outside. Love the design.
Is 170000 miles a lot for Saab 9-3 aero?
@@huyy12ful not really 🤷♂️
Don't forget you did drive the base fwd model. Try the turbo x or aero for handling .
Throttle house should do another Saab video!
Best car I ever owned. 2005 still driving it
Thank you for the review! Like you said, not many of them out there.
Haha I'm looking to buy a saab 9-3 ttid, I stumble on this old video. Man your content has come a long way in such a short time.
Shootout from an ex Torontonian living in serbia 👌
Mps tuning is one of the best Saab tuners out there!!!! Great knowledge & customer service
Yea... My stage 1 MPS tune woke my 9-3 arc up from the dead. I also have an 09 2.0T and I wasn't aware it has passive all wheel steering. I was gonna sell it... Guess not!! Time to see MPS for a tune on the 09. Too bad she's automatic
MPS is a crook. He sells defective tunes and ecu's then doesn't back them up. He wasted $400+ of mine and gave me the run around for over 1 year!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make a video on your SAAB 9-3 Aero! I would definitely watch it and I know a hell of a lot of people that would too.
Great review! I own a 9-3 1.9TTiD 132kw and got a Stage 1 tune. I think its around 155kw now. Same exact feelings - the car got a whole new breathing and the driveability is just day and night compared to what it was. It feels as if it had been an asthmatic coming out from the factory and now it has released it's full potential. Amazing stuff! Make sure you find a decent tuner however. Many places download software from whatever sites, you want it custom fit to your car.
I have owned my 2008 Saab Aero Inca Yellow Convertible 2.0T since 2010 and decided to lower & uprate the suspension springs with a remap to make about 240bhp. The difference was remarkable and totally transformed the car with a manual 6 speed gearbox cruising 100mph @ 3000rpm. At 75000 miles the car became unwell. PLASE NOTE! This was due to sub standard 'Intake Valves ONLY' that were fitted at the manufacturing plant between the times of 2007 to 2012 . I decided to take the car off the road & buy a Golf R 2018 to allow me to continue the commute to work as being a vehicle technician I repaired the Saab myself using AE valves Don't buy Genuine SAAB... At an estimated cost of no more than a £1000 gaskets & cam locking tool etc. Now the Saab is A1 & drives like a dream! I have made a choice to get rid of the Golf R in driving preference! Before you all attack me... this is my personal choice.
Awesome Video Thank You! I have had a remap too & this completely changes the car to be exciting to drive. Lower & uprated springs are highly recommended as the standard feels like being at the helm of a boat. However after the upgrade the Wow the perfect drive!
Soo soo good review. Saab 9-3 is really nice car indeed.
Sounds like it is the basic model turbocharger having the TD04 fitting/ type "which all turbos has the cast iron outlet housing" as most of the Saab line going back to 99' for that type while the TE05's goes back to 88' 900-T; Saab's debut of having the turbo line came out in 1979 and by 1985's line was making waves for car enthusiasts wanting the turbo as this car having high marks for safety, innovation, lots of cargo space, comfort, and is so fun to drive and own!
No worries the Saab you're showing us has room to gain an extra 70bhp to its 210bhp not just with map tune as there is more room at higher stages plus performance parts - but I'm not sure if it can go past stage 2? It is not an Aero w/ a B235R engine... TD04HL-15T, 16T, 18T, 19T, 20T turbochargers... My 4th Saab is a 2001 9-5 Aero 2.3L 4cyl B235R with Sport Pkg; 230bhp and Sport Mode 274bhp... Garrett turbo TD04HL-18T and haven't tune it and it is sadly the automatic transmission since my wife did not want to have a manual and prefers automatic...but there are methods even to make an automatic driving enjoyable knowing how to utilize the lower gears and not just "D"...
Unlike the B235R engine, models do have outstanding modification options to stage 5 including the older 900-T, Aero/SPG models...
According to tuners in Sweden, the TD04 Stage 1 can be maxed at 320hp with performance parts, Stage 1 TD04HL-15T/16T at 320hp, Stage 2 TD04HL-18T/19T at 340hp
At least Saab is being carried on by NEVS being an all-electric that is going to be limited export...
Saab enthusiasts here in the US and abroad will carry on the Saab brand for as long as possible and there is even a dedicated car parts company to keep Saab alive and going by developing OEM replacement parts and there are well-made aftermarket parts as well...
Thanks for sharing your experience...
Old video I know. Still, SAABs are special. My first car was an 84 900 Turbo saloon, now I have a 94 9000 Aero that I am building/restoring. Very easy to work on, best seat of any car, cavernous boot, and man can she put down the power. They are great cars and run forever, if cared for.
good job mate with the 1000 subs, keep going
Thanks for the support.
@@ThrottleHouse nice!
Great video have been looking for a review of the "newer" 9-3's from this decade haha
my mom gave me my saab...
i have 93 2.0t and i love the way drive no complain. 👍
saab is designed not to spin out or rust.. do some research.. it will save your life.. unlike other cars
Ive had 5 Saabs , and the 6th one is a 2005 93 Arc Convertible, even bought it with a Maptun stage one , and 110k on it last year , Pep boys put the wrong coils and plugs on and the car needs OME plugs and coils,id rather have my 900ST Coupe again, one was a 1990 Saab 900s sedan , it had 890 miles on it, yes only 890 miles, and the lady sold it to me for 300 hundred and said pay it forward, I would die to have that car again, I bought them and there not cheap, so I figured I have the Jeep the same place he kept his 1984 911 since 1997, and that's my dads car , cant sell it, I needed a nice beater,I shopped engines and found the E class E350 with the 3.2-liter V-6 engine was the best engine they had ever made, so I can out of the pocket hard because I wanted the nicest one with low miles, and 2miles from me a restaurant owner was selling a 2009 E 350, yesterday when popped the hood and looked around it was a AMG .
5:00 I prefer my Viggen interior and exterior. This body just didn't really do it for me but the 9-3 Turbo X/Combi I can dig it. Melted cheap GM pistons, going forged with 3" downpipe and stage 1/2.
I was looking for videos for my 9 3 and was listening to this guy and thought man he sounds like Thomas from throttle house 😄
For handling get an XWD. Don't forget regular transmission oil changes.
Great editing BTW
Awesome and inspiring video! Well done and very well said! Saabness it is!
What's the song at the beginning? I have heard that song before and it's really bugging me Idk why.
I think something by Kevin Macleod.
dunno about your review on the handling. I've had a few. from the 95's and 96's to 99T to C900 to modern 2.0T and tuned V6T. If you drive them correctly, they are all very quick cars. granted a little bit of aftermarket tuning makes a huge difference but really a stock saab aero is a quick car in the bends. maybe just not as fun as a RWD with the traction control turned off. but thats never been what saab was about. not long ago you could go to your local saab dealer and order the rally spec parts off the shelf to privateer just like blomqvist. Enjoy it whilst they last! :)
Its true. As long as you keep them within the limits of grip they are great fun in the curves. Its just on a track, (Ive put a bunch of track time in a 9-3 aero with upgraded adjustable suspension), it all kinda falls apart. It's very difficult to get the front to grip well. It is still a fun car to drive though. The mid-range torque in the aero makes up for a lot of the other issues.
Did you put a LSD in? Here in the UK that seems the norm for tracked 9-3's. Good effort though. When I get a chance/time I have a longing to get a 2.0 renault clio sport and track it.
Didn't go as far as an LSD in the front no. This would help get the power down yes, but I think it would result in more understeer.
Wish there was more SAAB content on the channel…😢
Stalling a car because 210hp is not enough is probably the most stupid thing I've ever heard. I guess manual transmission really shouldn't be a thing in north america xdd
boi That only means he can’t drive manual well lol. But these Saab need manual transmission, since the 5 or 6 speed automatic transmission are slow and stupid, however many people think there is load of turbo lag on Saab just because of those automatic transmissions
So you never mentioned the HP number after the tune? From 210 hp to?
And the stalling seems to be because the flywheels on Saabs are very heavy, rpm goes up slower but more steadily. Making it feel more comfortable, but it takes a while for the engine to rev up (and down)
Since the tuning was done by a serious company, the results are certainly present, probably about ~ 250HP or so... but with his beliefs someone could only increase the throttle's response and move torque from mid to lower rpm's (without a real power increasing) and he would think the car is faster. "Pulling effect" is not a measure of power. A lot of diesels looks like they are fast but the reality is that they only pulls well and it gives a false sense of strong acceleration. There are so many NA (atmo) engines or well-balanced turbos with very good accelerations but the feeling is that the average TDI "goes better"
Why would you sell it
he has an aero why would he need the 2.0T
I miss Saab cars.
You can learn how to left foot brake while accelerating in corners to counter understeer
where is James
I could understand the turbo not being as noticeable on this non aero model. I have a Saab 9-5 aero with a stage 3 tune and it really scoots. Even before the tune the turbo was very noticeable. Now it's even more enhanced. The aeros are pokier and had a lot more torque and the 2.3 liter in the 9-5 was also a torquier engine to begin with than the 2.0. Good review though.
I have a 9-3 aero and while that one is still a bit faster than the 2.0t with a tune the whole engine is more refined. The boost coming on isn't really noticeable. It just blends into the acceleration. This tune made the 2.0Ts turbo a noticeable part of stepping on the loud pedal. Which is actually really cool.
how do you turn off traction control!?
Wish I could have bought this off you guys...
Just got a 2007 9-3 2.0t. Was wondering how you know the car is ready for a tune. Clear all CeLs first? Thanks
more Saab content!
Really nice review, keep it up 👍
please review a saab Viggen!! Maybe a comparison between a viggen and something you think is equivalent today.
I'd like to add, there is not a lot of hard plastic. The dash is soft(including the glove box door and the underside), the doors are all wrapped in a soft-touch plastic that isn't scratchy or shiny.
It's not perfect though. There are a few cheap-ish parts like the plastic around the center console and the gauge bezel.
Fair. There are a few. But none of the materials come anywhere close to an Audi for example. And annoyingly the front dash piece is a hard plastic. The thing you look at all the time.
E46 Reviews with T.H. That is true, but the Audi A4 isn't that great either tbh. The plastic isn't cheap, but it isn't soft either on the doors.
Its not really just the softness and what not, its how its all put together. These Saabs have a very squeaky interior, and pieces look flimsy and scratch easily. An audi interior is assembled with such tight tolerances, and it feels rock solid. However don't get me wrong, this Saab interior is miles above a "normal" car. Just not quite where I would expect it to be for the class it was trying to compete in.
E46 Reviews with T.H. That is also true, but the materials were a bit of a disappointment in the couple of a4 and s4's I was in given how much praise they get.
Speaking of scratching easily. BMW plastics.
It seems every luxury car is guilty of that though. I've always wondered what all of them were thinking...
Totally agree. Some parts of BMW interiors all the way up to the 2010s would peel and scratch. Absolutely no excuse for that in a 50+k car. Its that silly rubberized black plastic that peels. It just as bad in Saabs as it is in BMWs.
Saabs handle great idk what he’s talking about
This is the first time I have EVER heard someone say that the 93 Epsilon platform "doesn't handle well". Saab did some much with the Epsilon frame. They reinforced the firewall and upper strut support and even extended the wheel base for crying out loud. It's hardly the Epsilon frame anymore. I own 2 epsilon based saabs, including the little "t" with 175hp, and I can confidently say I've stalled it less than 5 times in the 3 years I've owned it. They handle so much better than ANY american made car of these generations. They were direct competition to BMW for a very good reason.
+Ryan Gerth this car isn’t in the same universe of handling as a BMW of the same era. Or a Mercedes. The front engine front drive layout is what prevented Saab’s on this platform from ACTUALLY being a competitor to bmw and Mercedes or Audi.
Saabs have always been front engine, front wheel design. What pushed these Saabs over the edge beyond BMW was the dual pinion output shafts off the transmission, double wishbone front suspension, the rear-axis "ReAxis" rear wheel steering. These cars constantly out perform
+Ryan Gerth my good sir. There is no replacement for weight distribution and engine placement. The entirely of the Saab engine is in front of the front axle. There is nothing that can fix its natural tendency to understeer at the limit. Having driven this chassis and many BMWs at the track I can assure you they aren’t in the same league.
I recommend the old generation and early gen 2 saab 9-3's, i've owned multiple saab's in my life time and my favorite two have been a 2002 9-3 SE and 2004 9-3 Linear. They're cheap and relatively easy to find, the turbo makes them fun especially an automatic wit sport mode but I prefer my manual anyways. Definitely get a real stage 1 tune though, don't go with a cheap mail in stage 1 chip, you'll just ruin your ECU
Great Video.
My Car : Saab 93 1.8t vector BioPower 2008 Black.
Really good review of the car before AND after a tune. No other videos like this online. I bought a manual 5-speed 2006 9-3 2.0T with 72k miles on it back in January 2017. I have issues with stepping on the gas and it just not having any guts! Grrr . Need to get that stage 1 tune! I'm worried about it killing my clutch very quickly because a few people stated that a tune would burn up my clutch and I would need to get an aftermarket performance clutch which would cost around $1000. I don't wanna do that. I want to keep the life of my engine, tranny, clutch, etc. last as long as possible. I live IN San Francisco, so needless to say I use my clutch a lot! I need it to last as long as possible. How much did your tune effect the life of your engine, clutch, tranny, etc.?? How much did your tune cost??
Ms. Angela I have the same car. You need to know that the turbo does not provide power below about 2,200 rpm. So don’t be surprised. Make sure you are in the right gear, then, at 2,200 or greater RPM, there is lots of power available right away.
@@777jones people just dont know how cars work, especially trubocharged cars, you need to be at the right gear, you cant expect to fly when going 30km/h in third gear, try being in second and feel the difference
I have a 2008 2.0T too and it's amazing. Where do I go to get a stage one tune?
Checkout boostcustoms.ca if you are in Canada. There are lots of other tuners though. Check around on the forums.
google it wank
Very nice review. Quick question, what about Fuel Economy change with Stage 1 (before and after)
Beautiful car!
Just got a 2005 saab 9-5 20t... How do I get it tune to stage 1?? Idk which stage it's on right now how do I find out?? Plz respond I need help
I see no point of getting non aero model, as I drive a modified aero it is a great car. Ive taken it to track a few times and it handles awesome, in fact it rather oversteers than understeers now. And you can feel the quality in the car, i think the dash, the buttons and everything feels really good.
+ozzy the aero is a gas guzzler (I have one) and it is very heavy. These cars are very nose heavy and tend to plow in the corner. Try driving a BMW on the track and you will see what i mean when i say a Saab doesn't handle well.
Driving in city yes, it is a gas guzzler but aero isnt a 1.6 diesel, though cruising on highway there are no problems with the gas. Weight is not that bad, its basicly the same as 3series e90. I have driven few BMW, Mercs the diffrence is in the rwd, for the car that the saab is it handles well, the setup is a huge deal also. With hirsch performance springs no bmw is getting away from my saab, last track day Bmw was behind the saab in lap times. Which aero do you have?
How much did the tune cost?
I own both a 2007 9-5 Aero Wagon (Stage 1) and a 2000 E46 323Ci. The BMW is undoubtedly the better car, yet overall I prefer the Saab. There's just something about the great seats, center ignition, waffle-grid vents, turbo rush and various other little details that I can't quite put my finger on. The BMW, with its admittedly fantastic handling and buttery smooth engine still manages to leave me feeling a bit cold. Perhaps an M or at least a 330 would make me feel differently?
+vb3347 saabs do have some great qualities. The Saab aeros are much faster than a basic 3 series. I really do like the huge amount of mid range torque they produce. That's the most satisfying part for me.
great video and a great car!
I just got an 02 hatch. 5 speed 2.0T with a stage 2 tune. I feel the same way about the handling. I'm planning on getting koni sport shocks and a rear sway bar to stiffen things up. Because I get a SHIT ton of torque steer if I have the balls to go passed 4500rpm lmao.
Which short throw shifter did you get for your areo?
I have saab 93 2003, 2,2 tdi and i put hybrid turbo and its pretty fast, i have also put short shift 6 speed. Love the car 😀😀
what short shift kit did you go with? I have an 08 9-3 and the shifts are way to long
I got the TWM performance shift kit and the base bushings. Its good but shifting effort goes up noticeably and the reverse lock out collar seized up in the cold. But otherwise, it is very well made.
thank you!
I'd love to know more about the mods you mentioned to the gear shift. I have an 04 9-5 and the shift is starting to feel a little tired.
It's easy to stall if you can't stick shift,one of the best I've driven v MERC, Bmw, Audi and I've them all.
I find a I stall my E46 325i a lot in traffic especially when it's cold. BMW just made the M54 run too lean at idle. My mate says the same with his E39 530i. Never had this issue in any other BMW.
I'm late to the party but i have a question , have did gas mileage suffer. Thanks and great video
What kind of power increase?
i also learned to drive stick on a saab (a 99 9-5)
VERY special cars
r.i.p saab ;-;
Wow. THANK YOU for the review! This pretty much made up my mind to get a newer 9-3 (08+) Quick question... I am tall...6'4... would it be comfortable for a taller driver like myself? I also have children (5 and 6 years of age) would they be able to fit "comfortably" in the backseat?
I currently daily (have been since 2008) a full bolt-on, 6-speed, 2zzge Corolla XRS and it's time to add another "unique" ...and 6-speed... car to my garage.
If you get one without a sunroof you are good to go. The owner of this car is 6'7" !! and yes there is enough room in the back. (at 6' 4" you will probably be ok in one with a sunroof)
Excellent. Thanks for your reply 👍
True.. the Turbo makes a difference :)
Nice review. If the BHP was around 210 ex factory, what was it after stage 1 tuning?
Mike White about 250hp
I feel like I need to drive one before they go out and disappear completely!
great review. pardon my lack of knowledge about engine power and torque, i am looking to buy a 9-3 2.0t xwd. Would that be the same fun with acceleration as with the fwd ? or it would be better to look for a v6 2.8t for an xwd?
thanks
+Rafae'z Gaming if you get a tune done it would be lots of fun. The v6 will be noticeably faster though.
+Rafae'z Gaming not really at all no. Unless you get an AWD