Moderators: Can you start a separate thread for the Saab 9-3 Aero Turbo4?

[ScotHibb]

Believe it or not. Wiki had a pretty reasonable 9-3 section and I think it gave all of the engines and dates with hp numbers. Note that they use what seems to be real world numbers where the factory used "nominal" reporting; so 252 horses became 255 (something like that). Same for the 9-5, they even had the oil sludge problem covered.

Looking at that it seems like the "I" engine started in 2002 with the MY 2003 cars. It shows as the 1.8 and the 2.0 with the same displacement. Does that make sense? Of course not; it's Saab, it is quirky.

BTW, I think "quirky" is the catch all term that no author really knows the definition of. Back in the 60's it was unique and quirky in a rational way. Now kick me in the ass but the only thing "quirky" on my cars is that the AC light is off when the unit is on. That is stupid perhaps but quirky?

You're right...I never though of looking to wikipedia for Saab facts, but it seems to be very well written...and you're right, there are a TON of 'quirky' items, even in the earlier model 9-3's...such as the dual front climate controls...if set to "one zone" it still shows 'customize" on passenger side...and if you have your dealer set it to change to re-circ when you hit the window-wash (too keep smell of washer fluid from flooding cab air), it doesn't show the "re-circ" light on the LED, but if you hit the re-circ button it turns it off but then shows it as "customize" and the re-circ lights up? And yes, the AC is running at MANY times throughout the year without the AC light ever coming on...but if you hit the AC button it turns it OFF and lights it up as ON.....well, guess it's a Sweden thing.....like getting used to every 'period' (.) being a comma (,)....so you are getting 28,7 MPG, and are at 8.500 miles on the odometer....lol. Guess it makes me LIKE the fact that those Swedish touches have made it through the entire last MY cars....

[tunnanxwd]

Like the black sheep that lost it's way, I think once Saab AB aero cut off from the auto business they lost sight of safety and logic. The ng were not very safe cars even then however.

For ages the SAE and aviation community used to put effort into logic and convention to reduce workload. Needles were pointing straight up for pressure meant OK, the throttle went forward for power, there was a uniform logic.

Some switches that in all my other cars suddenly need to be "up" instead of down and like the AC, the light is on for a system that is off. All these things do is add to the workload of someone who goes from a Saab to a Volvo or Jeep like I had to do. That poses needless risk in the name of "quirky". I may need to actuate a system quickly and the damned Saab is the other way? So the rest of the SAE is wrong and Saab is right?

There is nothing "aero" about Saab, we had "black panel" back in the 1960's and called it a dimmer switch. All of this jet hype and they were born from props for gawd sakes. One of my dream planes is a Saab Safir and yes I used to fly a bit. There is not a single thing in these cars that says "airplane" to me? I had time in Cessna, Beech, Grumman, Luscombe and Piper and I kind of chuckle when I hear this.

I like my XWD's in both flavors ... Aero 2.8 and the wifey's 2.0, but as John Prine would have said, "You are what you are and ain't what you ain't", (next line of the song was ... we was caught in the back seat just shootin' the breeze, with her hair up in curlers and pants to her knees ..

Dang, I still kind of want a 9-2 Aero, was the engine any better with the 2.5 with the turbo for 2006? I think it was the same series as the early normally aspirated motor and kind of figured that the larger displacement with only what ?, 3 more horses would give it a longer lease on life. I think they only made like 400 total Aero's in 2006 and have never seen one. I may try to get to that Hamilton dealer on Rt. 33 just to finally drive one.

[ScotHibb]

I drove a friend's brother's 2006 Aero 9-2x. I didn't feel much difference but the few people I've spoken to who bought the 2006 swear the 3hp made a difference.

I love getting into discussions about horses...like the difference between dHP and bHP...lol. It usually starts when someone says "yeah, but my engine is 289bHP" and rapidly turns into a ScotHibb diatribe on "Effective/true/wheel hp, Brake/net, Shaft, Nominal, Indicated..." When I get to Brake (bhp) I always start talking James Watt and everything I learned about him during MBA work (a measure created to market the steam engine, a very enduring marketing tactic)...

What pissed me off driving home last night was that even though I have the system set to automatic single climate zone, the stupid LED screen still says "customize" on the right no matter how many times I press "automatic"!