2008 Saab 9-3 Convertible Road Test

Likes: Convertible appeal, four-seat utility, distinctive style, room.
Dislikes: Expensive, quirky bits, slower than the average Euro ragtop.
TCC's Take: Probably the best Saab convertible ever, but there's not much to woo away the Audi/Benz/BMW crowd.

It takes a special kind of enthusiast to appreciate Saab's lineup of sedans, wagons and convertibles. There's nothing particularly different on the spec sheet, but for whatever reason - some quirky cachet - they appeal to a very specific breed of driver.

And while the Swedish carmaker's 9-3 Convertible gets the same kind of top-to-bottom renovation that the sedan and wagon models also receive for the 2008 model year, it doesn't move the needle much when it comes to wooing new buyers away from the likes of BMW and Audi, not to mention cheaper hardtop convertibles with Euro nameplates.

In part, it's a big pricetag that makes the 9-3 not such a bargain. It carries a base price of $38,965 for the base 2.0T version and tops out around $45,000 for the V-6-powered Aero. Fully loaded the Convertible nudges $50,000, in a convertible world filled with cheaper four-seat hardtop cabrios like the Pontiac G6 Convertible and Chrysler Sebring, and comparably priced ones like the Volkswagen Eos and Volvo C70.

And while it's a good-looking, solidly built, decently powerful, and an entertaining drive, the Saab's primary appeal lies more in factors that folks judge when buying sedans. It's not the sex appeal of its thick flanks that stands out, it's the 9-3's large trunk (12.4 cubic feet) and rear-seat legroom that tops other four-seater ragtops. It's not the blazing power that snicks through a manual shifter, but the seamless gearchanges of its six-speed automatic that feels right.

© Source: thecarconnection
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