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2008 Saab 9-3 Safety Review

August 19, 2008

SAFETY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

A long list of standard safety equipment
Cars.com

crash-resistant structure and features
MyRide.com

Five stars, driver side impact
NHTSA

Top Safety Pick
IIHS

A Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for three years running, the 2008 Saab 9-3 scores somewhat lower ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“A long list of standard safety equipment includes seat-mounted side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, Active Head Restraints, traction control, and an electronic stability system with all-disc antilock brakes and electronic brake-force distribution,” reports Cars.com. Moving up a level, Aero models are equipped with slightly larger disc brakes for greater stopping ability to match their sportier driving abilities.

MyRide.com notes the 9-3’s “crash-resistant structure and features” that help it garner IIHS Top Safety Pick status. Edmunds explains that this award is “based on its 'Good' ratings (the highest possible) in the agency's frontal-offset crash, side-impact crash and head-restraint effectiveness tests.”

In NHTSA testing, the 9-3 sedan scores four out of five stars across the board, with the exception of side impact protection for the driver, where it scores the top five of five stars.

Conclusion

Good crash-test scores and ample safety gear give the 2008 Saab 9-3 a high safety ranking from TheCarConnection.com.

SAFETY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:A long list of standard safety equipmentCars.comcrash-resistant structure and featuresMyRide.comFive stars, driver side impactNHTSATop Safety PickIIHS A Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for three years running, the 2008 Saab 9-3 scores somewhat lower ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “A long list of standard safety equipment includes seat-mounted side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, Active Head Restraints, traction control, and an electronic stability system with all-disc antilock brakes and electronic brake-force distribution,” reports Cars.com. Moving up a level, Aero models are equipped with slightly larger disc brakes for greater stopping ability to match their sportier driving abilities. MyRide.com notes the 9-3’s “crash-resistant structure and features” that help it garner IIHS Top Safety Pick status. Edmunds explains that this award is “based on its 'Good' ratings (the highest possible) in the agency's frontal-offset crash, side-impact crash and head-restraint effectiveness tests.” In NHTSA testing, the 9-3 sedan scores four out of five stars across the board, with the exception of side impact protection for the driver, where it scores the top five of five stars. ConclusionGood crash-test scores and ample safety gear give the 2008 Saab 9-3 a high safety ranking from TheCarConnection.com.  2008 SAAB 9-3 STYLING | [7 out of 10] Edmunds: “distinct Scandinavian charm - refreshing break from the mainline aesthetic” Motor Trend: “inspired by the sleek Aero X concept” MyRide.com: “bold new nose” Autoblog: “a mid-cycle enhancement” New York Times: “radical new front and ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

In base form, the 2008 Saab 9-3 SportCombi is easy to compare with the Audi A4 Avant 2.0T, which also comes with a torquey turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Next to the 9-3, the A4 has an especially upscale interior, and though starker, the Saab’s cabin feels pleasantly different than other cars in its class. The Saab’s Swedish rival, the Volvo V50, is a smaller model that also comes with available all-wheel drive in top T5 trim and is especially agile and fun to drive. But the V50 is considerably smaller than the SportCombi. The BMW 3 Series Sport Wagon isn’t offered in the sedan’s top, 300-horsepower 335 trim—just as a 328i or 328xi (all-wheel-drive) model. Outside of the much pricier Audi S4 Avant, the very rapid Aero or Turbo X SportCombi might just be the fastest wagon its size.

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See the Saab 9-3 in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999

Comments (1 total)

  1. By geek #1, Posted: 10/23/2009

    I own a Saab 93 Convertible and have been highly satisfied with everything about it. I am mystified by many reviews that seem to look at some feature and stress the negative thus not providing objective analysis.
    The Saab convertible is comfortable to ride and great to drive. The front seats rival any car for comfort regardless of price. Once you decide you want a convertible then you need to understand what is different from a sedan. Comparing a sedan to a convertible is different then reviewing the virtues of each.
    The competition is the Audi A4, the Volvo C70 and the BMW.
    I bought the Saab and happy I did

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