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2009 Saab 9-3 Safety Review

July 13, 2009

SAFETY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Four stars, frontal impact; four to five stars, side impact
NHTSA

Top Safety Pick
IIHS

crash-resistant structure and features
MyRide.com

The 2009 Saab 9-3 scores mixed ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but it's been a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for several years running. 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.
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."

"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.

Conclusion

The 2009 Saab 9-3 is a good overall pick for safety, with impressive but not perfect crash-test scores.

SAFETY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:Four stars, frontal impact; four to five stars, side impactNHTSATop Safety PickIIHScrash-resistant structure and featuresMyRide.com The 2009 Saab 9-3 scores mixed ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but it's been a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for several years running. 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. 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." "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. ConclusionThe 2009 Saab 9-3 is a good overall pick for safety, with impressive but not perfect crash-test scores. 2009 SAAB 9-3 STYLING | [7 out of 10] Kelley Blue Book: "distinctively fresh" Edmunds: "distinct Scandinavian charm—refreshing break from the mainline aesthetic" New York Times: "radical new front and rear-end redesign" Editors at TheCarConnection.com find that the 2009 Saab 9-3 has ...

Read More of this Review:

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

Other Choices:

The Saab's other Swedish rival, the Volvo S60, is worth consideration; the S60 has more passenger comfort but doesn't feel nearly as sporty. At the top end of the 9-3's range, the BMW 3-Series might also be taken into account, especially in top 335xi trim. This is where the less recognized 9-3 seems priced a little high, at about the same as the BMW. The base 2009 Saab 9-3 2.0T sedan competes with the A4 2.0T, which also comes with a torquey, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Next to the 9-3, the A4's interior is simply more stunning and opulent than that of the 9-3, even though the Saab's cabin feels pleasantly different. The Subaru Legacy GT, with its 250-hp turbocharged version of the automaker's flat-four engine, is priced about the same as the base 9-3 and offers similar performance, though it comes with standard all-wheel drive, a feature only offered on the top 9-3 Turbo X. Wagon shoppers looking at the SportCombi should also consider the Volvo V50, the BMW 3-Series Sports Wagon, or the Audi A4 Avant, while convertible shoppers might also look at the Volkswagen Eos.

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See the Saab 9-3 in Other Years:

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

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