Appreciation of the species

I don’t like the Beatles, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a great band. I don’t like the Ottawa Senators, but that doesn’t mean the team isn’t a perennial Stanley Cup favourite. And I don’t like apple pie, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a popular dessert for the majority of people.

So what does this all have to do with cars? Well, there are some great vehicles I just can’t warm up to. The Saab 9-3 Aero X I recently tested is a perfect example of this; fantastic engine, nice new exterior, comfortable seats, unique features ... but it’s also a tad overpriced, has some annoying problems, and isn’t quite on par quality-wise with other vehicles in its segment.

To start from the beginning (well, of the 2008 model year at least) designers at Saab took cues from the schweet-looking Aero X concept that debuted at the 2006 Geneva Auto Show to make a much more aggressive-looking vehicle compared to 2007’s version. The most noticeable difference is the front end, which gets new front fenders, headlamps and fog lamps (the pictures will do a much better job of telling the story than I ever could). The 9-3 Aero model specifically gets unique front and rear bumpers with a matte chrome fog lamp surround - it looks awesome! It gives the vehicle a menacing look when seen from a rear view mirror to be sure.

Also added as an option for 2008 to both the sedan and SportCombi is a new all-wheel drive system that you had better not call an all-wheel drive system. It’s called Cross-Wheel Drive, or ‘XWD’, to be even more confusing. It essentially distributes torque between the front and rear axles, as well as the left and right wheels, ‘within’ fractions of a second’ according to the system’s designer, Haldex. Essentially, it can sense slippage before it actually occurs. It can also adapt torque distribution down to 4% on the rear axle during highway cruising, thereby maximizing fuel efficiency. It does other neat things that we won’t bore you with, but from our time with the car (lots of slick roads), it did what it was supposed to do.

If you get the XWD system on the Aero, you automatically also get treated to an engine that gets a boost from 255- to 280-horsepower. This is the same engine that comes standard in the limited edition 9-3 Turbo X, and it’s a treat to really push. This light little sedan will leap forward when you stomp the gas pedal, and the optional automatic transmission likes to hold gears for just long enough to get the most of the torque that’s available (it peaks at 5,500 rpm).

Though the automatic is quite nice, it’s a lesson in frustration when using the sequential shift mode. Despite its being in ‘manual’ mode, the car still does way too much thinking for the driver and I was constantly fighting with the system to keep it in a certain gear. Alas, I lost every time and was forced to move back to automatic mode, frustrated and annoyed.

Otherwise, driving the 9-3 Aero is for the most part a lot of fun. Steering is adequately precise, the interior is very quiet (didn’t realize until a few days in just how nice the exhaust note is!) and the optional leather sport bucket seats are very comfortable. That being said, sightlines are a little tricky (B-pillars are deceptively thick and difficult to see around) and instrumentation and controls don’t look nearly as high-quality as those of competitors from Lexus, Infiniti, et al. And could someone please explain to me why the fans randomly turn on full blast when starting the car??

So what else makes the new 9-3 Aero a good car? Well, the trunk is huge, there’s a long list of active and passive safety features, and the steering wheel is great! None of these things makes me love the car any more, but it’s tough to deny that it’s a good sport sedan. Maybe I can’t warm up to it like a lot of passionate Saab fans, but that’s neither here nor there.