zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
For $4,800, Gear Up With This 2003 Saab 9-3 Arc
For $4,800, Gear Up With This 2003 Saab 9-3 Arc-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:03

Today's contender will require some fancy footwork owing to its six-speed stick. You'll have to decide if that rare option, and its relatively low miles, ensures its price isn't the same old Saab and dance.

Our fun and games were rudely interrupted yesterday when the object of our attention - the - was unceremoniously sold before most of us could weigh in on whether its price was a deal or not. That didn't stop the pluckiest of you from doing so anyway, because that's just how you roll. Hopefully the new owner was able to drive away for less than the asking, seeing as that Tiger was striped with a 76% Crack Pipe loss.

The seller of today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Tiger claims to be Sunbeam rich and cash poor.…

Hey, remember Saab? You know, funny cars designed by airplane engineers and featuring spunky two-stroke triples and a penchant for rally wins and inspiring the phrase Carlsson på taket? No? Well, how about eclectic cars with wrap-around windscreens, backward engines originally sourced from Triumph, and their ignition switch between the seats? Still not ringing a bell? Okay, how about the Saabs that were little more than thinly veiled Opels with GM Ecotec engines? Ah, there we go.

The Saab 9-3 of the past decade eschewed much of the uniqueness that made its pre-GM ancestors so damn quirky and endearing. That's not to say these weren't good cars, in fact they're probably some of the best that GM's stable had to offer during the Aughts.

This is an upper-level Arc model, which means it should rock the 207-bhp B207R. That's a 2-litre DOHC all-aluminum four, fitted with a Mitsubishi turbo. Backing that up is the car's starring player, a 6-speed F40 manual. That option was removed the following year so its presence here, along with the upscale trim level, makes this an interesting, and relatively unique Swede.

Overall it's pretty stock too, the ad noting a cold air intake as the sole mechanical mod having been made to the car. That's a bit of kit that perhaps could be reversed if you don't go in for intake noise.

Visually the car looks to be in pretty good shape both inside and out, with the ad claiming but a few scratches in the paint here are there - but nothing major. There is also a Euro front end according to the ad, which eliminates the front side marker lights. I don't know if that's a mod that's impressive enough to get you laid by a Saab groupie however, but there it is.

The seller says everything works, and that the Cooper tires still rock sufficient tread. The car has done 96,000 miles, or about 8K a year, which isn't bad. Also there an add-on roof rack available if you happen to know the secret handshake - hint, it's the one that include money.

The 9-3 has always been a little bit more Opel than Saab, but there is still the key between the seats and the fact that it was built in Sweden to give you the sense of tradition. This one, with its energetic engine and buffet of gears transmission looks to be a pretty good - and is pretty unique - but is it worth $4,800?

What's your take on this 9-3 for four-eight? Is that a price that should have a new owner dancing with joy? Or, does that price seem shifty?

You decide!

Washington DC , or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to Charles Van Someren for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a fixed-price tip, and remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $8,750, Is It High Time Someone Buys This Crazy High-Mileage 1987 Mercedes 190D?
At $8,750, Is It High Time Someone Buys This Crazy High-Mileage 1987 Mercedes 190D?
Few things in life are as unflaggingly reliable as an old Mercedes diesel. Today’s 190D adds five-speed fun to that dependability. Let’s determine whether its price tag is also in it for the long haul. Speaking of long, the ad for yesterday’s has been up for an entire month...
Nov 25, 2025
You Can Be Range Rover Royalty When You Buy The Queen's Chariot
You Can Be Range Rover Royalty When You Buy The Queen's Chariot
Based on condition, color, options, and mileage, . This Epsom Green beauty has royal blood, however, as it was owned and driven by her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. So here’s your chance for a twenty-year old 109,000 mile British 4x4. Apparently King Chuck didn’t want his mum’s automobile in...
Nov 25, 2025
Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy
Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy
What do you do with a patina-laden Volkswagen Rabbit diesel pickup and a mostly-complete Mazda Miata fall into your lap at the same time? You both it! It’s a Miata chassis wearing a Rabbit pickup hat! And you could The pickup’s wheelbase is three inches longer than the Miata’s,...
Nov 25, 2025
The 1,234-HP Lucid Air Sapphire Almost Made Me Barf, It Ruled
The 1,234-HP Lucid Air Sapphire Almost Made Me Barf, It Ruled
Sonoma Raceway is one hell of a track. It’s got gnarly corners, iffy pavement in places, tons of elevation change and pretty much no place where you can get something wrong without paying for it. In other words, it’s serious business and that’s why I was mystified (and honestly...
Nov 25, 2025
At $18,900, Might This 2001 Saab 9-3 Viggen Prove A Speedy Sale?
At $18,900, Might This 2001 Saab 9-3 Viggen Prove A Speedy Sale?
The seller of today’s Saab 9-3 Viggen says that, in their opinion, it’s the best in the country. Let’s see what such a premier pedestal placement should realistically be worth. Owing to its small size, you might not think it, but the we looked at yesterday was packed with...
Nov 25, 2025
The Toyota FT-Se Is Toyota's Electric Sports Car Future
The Toyota FT-Se Is Toyota's Electric Sports Car Future
Toyota teased last week, a sleek electric coupe that uses for high-density energy storage. Now, we’ve finally seen the car in full, but it comes with a strange caveat: Despite the near-production looks, it may take some time for this new FT-Se to actually hit dealer floors. The FT-Se...
Nov 25, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved