Hurricane Satellite Weather Tracking - View Hurricane Weather Track

2006 Saab 9-3 SportCombi First Drive

Written By: MyRide.com
Reprinted under license.

Saab returns to its roots with the safe and speedy SportCombi

Introduction

Saab 9-3 SportCombi - 2006 First Drive: Saab loyalists love hatchbacks. Chalk it up to the demographic's desire to own a set of wheels that sets them off as individualists, free-thinkers, crack-pots - likely with tenure at a local university. A hatchback, especially one sold closer to the luxury end of the automotive spectrum, flies in the face of convention, and provides its owner the smug satisfaction of knowing that the choice is both a smack upside the head of conformist society and a useful, roomy, do-it-all kind of car.

The tradition of Saab hatchbacks began with the 95 Wagon in 1959. Twenty-five years later, during the Swedish brand's heyday in the mid-1980s, the Saab 900 Sedan was an anomaly in a lineup that consisted primarily of three- and five-door hatches equipped with normally-aspirated and turbocharged four-cylinder engines. Today, half of the 500,000 Saabs on American roads are hatchbacks. But when the Saab 9-3 was completely redesigned for the 2003 model year by its bumbling new owner General Motors, the hatchback body style - the thing that kept loyal Saab buyers returning to showrooms year after year - vanished as GM concentrated on a sedan that it thought would help its struggling European luxury division to increase sales with mainstream entry-luxury buyers. GM didn't get it then, but seems to now. The new 2006 Saab 9-3 SportCombi rectifies the error, even if it's really a station wagon with a rakish tailgate. As Saab's Manager of Corporate Communications, Jan-Willem Vester, told us, "The new SportCombi appeals to the hatchback Saab loyalists."

There's more news for the 2006 Saab 9-3 lineup than the addition of the SportCombi model. All 9-3s get body color door handles, which do more than you might imagine for making the car look upscale. Last year's confusing Arc and Linear trim levels vanish, combined into an unnamed standard model. Saab 9-3 Aero versions, the performance editions, get a fresh standard 17-inch wheel and tire combo, as well as a new 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.8-liter V6. Saab 9-3 Convertibles have standard leather upholstery for 2006, and the Premium Package on the 9-3 Sedan and SportCombi features genuine red walnut wood trim for the interior.

To learn more about the newest 9-3, the SportCombi, I drove one from the Anza Borrego desert just north of the California-Mexico border into downtown San Diego. I learned how to drive a manual transmission on a 1982 Saab 900 Turbo three-door, and my father is one of those wacky Saab loyalists. In fact, he purchased one of the first 2006 9-3 SportCombis to roll off a dealer lot in Phoenix in December of 2005. And while I haven't inherited the family gene that causes adoration for quirky Swedish automobiles, the 2006 Saab 9-3 SportCombi turns out to be the perfect antidote to the status quo.

Continue to 2006 Saab 9-3 SportCombi First Drive from MyRide.com

© 2008 Autobytel Inc. All rights reserved.

MORE ARTICLES:

Hurricane Katrina, A Personal View
A publication “Hurricane Katrina – A Personal View” shows what the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast came home to after the storm ravaged the region. A comprehensive collection of photographs depicts the aftermath of the storm throughout the Gulf Coast region.

Vino at the View - The Beginning: Wine Tasting with an Unbridled View of Las Vegas
View 215 presents its first ever, Seasonal Las Vegas wine tasting event, "Vino at the View - The Beginning".

Pensacola Lawyer Launches ‘Florida Hurricane Hotline™’ for 2006 Hurricane Season
Attorney Samuel Bearman has launched the Florida Hurricane Hotline™ to help answer people's questions on hurricane law, insurance and other hurricane-related questions. The toll free number is (800) 760-6065 and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Audissey Guides Presents iPod Walking Tours of New Orleans and Miami Beach
"The New Orleans Audissey" narrated by New Orleans poet/ street musician features hidden sites, French Quarter hot spots, and ambient recordings of the Big Easy. "The Miami Beach Audissey" narrated by Miami bikini model and bartender features sexy sites and salsa soundtrack. Insider audio tours also available in Boston, Chicago and Seattle for iPod/MP3 players.

Archdiocese of New Orleans Selects Harcourt's Learnia to Monitor Student Progress
Leading test publisher Harcourt Assessment, Inc., announced today that the Archdiocese of New Orleans has selected its Learnia product as an assessment solution for use in Orleans Parish elementary schools. Learnia, a classroom assessment tool for grades 3-8 examines student achievement through both formative and summative assessments and provides real-time, student-centric assessment data to make teaching -- and learning -- successful and rewarding. The Archdiocese will begin testing with Learnia this month.

LegalView Mesothelioma Blog Reports that Asbestos Exposure Slows Hurricane Katrina Cleanup in New Orleans Parish
Cleanup from Hurricane Katrina continues to be slow because of possible asbestos exposure. In a New Orleans parish, officials have determined to use a controlled burn rather than to demolish and move debris to a landfill, which could increase the potential for asbestos contamination.

Hurricane Season Easier to Weather with Launch of Generatorstore.com
New Internet site offers sales and delivery of popular Guardian and Generac emergency power generators to consumers and businesses nationwide.

Colorado Call Center Management Corporation Announces New Call Center Tracking Solutions and Scorecard Software
Colorado Call Center Management Corporation (CCCM), a call center and business efficiency consulting firm is announcing a New Scorecard Software that will increase the efficiency of your contact center and save you 10-20% in center labor costs.

June 2005: Weather Forecasts for Weather Traders
If Johannes Kepler, the renowned 17th century astronomer and discoverer of the planetary laws of motion, could speak from the heavenlies, he might have a few words of wisdom to share with the National Weather Service. Although Kepler's name is not normally associated with meteorology, he was quite the weather forecaster in his day.

July 2005: Hurricane Forecasts for Weather Traders
Tropical Storm Arlene formed as a tropical depression on June 8, 2005 near 83 West Longitude and 17 North Latitude. Although Dr.

New Orleans Hurricane Battle Zone for Virtual Reality Training
The City of New Orleans looks like a battlezone, we have bodies floating in the streets, snipers shooting at police and looters in gun stores. Although this Hurricane Katrina is a complete tragedy, you could have a better "Movie Set" for a great footage for Virtual Training Simulation.

Hurricane Katrina's Delicious Aftermath in New Orleans Wins an International Award
Author Amy Cyrex Sins has recently been honored with an international cookbook award from Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Post-Katrina, award-winning cookbook from the Big Easy gets International attention; features Cajun, Creole, and Louisiana home cooking; famous restaurant recipes; and stories of hope from those who love New Orleans while helping charity in the process.

Follow the Path to Literacy with Training from Parents as Teachers National Center
Interactive Training identifies the five stepping stones for children's overall development.

Results of Global-View.com Monthly Forex Tracking Survey
The results for the Global-View.com monthly forex sentiment survey conducted on December 3-5. The results show U.S. dollar sentiment deteriorated vs. the euro and jpy.

Dish Network Satellite Tv Brings A World Of Viewing Opportunities
Gone are the days when all you needed was a rabbit ear antenna to bring the most popular television stations into your home. Television has evolved from a pastime where viewers were content to watch whatever was on to an obsession where people feel addicted to particular shows and cannot go without seeing them.