Welcome Wagon

by Marc Schulhof

Think back to chemistry class and you'll remember that an element is one of the building blocks of the physical world. Drive the 2007 Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi and you'll be hard-pressed to parse the elemental Saabiness of the experience. It could be the ignition lock positioned iconoclastically between the front seats, the turbocharged engine or the interior design. Whatever it is, it adds up to a compelling, sporty wagon.

As you'd expect, the 9-3 Aero comes standard with traction control, stability control and anti-lock brakes. It also comes standard with a nice suspension, great steering and just a hint of torque steer-the steering wheel's desire to pull to one side as you accelerate hard from a stop.

The torque steer springs from the abundance of power doing its thing on the front wheels. The 9-3 Aero's turbocharged 2.8-liter, six-cylinder engine produces 250 horsepower and a whole lot of forward motion with almost no lag between your right foot's push and the turbo's response. Because the accelerator is nicely weighted, there's no jerkiness when you pull away from the curb; power spools out rapidly for a brisk 0-to-60 run that lets you easily seize your moment in traffic.

A six-speed manual is standard, though you can order a six-speed automatic with a paddle-operated manual mode. The automatic delivers smooth, well-timed gear changes and downshifts quickly enough to keep the power on when you're ready to move. The manual mode is just OK, because unlike an Audi or Infiniti, you can't use the paddle shifters or gear selector to downshift while you're driving in full automatic mode; you must first put the gear lever into manual mode.

Inside, the redesigned cockpit is a nice evolution of the Saab 900 dashboards from as far back as the first model in 1986. There's no question that everything has been made more current-especially the beautiful leather and aluminum-trimmed steering wheel-but the basic design still shines through. That's a nice alternative to the relative sameness of so many other cars' interiors. Comfortable leather seats, plenty of leg room and excellent visibility round out the cabin's two rows of seats. And in back? There's enough cargo space (with the rear seats up, or folded 60-40) to make the SportCombi a great alternative to mid-size SUVs.

The 9-3's optional rain-sensing windshield wipers (which turn on and speed up as the rain gets harder) and moonroof (which opens and closes with one touch) are features that quickly will become your standard for How Things Should Work. Ditto for the optional key fob control that lets you open your windows and moonroof. The patterned rubber liners at the bottom of the various dashboard cubbies keep your little things (Razr, anyone?) from rolling around; one iPod-sized slot sits conveniently below the auxiliary stereo input jack and next to the power outlet.

For all its good points, some of the 9-3's miscues are hard to justify against its near-$40,000 fully optioned sticker price. The power door locks- loud clunk-clunk action, the rough plastic edge on the end of the blinker stalk, the soft-closing doors that need a good slam to latch? Nitpicks. But the driver's cramped foot well makes quick braking a dicey proposition; my right foot frequently scraped the underside of the brake pedal when I moved off the accelerator. And driving up a steep incline at a steady second-gear speed, the droning engine sound that filled the cabin made me yearn for some quiet.

Overall, though, the 9-3 Aero SportCombi is a worthy contender in its field for owners who are confident enough to drive such a subtle member of the luxury club. The 9-3 Aero starts at $34,445 with a hefty, but perhaps not entirely satisfying, list of standard features. You may want to add $1,350 for an automatic transmission, $2,145 for a navigation system, $550 for heated seats and $1,195 for the grab-bag touring package (including a parking assistance system that activates when the transmission is in reverse).

Three years of no-charge schedule maintenance comes standard, as does a compelling invitation: Buy a 9-3 Aero SportCombi, and Saab will foot the bill for a two-day visit to its driving school at Road Atlanta in Georgia. Airfare and hotel accommodations come out of your pocket, but what better way to learn how to drive your new car than to try threshold braking, autocross maneuvers and a skid pad from someone else's?