Saab's aging 9-3 offers some thrills

I recently tested both a 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero convertible and the limited-edition 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X SportCombi wagon with all-wheel drive.

Saab's 9-3 isn't the most radical-looking sedan on the market. In fact, besides Volvo, there aren't many sedans so generic-looking. Most manufacturers today are leaning toward very bold, distinctive designs, leaving Saab somewhat at a disadvantage. The automaker did make a few changes in 2008, giving its 9-3 family a new grille, headlights, and front bumper, along with a revised rear bumper and taillights.

The new grille adds some visual seasoning to an otherwise bland front end, and the black-rimmed taillights do the talking around back. When painted certain colors, like white and yellow, the taillights are especially striking, but not necessarily in a good way.

Overall, the sedan, wagon, and convertible are all relatively handsome on their own. The convertible received the most positive remarks during my testing, but it sure didn't elicit any head-turns from passersby.

Because the Saab is an aging model, the interior appears more dated than the competition's. In some ways I thought the interior felt cheap, especially the fit and finish along the dashboard, where major panels meet the top of the dash. You could feel a very rough cut of plastic there.

The switch that controls the convertible top's operation moved the entire plastic panel surrounding it, and on the steering wheel large gaps showed the wires running to the buttons mounted on either side. All of these faults detracted from an otherwise well-styled interior.