Saab 9-1 to take on BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 & Volvo C30

cool citycar but it'll never be a real saab!

Not bad looking... but I'll take an A3.

9-1, good idea. Whats in this picture, bad idea. Keep working on it. Make it a 3 door also. That car is not gonna steal sales from any one, only diehard saab fans. This is coming from a saab fan. Looks to crossover from the back.

I'll take an S3

Nah... just get a $30K well-equipped A3 2.0T with DSG, and tune it to 300+ hp.

You have to really want the quattro to get an S3, and the snob appeal.

You could also just re-badge an A3. Nobody would notice.

Well overhere you can get the 2.0T with quattro, it wouldn't be wise to tune it to 300hp with a DSG though. There is a reason why you can't get the S3 with a DSG.

GM better get rid of the fwd if they want to see Saab really compete. Anything but a fwd, please...

Agree with will. I'd rather have the A3 2.0T Quattro, then get a $500 software chip. I wish it wasn't the Haldex system though...

Your name is "A4ORCE" (I assume you own an A4), and you think FWD is uncompetitive? Audi has FWD on the A3, A4, TT and A6 here.

As a personal preference, I view all non Quattro Audis as red headed step children of Audis. Getting an Audi without Quattro is like getting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the jelly (or peanut butter). I also like the Torsen system over the Haldex. Again, personal preferences...

That said, if you've driven a Saab before, you know you're jerking around with the steering wheel under acceleration. Really unremarkable vehicles, with remarkable understeer, and this is on regular roads; sadly, a product of GM's accountants' creations. As you mentioned, mclaren, yeah, those are all fwd vehicles competing with this car, so why not make this one a rwd or awd and have an edge? Just because they're competing, they don't have to be the same, and at the same time, they might as well make it drive better than previous Saabs.

BTW, I like the Brera myself, but I'll take the one with awd. ;)

"As a personal preference, I view all non Quattro Audis as red headed step children of Audis. Getting an Audi without Quattro is like getting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the jelly (or peanut butter)."

Wrong. I own an S4 Cabriolet, WITH quattro, of course. I didn't want to scratch it up in the winter...

...so I bought an A3 2.0T, FWD(!), for the winter months. Honestly, I enjoy driving both very much. Of course- the S4 Cabriolet is quick/fast, luxurious, has great handling, a nice firm ride, is beautiful inside and out, and the exhaust note is addictive.

But, almost all of those things are A3 traits, also. It's the second fastest car I've ever owned- right behind the S4. Faster than the 250hp A6 I had before. And that's all thanks to the fabulous DSG transmission. It's also extremely nimble- especially in the dry; you can definitely tell it's a much lighter car than the S4. The interior is very comfortable, and the exterior, with its slight (non S-Line but a factory kit) bodykit, is stylish and aggressive. On the everyday-ness of the car, the trunk swallows anything my wife's RX can, it gets mid-20mpg's on a daily basis (driving in Sport Mode part of the time), and the little car has been trouble-free.

Every Audi has its virtues.

Uh, S4, what part of "as a personal preference" did you not understand? It's good you enjoy your fwd A3, and you're entitled to your liking of your fwd Audi, which I think is wrong, but I'd never tell you that because it's your own preference, just like it is mine to treat fwd Audis as red headed step children. So, please don't try and tell me what opinion of mine is right or wrong.

Give me the facelifted 1er anyday ;)

^Wrong.