The steering is a little light, but not enough to detract from the fun-to-drive factor. Passive rear-wheel steering architecture in the rear suspension design keeps the rear tires dutifully following the front tires in quick lane changes and through rapid transitions when driving quickly on twisting roads. Directional stability is good over almost all road surfaces, even when equipped with the wider tires.

The ride is smooth. And it's quiet, with little road noise or wind noise invading the cabin.

Even the convertible is quiet, when the top is up. When the top is down, conversing with the person beside you can be done without shouting, even at extra-legal highway speeds. The rake of the windshield and a removable wind-block behind the front seats combine to reduce buffeting. Rear quarter vision is impeded by the broad expanse of fabric top that occupies the space normally filled by the sedan's much-slimmer C-pillar.

All in all, the Saab 9-3 is a car with no real quirks or foibles.

One area in which the 9-3 excels is its suppression of torque steer, a disconcerting trait afflicting many front-wheel-drive cars where the steering wheel tugs at the driver's hands under hard acceleration or resists corrections in the midst of a corner. (To many drivers this is not a concern, and some say it adds excitement.) Saab engineers worked hard to eliminate it in this latest-generation 9-3, and it appears they were largely successful. A modicum of tugging and some resistance is apparent while accelerating over uneven pavement or out of a tight corner, but it isn't an issue.

With the high-output turbocharger's 210 horsepower, the 9-3 has all the punch it needs, and can use, in today's driving environment. Torque, too, is more than adequate for those urgent passes on two-lane roads and for getting up to merge speed on highway onramps.

The sedan offers the best performance and handling, with the Aero at the front of the grid. The several hundred additional pounds in platform stiffening and occupant protection the convertible carries over the sedan is evident when the two are driven back-to-back, but it's an acceptable price to pay for the joys of top-down driving.

If you like doing your own shifting, go with the manual transmissions. The longish clutch throw takes some getting used to and the six-speed in the Aero feels a little rubbery, but you'll save yourself more than a thousand dollars and have much more fun.

Saab has mastered turbocharger technology so well that most people may not even realize the engine is turbocharged because there is very little turbo lag and there's no boost gauge to give the game away.