Saab 9-3 vs. Volvo S60
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Saab 9-3 and Volvo S60 contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Saab 9-3 and the Volvo S60.
When we compare the Saab 9-3's and the Volvo S60's specifications and ratings, the Saab 9-3 has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, and fuel efficiency and interior volume. The Volvo S60 has the advantage in the area of base engine power. Based on this comparison of the Saab 9-3's and the Volvo S60's specifications and ratings, the Saab 9-3 is a better car than the Volvo S60.
Pricing: A used 2011 Saab 9-3 ranges from $3,997 to $13,129 while a used 2011 Volvo S60 is priced between $6,296 to $12,795.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Saab 9-3’s base engine makes 210 horsepower, and the Volvo S60 base engine makes 300 horsepower. The 9-3 is rated to deliver an average of 24 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 508 miles. The S60 is rated to deliver an average of 21 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 463 miles. This gives the Saab 9-3 the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Volvo S60. Both models use gasoline.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Saab 9-3 has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front head room, front leg room, rear leg room, and cargo space. The Volvo S60 has the advantage in the areas of front shoulder room, rear head room and rear shoulder room.
Safety Ratings: The Volvo S60 has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$28,900
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
N/A
Category Starting MSRP Range:
N/A
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$37,700
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
$38,783
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
$29,610 - $55,900
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$8,341
Price Range:
$3,997 - $13,129
Category Avg Price:
N/A
Category Avg Price Range:
N/A
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
6
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
85,127
# Good or Great Deals:
0
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$9,053
Price Range:
$6,296 - $12,795
Category Avg Price:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
$13,284
Category Avg Price Range:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
$8,736 - $39,547
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
3
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
95,893
# Good or Great Deals:
2
Saab 9-3 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
Volvo S60 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.6 / 10
Reliability:
8.4 / 10
Retained Value:
7.4 / 10
Safety:
10.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Saab 9-3
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Volvo S60
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
2.8
Typical Category Recalls:
N/A
Category Range for Recalls:
N/A
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
6.8
Typical Category Recalls:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
5.8
Category Range for Recalls:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
1.1 - 51
Saab 9-3 Rankings
Not yet available
Volvo S60 Rankings
Ranking
1 out of / 36Ranking
7 out of / 36Ranking
8 out of / 36Ranking
8 out of / 32Ranking
9 out of / 32Ranking
13 out of / 36Ranking
14 out of / 36Ranking
25 out of / 36Ranking
25 out of / 36Ranking
28 out of / 36Ranking
33 out of / 36Available Body Styles
Convertible, Sedan, Wagon
Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Saab 9-3 Trim Levels
Not yet available
Volvo S60 Trim Levels
T6
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
210 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque:
221 foot-lbs @ 2500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.062 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
300 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque:
325 foot-lbs @ 2100 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.077 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD / AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
21 / 31 / 24
Range (city/hwy):
344 / 508 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
3 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
6
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
18 / 26 / 21
Range (city/hwy):
320 / 463 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Parking Sensors:
Available
Roadside assistance:
Available
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Keyless Ignition:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Voice Recognition:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Bench Seats:
N/A
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Parking Sensors:
Available
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Satellite radio:
Standard
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Massage Seats:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
Standard
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Voice Recognition:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.9 inches
Front Leg Room:
42.3 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
56.3 inches
Rear Head Room:
37 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.1 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
55.1 inches
Cargo Space:
15 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
93.4 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.3 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.9 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
57 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.4 inches
Rear Leg Room:
33.5 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
55.2 inches
Cargo Space:
12 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
92.0 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3395 lbs
Width:
70.9 inches
Height:
57.1 inches
Length:
182.9 inches
Wheelbase:
105.3 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3901 lbs
Width:
73.4 inches
Height:
58.4 inches
Length:
182.2 inches
Wheelbase:
109.3 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 x 6.5 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
P215/55R16
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
18.0 x 8.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
P235/40R18
Exterior Colors
Black
Black / Jet Black Metallic
Blue
Nocturne Blue Metallic
Brown
Java Metallic
Gray
Carbon Gray Metallic
Red
Laser Red
Silver
Diamond Silver Metallic
White
Arctic White
Orange
Not available
Exterior Colors
Black
Ember Black Metallic / Solid Black
Blue
Caspian Blue Metallic
Brown
Not available
Gray
Not available
Red
Flamenco Red Metallic
Silver
Electric Silver Metallic
White
Ice White
Orange
Vibrant Copper Metallic
Interior Colors
Black
Black
Brown
Parchment
Beige
Not available
Interior Colors
Black
Off Black with Anthracite Black / Off Black with Beechwood Brown
Brown
Not available
Beige
Soft Beige with Off Black / Soft Beige with Sandstone Beige
