The 2008 Saab 9-3 is the prettiest, sportiest Saab ever built. It offers a great combination of performance, comfort, and space, and real-world gas mileage that won't break the family piggybank. The 9-3 does business in a crowded part of the market, the $35,000 near-luxury segment, and it's a worthy competitor, with lots of built-in value and a long-standing reputation for active and passive safety.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Jim McCraw filed this report from Washington.