Quiet! Seriously quiet. I can't hear it in the cabin...windows open or closed. I here the open air intake (glorious). I hear the added mechanical noise transmitted by the sport mounts (nice surprise). But there's no roar. This is my third 9-3, but my first California emissions t-7 car. This lacks the quiet snarl of the Saabsport. With the extra cat it's at least as quiet as stock other than a subtle, smooth Saab growl. I'm all for stealth, but, I need a little fury to go with the fast. In rural Maine we have no emissions check. I was hesitant to go full cat-delete when it's down-pipe time. Problem solved.
Other tidbits; I have 2 miles of relatively smooth dirt road between me and the pavement. A glove doesn't rattle, this does. However, only on my dirt road. The tip fits snugly to the bumper, and the resonator is formidable and therefore tight to the heat shield. A bit of finessing with a section of pipe, and the hangars could certainly be repositioned to solve the problem. I like the high, and tight installation, though. I'll live with the mild rattle.
Fit the pipes together before installing, Remove the manufacturing lube (a bit sticky) with some rubbing alcohol first, then bottom the slip fittings out with a rubber mallot. The were tough to get snug under the car straight out of the box. Much easier after.
Verdict: too quiet, nice part. At 3-5k a year this ought to last forever.
Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]