Saab 9-5 Aero: 5 years, 100K miles later

[mgescuro]

Well, I was planning on having this car for a while, when I decided to purchase the 9-5 Aero back in May 2000. I knew Saab ran very well, and they had a history of longevity. My main concern was the fact that I'm not the most "easy going" driver out there. I tend to give my cars a good run everytime I'm on the road. essentially, I need a car to be bulletproof.

Also, being at the the height of the Dot-Com boom, I decided to do a real upgrade from my previous car -- 1991 Saturn SL2 -- an extrememly bulletproof car. It was either the 9-5 or the A6. The Audis were a novelty at the time. They were just really coming into their own with the A4 and A6, but I had an issue with the interior ergonomics and the fact that it wasn't a GM car, so I settled on the Saab... and I haven't been happier.

The car... in every aspect... has exceeded my expecations. I didn't expect the car to be so extremely well-built. I didn't expect Saab service to be the equivalent of Saturn. I didn't expect a car that was really built to run at high speeds. In the back of my mind, I knew Saabs had a history of speed and performance.... but one just "doesn't get it" until you're behind the wheel of one of these machines and hauling a** at 149 mph... completely stable. It's truly exhilarating.

Having a Saab over the years, I've also endured some light ridicule from some of my buddies, who have gone on to get their Audis, Mercedes, or Jaguars. All beautiful. All high-tech machines. All have spent more time in the shop in 1 year than the trusty Saab has in 5. And it simply costs more to maintain. I mean... $135 for an A4 oil change?? And they don't even wash the car??? I pay $40 for a Saab dealer oil change, and they do a 25 point inspection and wash the car... while I wait. And me being a guy.. and all my buddies being guys... we like fast cars. Yeah... most of their cars are faster off the line and 0-80.... but past that... they are lookin at my taillights... much to the chagrin of my buddy in his S-Type 4.0. But now the Jag is gone.. and he has a 545i Sport. First thing out of this mouth... "Wanna race?" I know when I'm licked. I'm not stupid. I tell him to get back to me when I have an STS-V.

Driving to and from in the Silicon Valley, I get many approving nods from fellow Saab owners driving along. I've chatted with a few people at the pump wanting to know more about the car. So, all in all, it turns the heads, and there aren't that many around... so it tends to stand out in a sea of BMWs and Mercs and Audis.... much like those ridiculous saab commercials airing now.

People always ask... what kind of problems have you had?? Well, I've had exactly 3 major problems with the car that necessitated a tow to the dealership...
1) Dead battery (out in the middle of nowhere, where I didn't ahve a cell phone signal.. and Saab Roadside Assistance was SOOOO helpful... I can't even begin to describe it. They were wonderful.)
2) Direct Ignition Cassette blew out at 80K miles... they're supposed to last till about 100K. That was a bit of a pain.
3) Traction Control throttlebody went out. Meaning.. the TCS system was constantly on... cutting fuel to the engine... and therefore stalling the car. That was a 2 day job and fairly expensive. But they loaned me a car at no charge... so I spent 2 days in one of the new 9-5 Linear with the 220HP and paddle shifts. VERY nice.

Other than normal wear and tear on the tires, brakes, and other engine pieces... that's it for 5 years with the car. Oh.. and because the aero sits 1" lower than the other 9-5s.... the front spoiler sits lower to the ground. Meaning those dips in the ground and the cement blocks in parking lots tend to scrap the front A LOT. Unfortunately.. it also knocks the foglights loose. That's a design problem that they fixed in 2002 with the new projector beams. but it's annoying, and fog lights aren't cheap to replace either. And the SID went out. I lived with it for a while, but I slowly started losing more and more digits.. and I broke down and had it fixed. Those suckers ain't cheap.

So... this past week, I crossed the 100K barrier... and the car is running strong. The worst mileage I've gotten was 17mpg. The best mileage I've gotten was 32mpg. I usually average around 24mpg. The car still runs with the best of them. Its looks have held up. And it's truly one awesome car.

If GM doesn't ruin the next-gen 9-5.... I will be more than happy to trade this one in for another. Would someone want an 8-9 yr old 9-5 at 150K miles? Maybe. Then again... I might just keep it... cause if it's running like it is 5 years from now... this car will run forever.

[1BadPig]

Nice write-up. I had a cousin from SF area say "You're the only guy I know who drives a Saab!" I love mine because it is peppy (there are faster cars out there) and economical (24 mpg in mixed driving). However, I haven't decided on keeping my 9³ Linear after my 3-yr lease is up... yet. The residual is higher because I got it before all the employee pricing deals (although I used my father-in-law's GMS pricing so I've got the best of both worlds) anbd I'm sure the resales has gone down so I will probably get a killer deal to keep it. I am of the same mind... if the general doesn't mess with Saab too much and the design effort doesn't drift towards the 9-5 spy shots, then I definite see another Saab in my future fleet.

[jro4566]

The 9-5 was a great car when it first came out, plus it was an innovator. I remember when I had my 960. Some friends of mine saved money to buy an Audi A4 1.8T or a C280, yet both costs more to purchase and service. To this day, the 960 still runs although its in New Jersey with my father.

Glad to see your Saab is still running!

[Ming]

Sounds like it was a good buy all around. I hope Saab can maintain its satisfied customer base with its evolving and different flavor of product lineup.

[desmo9]

Where the 900/9-3 was always Saab's quirk-mobile, the 9000/9-5 is the "other side of Saab" ... sort of aviation-inspired. If GM's insistent on taking Saab to the masses, I hope they retain this unique theme. Although, a quirky car in the lineup is still welcome. I suppose the 9000 is somewhat quirky in its own right, but not in the same "tweedy college professor" sort of way.

I am curious, however ... why did you choose a 9-5 Aero over, say, a 9-3 Viggen 4-door? Wanted more space?

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by desmo9

Where the 900/9-3 was always Saab's quirk-mobile, the 9000/9-5 is the "other side of Saab" ... sort of aviation-inspired. If GM's insistent on taking Saab to the masses, I hope they retain this unique theme. Although, a quirky car in the lineup is still welcome. I suppose the 9000 is somewhat quirky in its own right, but not in the same "tweedy college professor" sort of way.

I am curious, however ... why did you choose a 9-5 Aero over, say, a 9-3 Viggen 4-door? Wanted more space?

Well, I've always viewed the 9000/9-5 as the less quirky Saab. It's a little more conservative, while still retaining some oddities and clever engineering. So, I feel if Saab's future cars are like the 9-5's of the past, I think Saab can finally regain some footing. I think that's where 9-3 is right now. It's evolved into a sophisticated near-luxury sedan, but still has the aviation inspired interior and "Saab quirks."

I wanted a larger car... and I wasn't a big fan of the 9-3's look. THough, I did take a look at the Viggens.

Speaking about space.... I was able to fit a 7 foot tied up Xmas tree through the trunk... through the folded down rear seats... and slightly into the front passenger area. ANd close the trunk. Now that's space.

[goblue]

We're really considering a 9-3 Vert, and now that the 2.8L Turbo has arrived...
Though - it may not be necessary, drove the 9-3 with the 210hp turbo, and after a split second, the thing takes off. Much less turbo lag than say a subaru.

Another thought - the 9-3 is an extremely safe car. Also, in SF - do I really want to be another wannabe with a 330? Plus, the front end is one of my favorites out of just about any car.

[IAMCANADIAN]

that makes me glad that my mom bought the 9-5, she's planning to keep it for 3-5 years and hearing from a 9-5 owner on reliability and service is really helpful, mind you we've had good experiences with the service department when she had the Saturn and Saab 9-3.

[giagastormer]

Awesome review. How about some pictures?

[monzav8]

I too have a 9-5 Aero. 60k miles as of this week, with very few problems (all handled by my excellent SAAB dealer under warranty).

Eventhough this is an "old" platform by the markets standards, it is still a contender. Tight handling, nice ride, and all sorts of neat little engineered bits hidden all over the car make this a better deal than many of its competitors. Thats not to say that it shouldnt get a major makeover, but I dont think that any others can claim that they are still competitive 7 years after introduction.

The engine?...all I can say is *excellent*. The juicy 250hp/258ftLb 2.3L H.O. Turbo puts many other V-6s and V-8s to shame (including the highly touted 270hp V6 in the TL which falls short in the torque department). The torque curve is so fat and wide. There is always power available. I just wish we had an "Autobahn" so that I could enjoy the over 70mph action more. This one time (on an undisclosed roadway) I was running along side this punk in an Integra "R" something, and put my foot into it, I look down at the speedo and all the sudden Im doing 130 and it is still pulling hard. I couldnt believe how smooth it was at that speed (while the punk was looking at my tailights). Freinds still cant believe that I have "just a 4-cyl" under the hood...

Whats in the future of my sport sedan? Performance bits. Not a lot of coin can make this a real beast. 3" down tube, manual boost controller, upgraded intake piping can make the turbo spool up near instantly. An upgraded computer (although expensive) can really get things cooking. 300hp with stock internals? No problem...

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by monzav8

This one time (on an undisclosed roadway) I was running along side this punk in an Integra "R" something, and put my foot into it, I look down at the speedo and all the sudden Im doing 130 and it is still pulling hard. I couldnt believe how smooth it was at that speed (while the punk was looking at my tailights). Freinds still cant believe that I have "just a 4-cyl" under the hood...

Wonderful!!! I have a story like that... except instead of an Integra R.... it was an S-Type 4.0. A much bigger dog. My buddy is still pissed about it too. So, once he got his 545i Sport, the first thing he said to me was "wanna race?" I know my car's limits. HAHA... though, I wonder if the new 9-5 at 260 HP would give the 545i (now 550i) a good run for its money.

Whats in the future of my sport sedan? Performance bits. Not a lot of coin can make this a real beast. 3" down tube, manual boost controller, upgraded intake piping can make the turbo spool up near instantly. An upgraded computer (although expensive) can really get things cooking. 300hp with stock internals? No problem...

If yo'ure in Europe... there's always the Hirsch Performance options.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by giagastormer

Awesome review. How about some pictures?

And

[griswold44]

What happend to your Mercedes?

[IAMCANADIAN]

I like your 9-5, we've been so satisifed with ours. The Sport mode with the auto transmission really gives it some extra grunt, those tires just squeal like mad lol.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by griswold44

What happend to your Mercedes?

I didn't feel like pulling it out of the garage just for the picture.