The inside of the 9-5 feels a bit old. There are no odd odors and it appears to never have been smoked in. The driver's seat is cockpit-like, with instrumentation across the front and down the center console. Searches are carried out in real-time, and from the main page you can easily browse most car makes currently available. But not everybody wants the latest in fashion. Thanks to the turbo and an efficient engine design, Saab was able to squeeze a lot of power out of a relatively small, 2.
The Saab 9-5 is an aging design, but still a damn nice car to drive. We think it looks perfectly nice despite that. But, if you're looking for a car that's comfortable, fun to drive, very safe, and a little different, it's well worth checking out. And, sadly, that may be just what Saab needs these days to stick out from the crowd see Beetle, Miata, Mini. It may not be a reason to buy the car, but it's an added plus if you're at the age where you have to hold a menu at arms length before deciding what to have for dinner. There are a number of fly-by-night operators in the aftermarket warranty business. It does not run hot and the air conditioning blows cold.
The 9-5 Aero has Saab's electronic stability program, which constantly measures the difference between the steering wheel input and where the car is actually going. It was introduced back in 1986, when Ronald Reagan was still selling arms to the Contras, sending money to Iran, and forgetting he'd done it. But this is a particularly nice feature for long highway trips taken after dark because everything in the car goes away except for the speedometer. Moreover, you can execute searches by location and by vehicle type. It's got an excellent feel for the road, plenty of comfort, a great safety record, and a relatively economical four-cylinder turbo-charged engine. But that creates a feeling of being protected. Of course, in almost all cars these days the intensity of the dash illumination can be adjusted.
Saabs are expensive to repair. But there's no doubt that this is a comfortable, even luxurious interior, with great seats and a good driving position. The car feels solid, heavy, and stuck to the road. And when necessary, the program activates individual brakes to prevent the car from spinning or rolling out of control. After all, the darker it is inside, the easier it is to see outside.
On the downside, it's expensive to buy, expensive to fix, and the interior is getting slightly out of date. The 9-5 is a nice looking car. This is a car that's getting pretty old. The turbo lag is much better than it used to be, but when the turbo kicks in at, oh, around 2500 rpm, you'd better have your headrest adjusted. The 9-5 also creates a lot of interior room for its size. We liked all the gauges, which were large enough so that those of us who require reading glasses won't have to put on bifocals to drive.
We tested the four-door 9-5 sedan in Aero trim. The dashboard comes close to the driver. And, at least it's more stylish than a Camry granted, that's not saying much. The result is an excellent balance of comfort and sportiness-not to mention control and safety. Otherwise, we thought everything else was well situated in the car. The engine is strong, the transmission shifts perfectly, the suspension is smooth and quiet, everything works and the car drives straight down the road. It's lost some of the quirkiness that defined Saab for a long time.
The only major downside was that the armrest for the front-seat passengers intruded into the legroom for the rear, middle passenger. The 9-5 is an expensive car-to buy and to maintain. Its record has not been exemplary, and this car is not likely to be an exception. The leather interior is in fantastic condition. More recently designed cars feel airier, and are often ergonomically sleeker. It's tuned to perform well at real world speeds.
Unlike some other European cars, the Saab is not tuned to impress at 110 mph. It is apparent that the prior owner took exceptional care of it. And you don't just feel safe in this car-you are safe. The car does not show signs of abuse. It's also quiet, and-like its Saab predecessors - rides and handles very nicely, especially at the speeds which most people actually drive cars. There's a vent that's right in the console between the seats, which is pretty good for the person sitting in the middle of the back seat, but it doesn't make a lot of air available to passengers sitting to either side.
Despite the fact that there are many, initially indistinguishable small buttons on the console, the radio and heat controls were easy to figure out. There are also a few minor door dings. But that doesn't mean you won't pay relatively dearly for them. So more thought was given to maximizing interior room and trunk space than how to make the car look racier. There have been some paint touch ups made on the rear bumper. It was refreshing for certain members of our staff to be able to sit behind the wheel, look at a dashboard and be able to read everything without having to use glasses-even in the evening, or other conditions when the light is poor.
The interior is very nice with the exception of some minor normal wear. The mileage currently stands at 141,135, but could this change slightly due t. Then, there's a feeling of safety and security you get from a car that's easy to drive, and confidently does what you expect it to do. The Aero has more than enough room in the back, where there's plenty of legroom. Looking under the hood, normal maintenance looks like it shouldn't be too difficult. Tune-ups, belt changes and checking the oil all should be pretty straightforward. The front-wheel-drive 9-5 Aero has all the comfort one has come to expect from Saab.