which is a great little car, but always feels less buttoned-down than its competitors from Germany. Having never driven a 9-5, I expected another rendition of the Volvo S80 with a Saab face. Boy was I wrong. Everything about the 9-5 deserves a high-five!
Like the recent Aero X Concept Car, the 9-5 wears Saab’s new swept face with wrap-around headlamps, chrome-ringed grille opening, revised rear lamps, and body color side moldings and door handles. The sedan’s upright rear roofline and high decklid remain, but appear softer with their new body trimmings. Updated 17-inch wheels and tires give the car a sense of energy it didn’t have before.
Slide into the comfy and supportive leather buckets, turn the key between the seats, and you’ll get a REAL sense of energy. All 9-5 models are powered by a 2.3-litre turbo four-cylinder engine that unspools 260 horsepower (up 10 HP) and 258 lb.-ft. of torque - seemingly at whatever speed you want it. Drivers can choose either a five-speed manual transmission or a sport shift automatic. For everyday use, the automatic works best. Fuel economy is a fantastically pleasant 19/28 mpg city/highway.
You really have to drive the 9-5 to appreciate it. How so much power is coaxed out of such a little hunk of turbocharged aluminum is beyond me. There is no turbo lag, there is no hesitation, and there is no half-hearted attempt at legitimate performance. Step on the accelerator and the 9-5 smoothly ushers itself away. Front-driven wheels can fall to a little torque steer, but nothing too scary. Never does the stiff suspension feel chattery over bumps. As in some of my favorite touring sedans, drivers get a feeling of profound heft that is always reassuring.
Save for the center ignition switch, the 9-5’s interior is considerably less, um, unique than before. Sure, Saab’s traditional sweeping drivercentric dash design with organ stop air vents remains. Green-lit gauges are easy to read, power-operated sweet-smelling leather seats are supportive and safe with their active headrests, seating positions are high, and luxury features like automatic dual zone climate control and a concert quality sound system remain. Still, subtle aluminum detailing on the radio controls, the addition of GM’s “black tie” radio face, XM Satellite Radio, an available navigation system, and in-dash six-disc changer were welcome modernizations of a familiar theme. Light beige seats hovering in a sea of black carpet and dash panels were trey-Swede in design. The leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel is one of the best in any car – regardless of price or prestige.
Saab has a well-earned reputation for safety and the 9-5 continues this practice as well. Dual front, side, and side curtain airbags are state of the art. A very sturdy safety cage body frame and specifically contoured seats protect passengers in the most severe accidents. Nothing is left to chance.
The thoroughly re-vamped 9-5 is the Saab for Saabophiles and sport sedan lovers alike. Forget all of the other Saabs that have fallen heavily under General Motors’ influence because the 9-5 bows to no corporate giant. It is pure Saab through and through and at least in this case, GM has built a better Saab. And for that, it deserves a high-five. If you must consider others, check out the Volvo S80, Cadillac CTS, Lexus ES350, Lincoln Zephyr, or Chrysler 300C. You might also consider the 9-5 SportCombi wagon. Prices begin just under $35,000.
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