Aussie 9-5 BioPower review
Australian Car Advice writer, Alborz, recently sent me a heads-up via Facebook about their latest review - the 2008 Saab 9-5.
Finally, I’ve found a use for Facebook! But I digress….
In the note, he was almost apologetic about the fact they felt the need to criticise the 9-5 as they did. Actually, I think they were pretty fair over all. There’s a fair bit of criticism there and some of it is a little bit of vocab for vocab’s sake (just what does agriculturally large mean?) but there’s praise where praise is due (the engine - yes!) and the crits won’t come as a huge surprise to many.
It finishes as follows:
While it may sound like I dislike the car, it’s more that I think the 9-5 is out of touch, irrelevant to the premium market sector in both price and appointment, and is in dire need of being taken back to the drawing board. Given Saab and GM’s combined talent, and their clear ability to tune an engine for our changing environmental needs, the 9-5 could be a great product, but sadly this one has had its day.
The 9-5 is undoubtedly a die-hard car now. I still love it and every time I drive one I’m reminded of how good they made this car way-back-when.
Of course, there’s two issues there - 1) I love it like a guy who’s test driving it, not a guy who’s considering having to fork out A$60,000+ to buy it, and 2) and it’s not why-back-when anymore. It’s 2008.
Which is why we’re FINALLY getting a new one next year.
——
Before anyone points it out: There’s actually two reviews at the link - one of the wagon and one of the sedan. Both BioPower. Our second reviewer misses the emissions point a little, but I’ll deal with that on his site rather than here.
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The 9-5 is a bit of an easy target for reviewers. I own one but I didn’t buy it new and to be honest it is hard to justify spending the new car price for a 9-5. I’d probably buy a 9-3 instead.
But perhaps if SAAB had given them the Aero it might have been a different review. Even TTAC found some things to like in the 9-5 Aero and I think the extra power and sharpened handling would have gone down well.
Reading the review, whilst in part there is some truth but can’t agree its all true. Personally I think the shape has aged well, in fact the BMW does have some styling cues which resemble the 9-5 in some angles such as the raked the front and more sport look its predecessor. Whilst the 9-5 has been due for a face lift, long due maybe it not entirely true. The S-type which was released a year after the 9-5 has just released its new XF, and that is still based on the old s-type chasiss; and lets not forget the brand has been brought by mass cheap car maker TATA. As a brand consultant, there is not many companies who can pull off buying a premium brand when they have inferior and low cost brands. GM is an example of its handling of the Saab brand; yet GM can be regarded as more premium brand than TATA.
I also agreed with Cdp88’s comment, had this car been an Aero it may have been a different story.
Bought a 9-5 Estate new in 2004, for a little less than an BMW 520i or Audi A6 cost, and although those have gotten better reviews, I’m glad I don’t have a german in my garage. But today, I wouldn’t have bought a 9-5 new, it’s just simply too old.
One thing I noticed from the comments-field in those reviews is that people complain about the poor resale values Saabs have in Australia. Here in Norway, they hold their value pretty well. LeasePlan, a company leasing out cars said the 9-5 Estate was the car in its category which kept it’s value the best, although this was two years ago or so.
The second reviewer got me pretty annoyed, he didn’t seem to know what he was talking about, especially when it came to the emmision figures etc.
I really don’t understand why people complain about the 9-5’s age. I mean, every other Saab in history was about 10 years old before replacement (9000 anyone…). Its just a Saab thing. We should embrace it.
Besides the Car has gone through 2 facelifts already, a mild one in 2002 and a (only 3 years old) and another one 4 yrs later, in ‘06. In person, it really does look new and “fresh”. More years in production= less problems. Just ask VW. XD