Saab 9-5: There’s life in the old dog yet - by Lance Cole
I’m pleased to host another article by Lance Cole in this last week of service here at Trollhattan Saab.
Lance, as many of you will know, is a UK based journalist and writer, and the author of Saab 99 and 900: The Complete Story.
Today he’s writing about a model that’s very close to my heart - the Saab 9-5. It’s a model that gets a lot of flack, but has never failed to bring a smile to my face with some great performance and some of the best seats in the business.
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Life in the old dog yet…..Or fine wine and a long finish…
Lance Cole on the approaching sunset days of Saab’s still-brilliant 9-5 range.
…
Some say that when Saab stopped making the classic, boat tailed, beetle browed, original model 900, Saab died with it.
Those people have the right to their opinion but neither I, nor Saab, happen to agree with them. They are wrong. And as a former 900 Classic owner - one who would take a 900 classic hatch to my desert island -just to stare at it, please don’t tell me I am not a Saabist for believing in life after that first 900.
So, Saab lived on - albeit the New Generation 900 was not totally on target first time out, it soon became the 9-3 and that was spot on as a Saab and had the spirit of Saab within it. And then there was the 9000 - again a Saab that was revised and grew into a great car of great character. Ok, so it was a Saab-Fiat hybrid type cousin of a car, but it was a superb tool.
Then came the 9-5 - and the whingers whinged once again - for it shared parts with a Vauxhall/Opel car. But history has shown that the 9-5 was a better than brilliant Saab: It remains so.
Yes, there were some early quality glitches which disappointed me, you, and some other people - glitches that really should not have been there. But all these years on, the 9-5 soldiers on beside newer equipment.
The current fashion for 9-5 knocking is partly based on age rather than ability, although we should admit that some things have moved on….
The media and in consequence, some of their readers, have become conditioned into knocking the 9-5. And alongside the new Opels, the new Audis’ even the new Volvos, the Saab 9-5 is indeed an old stager. And I love it.
The clamshell bonnet, the roof turret, the swept rear end, it’s all aero style Saab stuff and it is all a unique down-the-road-graphic in design terms.
The cabin design has that rare thing - a sense of occasion, which is what we are told supercars deliver. This is premium class travel, open the door and you know you have been upgraded from the norm. Think, front of the plane, on Lufthansa, American Airlines or Qantas. This is cocoon land.
I guess I think of the current 9-5 as a 40-something year old brunette (or hazel blonde if I have to): The first proper lines are showing, things maybe beginning to slip slightly, and the handling is sometimes affected by the ravages of time - but (and it’s a huge but (butt?)), put her in lightly applied make up, remove the spectacles, choose the right colour for the silk dress attire, and you have a very classy lady.
And yes, the 9-5 needs charming and caressing to deliver of her best. But a bit like a really good red wine, it’s all about time to breathe and the right temperature (65-68 degrees for the wine), which makes all the difference. So think of winemaker J. Lohr’s Paso Robles red wine, Ravenswood vineyard old vines Zinfandel or an Australian Wolf Blass reserve red that is not over oaked - or a single estate, property bottled, Australian or French red - and you have the 9-5 in a bottle: Class, with a long finish.
Do you remember Swade’s recent post about how Saab UK are selling off new 9-5 wagons loaded with kit for under £20,000? And I asked if even the value for money could tempt you over a V70 new model or a 93 wagon -or an Audi?
Who would buy a decade old car design instead of something new model made?
The answer is, that the 9-5 a decade on, still ranks as safe as safe can be, still has the best seats ever, in any car. The styling, the wheels, the trims, the colours, the superb range of accessories - all rate. Surely the 9-5 still has that special, reserve blend that says, SAAB.
Ok, the handling can get scrabbly, the plastics in the cabin could be better, and the residual values are not good. But I can think of some 2008 design cars that qualify for those demerits too.
But this car is a whole product - do not take it apart by its less than good parts. See it has a whole. See it as what Saabs once were to many - a long term investment - part of the family. An amalgm of good, solid engineering and design.
Elegant understatement - that’s what the 9-5 is - especially as a wagon. It is class. This is not a Chav car - not a lottery winners flash in the pan.
Imagine a new 9-5 wagon in a nice metallic hue such as blue-grey, or a taupe-silver perhaps? Or even devil’s bread van black? Stick on some of those Saab alloys - alloy wheel design from Saab ranking up there as the best in the world along with Audi interiors, in my view.
On my new 9-5 Turbo wagon test drive, I snuggled down into that brilliant cockpit, tilted the front of the seat up (a must have option), lowered the steering wheel and pulled it back towards me, and launched the Aero badged thing into V1 and climb out; 250bhp and petrol power still works for me.
The gearbox is neither bad nor brilliant, but the effects of stirring the shift are welcome.
There was some roll on the bends that a newer car would avoid, but would a newer car have that balance between damping and spring rate that the 9-5 delivers? I doubt it, and good as Audis are, their ride on anything other than smooth motorway tarmac, is too firm, too jiggly: Avoid Audi’s S-line sport pack if you wish to keep your fillings in place and make sure you don’t do the same thing to a Saab with aftermarket fettling/fiddling.
Yes the 9-5 understeers, yes there is some torque steer, but only if you thrash it. It still handles, it can still swoop through Z bends with no threat of switching ends via the scenery. It remains a supreme long distance cruiser too. Just watch out for the big wheel/low profile tyre combos - in the case of long term ownership, ultimately compromising in my view.
9-5 essentials inlcude, a ‘yes’ for the Hirsch satin front trim kit, tick for the rear wing, two tone leather sports seats, carbon fibre dash trim, the full Aero cabin, and argue amongst yourselves over diesel or petrol power. What of strut braces, power chips and lowered suspension, I hear you ask - well, that’s all options in the mind, let’s stick with the factory car.
Upgrade the stereo speakers for sure , Hirsch the thing up if you wish, but get the wagon, put your loved ones in it, set the standard Sat Nav, and sail your Saab 9-5 off into a Saab sunset before the new dawn brings a new car that really will be genetically modified - however good it is.
Ageing, made-over, wearing silly glasses, and not a BMW. Every reason why this old swinger of a Saab is a sexy woman at the prime of her life. Oh and the dog in the title of this article is in the back of the 9-5 wagon - behind the dog guard, smiling…
This is a proper Saab and don’t let anyone tell you it is not.
The 9-5 will be around for a bit longer. Try one, for the world may never be like this again…
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- Saab 9-5: There’s life in the old dog yet - by Lance Cole
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“This is a proper Saab and don’t let anyone tell you it is not.”
It´s a future classic. A bargain for the price if you look 3-5 year old car (at least in Finland).
We´ll miss it when it´s gone for good!
I must admit- he’s right. Even though i’m not a 9-5 owner my dad has just recently bought a new 1, vector sport wagon with titan grey paint and even though its a diesel auto- the 1 he wanted least but had to go for due to car tax reasons. But to start off with he looked at other car and couldn’t find anything for the same price which had the same comfort and equipment than his car.
He was a Saab driver previously and wanted to get back into a Saab too, his previous 9000s had been great servants to the family through holidays abroad. IN between he had a toyota avensis which lacked the power and the comfort of the 9-5.
Over the months he’s had it i can see, dispite all of the bad points, that he loves the 9-5, he won’t tell me that he does but you can tell it fits him like a tailormade suit.
That one reason I love saabs- all of the memories I’ve with them and the fact that sure they may not be the best cars all of the time- but they have personalities, the 9-5 has shown us this and, he fact that it is underrated makes it more interesting compared to audi and bmw- they are the obvious choices whereas the 9-5 is just as good but isn’t so german. It will be like someone passing on when it goes next year.
As a 2005 9-5 Aero owner myself, I couldn’t keep myself from nodding while I was reading this post. Even after 100K miles, this car remains very solid and looks like a new one inside and out. It may sound a bit cheesy but it feels like it gets better with age like a good bottle of wine or a pair of jeans. While it may be outdated compared to newer cars from other brands, it remains a very comfortable and reliable car without any faults.
Wonderful write-up from someone who knows what he’s talking about.
Sniff… Well said. A fine ode to a fine car.
i love my 9-5. one reason i bought it was b/c it reminded me of my family’s dark blue 1984 C900. the 9-5 sedan’s appearance is definitely evocative of the old saabs.
the author’s description of the car as an aging beauty is quite apt, but even though we see the car as an old model in need of updating, to non-saabists, any year 9-5 looks just as new as the next 2008 vehicle. it’s truly a timeless design.
Thank you, Lance, for a very good story. Now my eyes are wet, and I am just feeling —– GREAT! This is exactly how I feel about my 9-5 Sport Wagon. She is my second 9-5 now (before that a couple of OG and a NG900), and I haven’t been more pleased with a car before (and I have had alot of other brands earlier, among them many BMWs). My latest 9-5 love affair is from september 2005, in full Aero trim with tons of original bells and whistles, and I have decided to keep this car for the rest of my life. Off course I am gonna buy a newer SAAB when next gens show up, but since my 9-5 is one of the last, ‘real’ SAABs I’m gonna keep it forever. She,s gonna live forever and I treat her very well with tons of passion and care, and she gives alot back to me…….
Swade, please continue with this site!
Could not agree more. Sent shivers down my spine. I own a 9-5 SE Airflow 2.0t Hirsch’ed to 210bhp I love it
WOW Lance, you should be an auto journalist. Your appraisal almost made me forget about the ‘facelift’ in 2006. Great writing!
As I read the post and being a 9-5 owner since 2001, I subconsciourly bemoaned two things very dear to me passing into thin air and yonder: TS and the 9-5. My MY01 Aero will be 6 years old come July 25 and she will go nowhere. Its part of me and what I represent. There is a saying in my local Otjiherero language which, when translated, reads: “A dog always returns to the place where it got an old bone to chew on.” Funny how the cosmic blue 9-5 Aero always draws someone to retreat and take a second look.
Excellent review, with which I agree completely. My 2001 Aero still feels solid after almost seven years and 116,000 miles, and returns well over 30 miles per gallon on the highway. No other car of similar size and performance compares in this respect. Despite its age and flaws, the 9-5 Aero remains viable because of its unique blend of enthusiast-worthy performance, family-friendly utility (especially in the wagon), and economy, all of which can be had at a reasonable price. In virtually any competing model, one must compromise one of the three relative to the 9-5, or pay significantly more, and of course none has the Saab’s distinctive character.
The current range needs to be replaced, but it certainly deserves more credit than it’s received of late. Thanks for the tribute.
Great write-up, Lance. Bonus points go to you for comparing the 9-5 to a 40-something year-old woman. LOL!
zippy: you do know that Lance has published a book on Saabs, right? I suggest you pick it up if you have a chance.
Gr8 write-up. I was just telling my wife b4 reading this how many times I catch people checking my baby out (’02 9-5 Aero cosmic blue) and how many compliments I get from service people (car wash, oil changes, etc.).
I think that the 9-5 is not only underrated outside the Saab community, it is underrated within. It is hands down better than any 9-3 save the new Turbo X and Aero, yet usually (probably due to the higher volume of owners) the conversation is about the 9-3. I felt the same way about the 9000.
Well, it is nice to see it get some due respect.
I can’t wait for the new one to be released and hope they give a Turbo X treatment to it (say 400hp); based on Saab’s track record on the 9000 and 9-5 I am sure it will be in my driveway.
Lance: Always a great read. Always.
I’m becoming more attached to the 9-5 every time I drive it.
Blix: I agree with you wholeheartedly. I even prepped a picture for a post to demostrate the lines shared by the C900 four-door and the 9-5, but the post never got moving. It just didn’t seem to be substantive enough.
An aside — when I asked Steve Shannon if the new 9-5 was still coming in 2010, he said “I’m counting on it. The current 9-5 has done yeoman’s work, but it’s time for a replacement” or something like that. He definitely said the “current 9-5 has done yeoman’s work”. I’ll agree, it truly has.
Solid.
Enjoyable reading, though I never looked at the last gen 9-5 as a classy female human being. I prefer my car to be more object than persona.
The 9-5 is my first saab I bought new and I never regretted that decision, nor do I envy drivers of the all-new looking concurrents …, single-frames or not.
Driving is not posing. Not for me.
Sorry guys I didn’t checked in lately that often to admire Swade’s still looking strong TS-site, I do have two good reasons for that: making lot of km’s while I had the opportunity to drive a carrera S for a month and much too busy with work. The carrera S was handed in with deep regrets once that particular month was over, now we are a month further and both the 9-5 as the 1st gen 9-3 were able to make the carrera-loss bearable, till certain height (or speed) of course.
A comparision like Swade’s viggen vs. wrx is not possible. First because conceptually any rwd 355 hp-porsche is the complete opposite from any fwd saab. And second, I’m not that gifted with the english word, like Swade, to talk or write about cars.
Driving is what I prefer to do.
And read at the TS, when I’ve got the time to do so.
Happy saabing, all you 9-5 lovers out there !
How do I get on screen such a nice avatar or thing in the left corner before starting my comment ?
click above the comment box- but below the leave a comment- the register to the website from there wilfried
Dan9-1, thanks for the info.
Mmh, still nothing visible …
Aha, there it is, red and a bit Alfa-Romeo-wise.
No discreet scandinavian presence.
pretty swish eh?
Swish ? (in Wiktionary) “sophisticated; fashionable; smooth”
OK, that’s fine by me.
Swish ? (in Wikipedia) “a term used to describe effeminate behaviour and interests in gay male communities”
Effeminate, the double bass is indeed, with it broad hips and curves. But wasn’t that the core of the 9-5 essay either ?
the top 1… ive never heard the second 1- better remember that and be careful with it
I think that the 9-5 is a great car . I really want to see what will be the new 9-5 in Paris .
She’ll be gorgeous for sure .Powerfull , well built and sexy
Even if GM announce that they will produce more and more small hybrid cars and give up Hummer ( lol)
Poetry, and true to boot. I have the distinct honor of having the 204th 9-5 ever built as my daily driver– one of the oldest 9-5’s still on the road. I got it as a replacement for my wrecked 9-3, it’s given me negligible trouble, and I never looked back. As much as a 9-5 replacement is required in today’s marketplace, I for one will be sad to see this one go– and I’ll be on the lookout for a quality Saab CPO 9-5 in 2-3 years.
Swade, over the last 2 or so years since I discovered it, TS was essential daily reading for me. I wish you the best, and thank you for a truly great website. It’s been a blast.
Gregg
Portland, Oregon, USA
This has to be the best article ive read in ages. Brought a tear to the eye, a warm fuzzy feeling - just like the one you get before you open the door to your house to see your loved one you havent for weeks. I have a 9-5, I’m only 24 - I wouldn’t have it any other way. Its a 1997 model - the first off the rank - hasn’t set a foot wrong. Girlfriend has an Audi, sure AWD, V6, whatever. At least I can still feel my butt after a long trip in my car! Again, I’ve gone all googly after reading that. I know I’ll be buying a used 9-5 after this one. No matter how good the next one is going to be - I can just feel the attachment REAL saab that is a 9-5 that will sway me in the right direction.
To all other 9-5 owners out there - a great big Aussie …Cheers Mate.
Dave
the new seats something like this http://images.saab.com/main/image/2008/ignite/interior/95_S_WAGON/LHD/side/small/06/062000001.jpg in “Premium” lether and perforated like vent without vetilation