The beautiful, elegant and unique Saab 9-5 speaks for itself.
This is clearly a premium and desirable executive car; it is a joy to look at and walk up to each morning and evening before a commute.
The ownership experience, unbelievably, gets better once inside. The narrow, curving windows continually remind you that you are driving a piece of art rather than just another corporate rep-mobile. Look down from the screen and your eye will rest on the sophisticated yet playful speedo design that links back to Saab’s aviation heritage, showing the speed rolling like an aeroplane altimeter.
The switches, vents and touch screen all match the premium brands like Audi and BMW for quality and ease of use. The leather is soft to touch and encases one of the most comfortable seats you will find in any car bar a Volvo; certainly far superior to the hard BMW offering.
Sadly, all this luxury and refined design comes crashing down if you buy the 2.0 TTiD diesel engine, which is what most of the cars on the used market have. It makes this awful drone that ruins the car around town.
Refinement out on the motorway is absolutely what you expect – top quality. But in traffic and when you start up, it’s like an old Rover. No other car in this class lets the diesel engine note ruin the enjoyment of driving in town or along fairly slow country lanes; something that would otherwise be a joy in the perfectly balanced 9-5, with its responsive and communicative steering.
If the 9-5 were significantly cheaper than its rivals, you might over look it, but it’s not so it is a major problem. And because the 2.0T petrol only offers 30 mpg compared to the diesel engine’s 53, it’s going to be hard to find petrol engine versions on the market and if you have any interest in budgeting at all, even harder to justify buying.
What’s the market like?
Usually we can tip a Saab as a premium car at a bargain price, with lots of examples to choose from.
But the 9-5 market is rather different; there are hardly any nearly new Saab 9-5s on the market – so if you want one, it’s going to be hard to get a deal beyond the sticker price. But the sticker price probably will be a healthy discount.
Almost all the cars on the market are diesel, and there are £30,000 cars with under 500 miles on the clock being offered at £25,000, which is tempting.
But, the trouble is, in this price bracket, the 9-5 is head-to-head with Audi’s A6, Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-Series. And while it is a wonderful car, it doesn’t feel like the right choice for the money.
Summary
A fantastic car, but sadly the diesel engine’s gruffness talks loudly over the elegant design.