Saabs appeals to individual thinkers, those who want the prestige offered by a European car but who want to keep clear of the mainstream models from the big German marques.

The Saab 9-5 is a medium-large Swedish sedan with good performance and plenty of refinement. Comfort is a major feature within the large cabin, the seats are big, support nicely and come in a quality soft leather. Seat heaters are a must in Sweden and are nice in wintertime in Australia as well. Owners also tell us they like the easy ergonomics.

And we must mention the cup holders. Their engineering is something really special and people have been known to sit for hours just watching how they fold themselves out and in. True!

Though the Saab 9-5 is a sedan it was one of the first of its type to use folding rear seats. This increases the volume of the already large boot to a spectacular size.

The 9-5 comes with a rugged build enabling it to survive life in the cold extremes of northern Europe. Yet it’s well adapted to the rigours of Australian roads and tracks, being able to cope with dirt, dust and heat with ease.

For many years, the Saab people did their own thing, but in the 1980s, with the Saab 9000, they made the decision to join the mainstream throng and build a car just like everyone else’s. A bad move, because Saab lost its ability to attract buyers looking for something out of the automotive ordinary. With the 9-5, Saab designers took a determined decision to get back to its roots; that is away from the automotive mainstream.

Styling of the 9-5 is very Saab, with the wide three-hole front, long bonnet and sweeping tail that are hallmarks of the company in the recent era. Styling was really reinforced in February 2005 with a major facelift that saw the three-hole theme carried all the way across the front of the car rather than just between the headlights. This significantly changed the image of the 9-5 and gave what was an aging body a new lease on life.

The big Swede is tall in the tail to make for a decent sized boot and most are four-door sedan. Station wagons were introduced in July 1999 and are tough machines with good load space. These have sold reasonably well, but arch-rival Volvo really does dominate the Swedish station sedan market.

 

The 9-5 is an excellent high-speed cruiser but because it has front-wheel drive (something the company has espoused for generations) at-the-limit handling tends to fairly strong understeer. Drive it within its (high) limits and it performs beautifully. Give a good Saab driver a set of twisting bends interspersed with long, fast sweepers and a smile on the face is all but guaranteed.

The four-cylinder Saab 9-5 engines are all turbocharged, but to different levels of tune. The first models had a 2.0-litre engine; from February 2000 a 2.3-litre became optional. That larger unit, again in several stages of power output, became standard from February 2001.

For a while (1999 to 2001) Saab also offered a 3.0-litre naturally aspirated V6, but only in the upmarket Griffin sedan. Interestingly, a turbocharged V6 is offered in the 9-5’s smaller brother, the 9-3, but not in the bigger car. It may arrive in the next generation but Saab is neither confirming or denying this.

Four-speed automatic transmission was used until 2001 when a five-speed tiptronic auto became available. Five-speed manuals are offered in some models, but are comparatively rare and could be hard to resell in a prestige market that’s increasingly populated by auto-only cars.

Spare parts and servicing costs are about average for a car in this class. The Saab dealer network is rather small, but operates efficiently and we have heard no real complaints about supply.

Insurance costs can be high as many insurers have a fear of turbocharged engines. Contact a Saab dealer, or head office directly, for advice on Saab-friendly insurance companies.

On the subject of turbo engines, recent poorly-considered ‘safety’ legislation means that P-plate drivers may not be able to drive Saabs because of their turbo engines. Make inquiries as the rules are being changed seemingly by the day. Saab dealers can probably help, but it may be best to go direct to the licensing authorities.

These days Saab belongs to the giant GM organisation. GM understands the importance of keeping Saab as Saab as possible. It provides economies of scale in purchasing and other such economic matters, leaving the Swedes to design cars with interesting features and a luxurious but sporting feel.

 

However, the Saab 9-5 is getting long in the tooth. Changes have made it look surprisingly up to date in the body, but on the road it’s starting to feel its age. Saab still won’t divulge the date of introduction for the all-new model. Indeed, it won’t even say their will be one, but it’s highly unlikely the car won’t continue.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Correct servicing is important, check the entries in the book. If there isn’t one … be suspicious.

Make sure there isn't a high-pitched whistling sound from the turbocharger. They are generally reliable but repairs can be expensive.

Look to see there’s no smoking from the exhaust. The best way to check it is to run the car downhill for a fair distance with your foot off the throttle, then floor it as you start to climb the other side.

Listen and feel for crunched gearchanges from a manual gearbox, these are easiest to provoke on fast third-to-second downchanges.

Check for poorly executed crash repairs - mismatched paint and ripply panels are the simplest to spot. Also look inside the boot and bonnet as these areas may be done to a lower standard to cut repair costs.

Go over the complete cabin for signs of neglect or harsh treatment. Pay special attention to the condition of the carpets and the state of the dash top.

Check the LED display on the instrument panel is working correctly, some of the segments disappear at times, particularly during wet weather.

Make sure the ABS braking system works correctly, with a pulsing through the pedal under hard use.

An odd one this: check the bonnet badge hasn’t faded. Though it stands up well to sunlight, owners report that washing the badge seems to pull some of the colour out of it after a while.