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Saab 9-5 (97 - 05)

Ratings

3 stars

Summary

Average. Big, comfortable and safe make this a very traditional Saab. Unfortunately so do the dated underpinnings, thirsty turbocharged engines and sometimes wayward handling.

Review

The 9-5 excels at certain tasks. You won't find a more comfortable car to spend time in, the seats and driving position are almost ergonomically perfect, the dashboard is a triumph of clever, rational design. All versions come with turbocharged engines, the most basic 150 bhp 2.0 litre unit being by far the sweetest. The bigger motors try to put too much power through the front wheels, leading to wheelspin and unruly scrabbling on rougher roads. Fuel economy is also poor if you use any of the copious performance on tap. 2.2 TiD four-cylinder turbodiesel is coarse and unpleasant, but the bigger 3.0 V6 TiD is sweet and powerful.

Ratings Breakdown

Styling

star

Handling

2 star

Comfort

4 star

Quality & Reliability

4 star

Performance

4 star

Roominess

4 star

Running Costs

2 star

Value for money

2 star

Stereo

3 star

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