Good looks, nice handling, affordable BMW 5 series, lots of standard equipment thrown in, good options (ventilated seats), nice torque at low rpm range, sporty feel allover, good interior space (legroom & headroom)

small fuel tank capacity, city mileage of the automatic isn't so great, gear shifts are sometimes abrupt and feel jerky/rough

I'm generally very satisfied with this car which is the first Saab I've ever owned.

My only complaint really is that on 2 separate occasions, while driving on the freeway and in a local road, the car just suddenly died on me. Had to pull over and restart the car. Took it to the local Saab dealer but he couldn't find/explain the cause of the problem for me. Anyone from Saab like to venture a guess?

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BMW 528i, Mercedes E430, Volvo S80

Performance, comfort, safety, styling, value. Makes you wonder why you'd want to pay twice as much for the competition (Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, BMW).

Spotty dealership network. When you need repairs, get used to hearing "when the parts arrive next week from Sweden." Interval windshield wiper adjustment is awkward.

Remarkably sporty. The car encourages you to use its performance, and behaves extremely well when driven hard. However, it's perfectly comfortable around town. On the highway, the cruise control is a godsend, as otherwise you'll be seduced into cruising at 100 MPH. The posted speed limit seems *slow*, because the car is so sure-footed, stable, and comfortable.

The interior takes "ergonomic" to new levels, with features like heated and ventilated seats, an automatic climate control that turns on the rear defroster for you on cold mornings, avionics-quality displays that are always readable, and the world's coolest cupholder. The car's Nordic heritage shines through on cold, windy, lake-effect snow laden Rochester mornings. The seat is comfortable, even after 6 hours of thruway driving. The car fits me like an old, supple, perfectly sized glove.

The audio system is excellent. Nine Harman/Kardon speakers are mated with a CD/cassette head unit that features both Dolby B and C noise reduction, interior-noise sensitive volume, cell phone integration, automatic programming of presets when you're travelling, and weather band reception. The antenna is integrated with the rear window, and provides exceptional reception--when the rear defroster is off. When the defroster is on, reception is on a par with most domestic cars' standard whip antenna.

Everywhere, you will find little touches that show unusual thoughtfulness on the part of the designer. Every aspect of this car shows care in design, and a tight integration of all the car's systems. The rear defroster, which is linked to the outside temperature sensor, is one example. The driver's cupholder stores in a vertical slot, and swivels into position when deployed. In use, it's at a perfect position for finding your drink without taking your eyes off the road, and it doesn't block the use of anything on the dashboard. The glovebox has an air conditioning outlet which can keep it at refrigerator temperature, even when the cabin is being heated. A highway hazard triangle is standard, and stows into a niche on the trunk lid, where it's easy to get to. There are many nice things like this, which are cool, but not gimmicky (as on many American "luxury" cars).

In terms of safety, I cannot say enough in praise of the car. I have actually had an accident in my 9-5, which did considerable damage to the front of the car. To the surprise of all involved, there were no injuries. I walked away without so much as a bruise. If I had any small doubt before the accident, I have none now: when this 9-5 reaches the end of its life, I'll be buying another Saab. I have no doubt that I could have survived an accident two or three times as violent as the one I experienced, thanks to my Saab. The U.S. insurance institute's "marginal" rating is an anomaly. By their own admission, their test procedure doesn't reflect real life, and the difference is what caused the "injury" that prompted them to issue the "marginal" rating. (Their dummy's leg was injured when positioned over the gas pedal in the crash. In real life, a driver's foot would typically be pressed hard against the brake pedal, which is in a different position and has additional shielding features.) The EuroNCAP tests and insurance injury payout claims back up the 9-5's position of safety excellence.

My 9-5 has had its share of trips to the dealership, but all for minor things that I have come to expect as "normal" in a modern car. None of the problems have directly affected the vehicle's drivability. Certainly, it is far, far less of a "garage queen" than the Dodge Intrepid I leased previously. I have no reservations about the mechanical reliability of my Saab.

If you want a sedan which is incredibly safe, a reasonable substitute for a low-end sports car, comfortable, and not a cookie-cutter clone, you definitely want to look at a 9-5.

Who shouldn't buy a 9-5? Well, if you can't afford it, you can't afford it. I'd suggest a 9-3, or a used Saab.

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I have a base 9-5 wagon with the manual transmission. With the 4 cyl and the manual, the gas mileage rocks!

The ergonomics are very good. Power seats on both side and the variable heated seats are great. Even though the trunk cover is high, it helps store more stuff and is not distracting as I thought it would.

The safety aspects of the anti-whiplash and side impact protection was a consideration.

The Low Pressure Turbo is lackluster in that it does not give a driver the vroom satisfaction.

I can hear the wind noise - I wasn't expecting this.

This is my first Saab and I like the quirkiness of the center mount ignition, the center mount window switches. A lot of stuff thrown in without the need of a lot of options. Got the leather seats and would be interesting if it was equipped with the back ventilation option.

I drove a SE w/6 cylinder and was intrigued but it sounded guttural. I later found out that this was because the six was a GM engine. I'd buy another one.

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Had a Volvo 740 Turbo in the past and that was heavier but more zippy.

Good features, smooth ride, spacious interior, exterior
styling. Decent value of you don't pay up for it.

Reliability questionable although our experience has not
been as bad as some. Still, too many little problems for
a car these days.

We've owned Saabs for a long time and have always liked the
size and comfort in a sporty package. This one is the best
Saab we've ever seen but it has not been that reliable, which
from reading other reviews seems to be a common theme. There
have been consistent small electrical issues (headlights and
interior lights, etc.) as well as one engine issue. The car
has gotten a bit pricey as well, although I do recommend buying
used rather than new as they take a pretty big hit in resale in
the first year. The sticker of our car was $38k and we paid
$27.5k with 8000 miles. Good car-just don't expect perfection.
I wonder whether a lot of the reliability issues have been
addressed in the '01's?

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Saab 9000, 900. Much better, user friendly design. Great
features for the money.

Good Handling,Great Ride,Ample Power and Great Gas Mileage.Nice interior and seats

Car has somewhat of a Turbo Lag.

I have owned this car for 18 months of which 3 it has spent in the shop.The quality of this car is poor and it is too bad since the overall design is great.Th dealers and SAAB USA do not have a clue what is going on with their cars.I am on my second head gasket,8 computer and the car is still not fixed.The dealer is as frustrated as I am .I have 12 documented visits in one year to the dealer for problems.These cars are really bad.

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Volvo,BMW

The Saab has great value for the money. Lots of doo dads included, there is nothing I hate more than, oh, to get that you need the "Sport Premium Package which costs $4000". The fuel economy is acceptable and the engine has adequate acceleration which seems stronger at higher speeds than low speeds. Great car for the money as compared to most others.

The sound system is a little disappointing to say the least and is not easily modified. It does sound good, but the factory tune box in my pickup is better (Infinity). Another annoying little thing is that if the gas cap is not instaleld tight enough when you fill the fuel tank the service enine light comes on and then you have to go to the dealer to get them to turn it off. I've done this a couple of times, the rule is don't hurry at the pump.

It get this rig for $33k and change with the 2.3t engine, leather, and etc. I recommend this car for the money over other, compared to the Subaru it has way more stuff for only $1k more comprable in price to the Passat and way, way cheaper than the $49k Bimmer, $40+k Audi, and $50k Mercedes with the same type of equipment. This is a very safe car according to the European NCAP testing and Consumer Reports lieks the reliability. A great car for the cash.

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BMW 528i, Subaru Outback VDC, Audi Avant, VW Passat, BMW 323i, Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0

Super value. Nice looking. Great ride. Nice handling and steering. Uniqueness. Comfortable seats. Incredible passenger and trunk room for a car its size.

Turbo can be a bit noisy while accelerating.

This is an awesome car for the money (about $37,000). I cannot say enough good things about it. It has ample head and leg room for all four passengers (even for my 6'4" brother-in-law). It has very comfortable seats. It has the biggest trunk in its class. It has really good power and torque (0-60 in about 7.5 seconds). It has a very smooth 6-cylinder engine with a turbo that has very little turbo lag. It has an extremely smooth (automatic) transmission. It has a sporty yet luxurious feel to it in both handling and ride (it doesn't feel as clunky as other cars its size). It has great all-weather traction (including traction control). It comes standard with all the otions anyone would need (a Harmon Kardon stereo with CD, leather, sunroof, power mirrors/windows/ locks, etc.). It is well refined and is the safest vehicle in its class. It has a European feel which the Japanese models still have not been able to emulate. It is a nice looking and distinctive car without being flashy.

The Saab may not have the steering response, cornering ability, and overall driveability of a BMW, but it is a much better value than any of the German cars.

This car is a must test-drive if you are looking for a midsized Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volvo, Lexus, Acura, or Infiniti. I think it is the best value of them all, and it has the most leg room for all four passengers of all of the cars in its class.

My wife and I own a BMW 3-series also and it's more fun to drive than the Saab, but the Saab is bigger an much more practical with many more features. The Saab 9-5 is the best value in a mid-sized luxury family car on the market!!! (And, don't worry, it is not as quirky as Saabs have been in the past.)

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The Audi A4 is nice too, but it's not as powerful nor does it have as much room.

Cost-Try to buy a BMW or AUDI for under 30K
Luxury without the pretence, EVERYONE in Dallas has a BMW nice to be original.

Lack of front storage-But I can get used to that.
Brake dust, best looking stock wheels on the road but almost imposable to keep clean.

My wife owns a 1998 9-3 convertable. We were so impressed with her car I decided to look at 9-5. Started looking at VW Passat and Audi A-4 thinking I could no afford a 9-5. Not only was this a superior car in all respects but it ended up costing less thanks to a great dealer.

This car provides the best blend of performance, handling, ride comfort, looks and luxury amenities of all the euro sportwagons on the market. Absolutley have had no quality issues so far within the first 10k miles. The light pressure turbo boosted V6 producing 200hp & 229 ft.lb.tork provides excellent exceleration, and it is really a blast to drive in sport mode!

Listening to everyone around you say "what a mistake you made", "high depreciation" and "poor reliability". Even a collegue who just purchased a pontiac grand prix gt got a few jabs in, but later that day he was on the phone to his dealership because his seats weren't working! Just a note to all those who flock to the V70's, they are nolonger recomended by several recognized consumer organizations. The Saab is! (sorry for the poor grammar). Seriously though, engine noise is a bit pronounced.

Having test drove all of the above wagons with the exception of the 528i(too pricey), the Saab 9-5 easily stood out with the best overall performance and value. I paid $35,000 for everything except ventilated seats & on-star. I definetly recomend this car to all those looking for a sedan or wagon in this price range.
The car does turn heads when I drive by, including comments from a group of kids on a corner that ranged from "nice car" to "awsome". These are comments that kids usually reserve for corvettes & mustangs. God, I hope they weren't joking with me! Either way still pretty cool.
I put my wife on notice when we decided that we needed a family oriented versitile car and that I was the one that would be driving it, I was going to get a vehicle that I would enjoy. I hit the mark with the 9-5. Minivans are not fun to drive, and niether are SUV's on pavement!

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the good qualities of this car is that it dosen't copy any other style it has its own real powerful engine saab9-5 aero is a good car that has luxury,sport,performance,style,.

it haven,t found any errors yet.

with this car i have experience good traveling fr fast driving in road real good car it response real good.

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BMW 528i, audi a6 these are all good cars