written by RossSaab on 07/09/2005
Good Points
Saab Extras
Bad Points
Vauxhall chassis affecting handling
General Comments
As an old Saab Turbo fan, I couldn't wait to get my hands on my new Saab 9-5 Aero. It came fully loaded, and I was initially very impressed. As I got more used to the car, I started to get annoyed by the cheap switches and terrible road holding, which I'm told is due to the car being based on a Vauxhall chassis, which twists when pushed hard. The front strut's have a large rubber bush at the base, where it meets the wishbone, and this works well when new, but becomes very baggy over time, making the front end wallow as much as the rear. In the end I had them replaced with poly-propylene ones, which cost me over £300. Why didn't Saab use these when new?
By the time it had reached 50,000 miles, I had to have a new turbo because it started smoking, and a new DI unit, which was done under warranty.
The day after I placed an advert to sell it, the air conditioning unit packed in. Saab wanted £1200 to replace this, which I find an exorbitant price, as I had a re-conditioned one fitted for just over £400.
Yes, it's fast, but on a narrow country lane, my friends VW polo TDI can leave it standing at the corners.
All in all, what could have been a fantastic car, has been ruined by Vauxhall penny pinching, and after 15 years of driving nothing but Saabs, I will never buy another one.
You may as well buy a top of the range Vauxhall, or even better, go German.