Saab 9-5 Aero 2.3HOT

I had a used Diesel 55 plate 95 Estate and I can comfortably say it was officially the worse company car I have the displeasure of owning. It absolutely devoured fuel struggling to get 30mpg and God-forbid you turned the Air-con on you could physically see the fuel gauge moving. It was not as if I tried to emulate Michael Schumacher (in fact given the poor power it was more like Driving Miss Daisy!!!!). In the short time I had the car I put over £600 worth of diesel in the car and did just over 1,200 miles. To top it all I have just discovered that the Inland Revenue has deemed the 'benefit' to me for having this car was equivalent tol £7,772!! Thankfully I have changed jobs so I no longer have this albatross hanging round my neck.

I have a new 9 5 Aero Estate, it is a "company car".It is fast and comfortable. The seats are good and attractive in their two tone leatherThe Car is understated and traditional looking. Although sharing the chassis of a Vauxhall Vectra, the SAAB engineers have tweaked many components to make the 9 5 a different car from the Vectra, (I have driven both models, back to back).If you use the power, fuel consumption is down in the low 20s - drive carefully and you will still have trouble achieving more than 35mpg.The car understeers which can be annoying, (although this has got better over the past few years).A GREAT buy used at £15,000, (50% of the new price), after just over a year and 15,000 miles........but not great new as you will loose 60%of the new value in three years.I like SAABs, so I am biased - for economy, buy the 1.9Tdi - buy for enjoyment and value a two year old HOT Aero at less than £15k takes some beating

The 9-5 Aero is a wolf in sheeps clothing, there's no other way to describe this car. It just gobbles up the miles without any effort at all, even returning nearly 40mpg when driven conservatively on the motorway ! Put put your foot down and you see another car, one which the M5 struggles to keep up with. The power is swift and constant, it simply keeps coming. There is no turbo lag, infact no lag in any department, it just pulls and pulls. The 95 Aero is a car of two halfs - Long distance comfy cruiser and an high speed BMW bruiser.

Ever wondered why SAAB drivers always seem to have a smile on their face ? Now you know why.