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Saab 9-5 Wagon

1081 messages,  Last post on Jun 02, 2012 at 7:17 PM

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What is this discussion about? Saab 9-5, Wagon

Messages Page 98 of 109

#962 of 1081 Re: 2006 feedback? [tebeloney] by georgek

Jun 15, 2006 (12:13 pm)

Replying to: tebeloney (Jun 15, 2006 2:55 am)
I love mine. Compared to previous 9-5s the ride is better controlled and smoother, while the handling still is very good unless you are used to a 5 series or E class, which run $15K more than the 9-5. Before buying it I cross shopped the new Passat, V70, Subaru Legacy GT, Outback XT and the Tribeca, Mazda 6 and used 5 series and E class wagons. None had the combination of features, comfort, performance and value of the SAAB.
 
It has more than enough power, a quiet and roomy interior and exceptionally comfortable seats. I have a wagon without the sport package. The cargo capacity is quite a bit larger than my last wagon, a 2000 Passat, and it carries much more than my wife's XC70 where the rear drive mechanicals raise the cargo floor by 6-8".
 
Styling is a matter of taste. I like the new front on lighter color cars (mine is steel gray) but think it looks a bit odd on the dark ones. The interior is well fitted and mostly high quality materials except for a few pieces of cheap plastic around the shift lever and behind the door handles. The sound system is excellent, although I wish it had a cassette player.
 
There are a few things that I do not like, but consider them fair trade-offs in what all-in-all is a very high value package: There is very little storage space in and around the dash, especially if you want two cupholders and therefor keep the insert in the console. The front seats have front pockets that are not convenient to reach while driving, and the storage pockets in the doors are small. I would like to see some in dash cubbies or overhead storage for glasses and other small items. The sole in-dash cupholder is elegant but flimsy. Strange for a car in this class the windows are one touch down but not up. I also would like to see a fold-flat front passenger seat as in Volvo wagons.
 
The only major flaw, IMO is in the paddle system for the shiftable automatic transmission. You must first move the shift lever to the rear and then use the paddles to shift up and down. You then must move the shift lever forward to resume full automatic. This is awkward and inefficient, and becomes very annoying in use. Much better to control it all either with the paddles or the console lever as with the 9-3 and every other "manumatic" I have driven.
 
The paddles were the only thing that almost turned me away from the car, but were not annoying enough to overcome its many virtues and great value. I will never like them, but no longer grumble each time I use them.

#963 of 1081 Re: 2006 feedback? [georgek] by tebeloney

Jun 15, 2006 (7:49 pm)

Replying to: georgek (Jun 15, 2006 12:13 pm)
Thanks for the detailed feedback. One of the factors leading me to this car is the manual gearbox, but everything else you mention jibes with my needs.
 
Thanks again!
 
Tim

#964 of 1081 Re: 2006 feedback? [tebeloney] by georgek

Jun 16, 2006 (7:05 am)

Replying to: tebeloney (Jun 15, 2006 7:49 pm)
I considered the manual gearbox, but spend too much time driving in large cities (NY, DC and Baltimore mostly) where I prefer an automatic.

#965 of 1081 Re: Stay away from the SE V6? [bcool] by bcool

Jul 04, 2006 (8:37 pm)

Replying to: bcool (Jun 02, 2006 8:45 pm)
OK, sorry for bashing the SE-V6. No real good reason to stay away from it.

#966 of 1081 to Saab or not by ganibar

Jul 11, 2006 (7:58 pm)

My 9-5 is causing me pain. It has lived to 104,000, yet it should only be at mid life yet the crisis is that the alarm system battery needs now to be replaced, the airbag system decided to whig out and the coolant system was just re charged, add to this that both fog lamps have taken the abuse of stones from the road and been knocked into uselessness and there is a hefty, none standard, maintenance facing this car. I do enjoy to drive it, but is it worth keeping or am I better off with a 2006 wagon or moving on to BMW?

#967 of 1081 Re: to Saab or not [ganibar] by bcool

Jul 13, 2006 (1:49 pm)

Replying to: ganibar (Jul 11, 2006 7:58 pm)
I just went through the same deal with my '92 9000. After 100M, it had alot of expensive repairs - most justifiable, some not. I was able to justify the $$ because I didn't have any car payments. The car was practical, and a lot of fun to drive. Some things were very reliable, like the AC, M-transmission, brakes and wheel allignment. Other things were not. The previous owner only changed the oil every 10,000 miles, if that. This may have caused the timing chain the break at 140M. In retrospect, I learned that it was to expensive to maintain at the dealer. The mechanics at the dealer also seemed to do rush jobs, and if they fixed one problem, they seemed to cause another. Sometimes their diagnosis was wrong and they unnecessarily replaced expensive parts. If you have a good affordable, independent SAAB mechanic, you might want to keep it. Get some grills for the fog lights. SAABnet.com (http://saabnet.com/tsn/faq/miles/) has a list of people with high and ultra-high mileage SAABs. I suppose all cars are expensive to maintain after +100M these days, even BMW's. I finally got rid of the '92 at 181M, and bought a new one.

#968 of 1081 Another viewpoint on the v-6 arc wagons by nelsoncm

Aug 25, 2006 (6:02 pm)

I had a 2002 Arc with the v-6. Engine and performance wise, I loved this car. And having driven a 4-cyl Saab a couple of times, I preferred the v-6's ride myself. Plus, the fit and finish of my Saab was spot on -- everything was solid as a rock. Best build quality and materials of any car I've ever owned. And yet, I just traded mine in, at only 45k miles, for of all things a 06 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Why? While I loved the performance and overall reliability of my Saab, the rumbly and somewhat noisy ride got on my nerves, and the lack of decent-sized cubbies and cupholders was annoying. I hated having to lay my cell phone and all the accompanying gadgets either on the passenger seat or on the floor. Stupid stuff like that. Plus, my service experiences in the last year weren't very good. (Only 2 dealerships in Orange County, CA.) However, I will say, the back half of the Saab, the rear seats and armrest plus the cargo area were far superior to my new jeep. However, in the front of the cabin, the jeep has all the cubbies and space I need for all my crap. Plus it's quiet and smooth. Now, will it be reliable? Well, let's just say I bought the extended warranty. While I had sort of a love-hate relationship with my Saab, I appreciated it for the quality build and performance. I've heard mixed things about the v-6, I just never had any issues with it.

#969 of 1081 Re: Another viewpoint on the v-6 arc wagons [nelsoncm] by bcool

Aug 31, 2006 (6:13 pm)

Replying to: nelsoncm (Aug 25, 2006 6:02 pm)
You're right. Why doesn't SAAB get with it and put 2 cup holders up front. At the same time, a little more storage for the cell phone, sun block, a large bottle of water, sun glasses, etc. How about an ipod/mp3 port too. The older SAAB's had bigger glove boxes, with multiple compartments, too. I had a '03 Grand Cherokee before this, now my wife has it. It's a different ride.

#970 of 1081 Did I get a good deal by q_man

Sep 02, 2006 (8:54 pm)

2006 Saab 9-5; dealership asking 34,851 net of all incentives - what do you think - should I purchase?

#971 of 1081 Re: Did I get a good deal [q_man] by bcool

Sep 03, 2006 (9:24 am)

Replying to: q_man (Sep 02, 2006 8:54 pm)
I'm not sure which model you're asking about, but it seems like they may be a little more juice to squeeze from that orange. Look to get between 20 and 30 percent off MSRP for an '06 this late in the year.

Messages Page 98 of 109

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