1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I think Coolnight posted this question last March and here is my response. My feelings are shared with the Aero wagon and sedan as I have one of each and there is hardly any difference from the driver's seat. Some of the text can be found in Autoweek's Sheetmetal File that I have scanned if anyone is interested.
Norm 9-5 Aero
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"How do you 9.5 Aero drivers feel about the car?"
<snip>
Quite impressed overall. I traded in a 1999 C5 Corvette Hardtop on my 2000 Aero and have no regrets. Though the number one response is after I told them I traded in my C5 for a SAAB is, "A SAAB?" The Aero did cost more.
"Norm jumps on his soapbox." This is a bit detailed but maybe I can share some likes and dislikes with other 9-5 owners and maybe learn to like the car's uniqueness more.
The fit and finish and materials used overall are superb. Ride quality and handling are more toward the sporting side especailly on uneven roads. Though more sound deading insulation could be used to block road noise while cruising at 65 MPH in the rain. Overall the wind noise is a bit louder than in my 1999 Buick Regal GS which sells for about US$15,000 less.
The gear selector(5-speed) is a bit vague for my taste or any quick shifting and the throws are a bit long(read: truck-like) especially for a sports sedan. The gear ratio from first to second is a bit of a jump. I guess they want you to use the boost at low RPMs.
Entry and exit of any passenger door is more than enough. The doors open wider than I have seen on any American automobile. Doors have a noticeable "thunk" that passengers love the solid sound so much that they keep opening and closing the doors just to hear it.
The motor is your typical 4-cylinder(thought I would never buy one again - V6's or bigger for me) until boost builds then hang on. No noticeable effects from the boost build in mid turn except for the TCS light coming on. The TCS should be able to be disengaged at any speed not just under 40 MPH. Highway acceleration is super. Throttle response at highway speeds is great for passing and not having to shift down. Fuel economy is also suprising good. I am seeing about 29 MPG on 25 mile commute with 5 miles of 30 MPH zones. This is with an engine that was run hard from the day I got it and it now has about 3600 miles. It was recently dynoed at about 225 horsepower at the wheels. I am sure it will loosen up a bit more with mileage. They really put these engine together tightly for longevity. I am suprised that synthetic motor oil is not used with a turbo motor and the 10,000 intervals. Though there is an oil cooler. nice clean engine bay. Though I have received some negative feed back from the guys about the "Ecopower" on the engine. I just tell them to wait until it is broken in. :)
Handling is really suprising considering the car weighs close to 3500 lbs. The suspension is really posed even when trying to upset it by braking hard mid turn. Brakes are very good. Intial feels is really strong, so strong that I have to usually release them as I find myself stopping too quickly. I have not braked hard enough from high speed to see if there is fade. Brake pedal is a bit high for heel-to-toe braking. That might change after the pads where down a bit.
Headlights seem inadequate at high speeds as they are easily over run. I'll have to check the alignement. Foglights do a good job of lighting up the sides of the road but can be a bit too bright when reflecting off of salt covered roads during the winter. Turn signal corner markers are a nice touch when street signs need to be viewed.
I do like the windshield wipers and washers. The six jets on the windshield have no problem of coverage at any speed. Wipers stay planted while in use at high speeds and don't float off the window. Wipers on headlights is a necessity for me as I would normally clean the headlights while refueling. The intermittant wipers have too big of a timing gap between the slowest setting and low. I usually end up using low speed.
Tilt wheel and extention seem to not have enough movement. Steering radio controls are prefectly aligned to the edge of the steering wheel though the radio seems slow to respond to band changes(I am being picky here but more time spent looking outside the car is more safety oriented). It would be nice if they were lighted during headlight operation. Weather band is nice. Nine speaker Harmon-Kardon is pretty amazing. Speakers seemed to place so that I can barely hear anyone one speaker. I think I could actually take a single length string and hang it from my left ear and hit three speakers. Truly amazing.
Passengers like the front pop out cupholder. But yes, there is only one that is really accessible. Glovebox cooling is novel and will has been used on road trips. Sunroof is suprising quiet open or closed. But for high speeds kept closed with sun shade closed also. Seating position is a bit high and left leg room is nonexistant for long cruising. Seats could use more lateral thigh and seat support(is this an America detail to accomdate our over weight bodies as I have read the same in US reveiws but have read just the opposite overseas(seats have good support?) More than a enough positions with power. Some manufacturers are providing adjustment that both the seat and back are not attached but move independently. So if adjustment to one is made most likely adjustment to the other is required. Every car that has leather should have ventilated seats. Though if the radio is not on and your sitting still the fans can be noticed. Can't wait until summer heat for the real test. The climate control seems to do a very good job of evenly distributing air through the cabin. My C5, nor my Regal, with automatic climate controls can match the Aero's abilty to distribute air. Unlike some manufacturers like BMW that provide the passenger's mirror to tilt while in reverse, SAAB has one that is controllable at a touch of a button. Great idea SAAB as I use both mirrors in their normal state when backing into the garage. Map light has a nice swivel base and is never obtrusive to driver. Rear passenger map lights are never seen by the driver as ther project rearward. Lighted controls for the sunroof would be nice. Key and remote should be one. This is the biggest keyless entry I have seen since they were introduced many years ago. In the SAAB 9-5 book they picture the key sticking out of keyless remote entry. Is this a Europe thing? The current setup is truly cummbersome and can get in the way of the parking brake while disengaging it. Unique light(instrument panel) and audible tone tell you that you left the parking brake on while moving forward.
Rear passenger room is great. Trunk space is also very good. Very easily to load and unload. Friends owning an Audi A4 and BMW 328is said for the money I could have got a S4 or an M3 and had a better performance car. They have yet to ride in 9-5, let alone any of the seating. I like a car that can haul passengers in the same comfort level that I, as the driver, am experiencing. I would have to look to a A6 or a 5-series for this.
Though it's lines are subtle(mine is silver) it still turns allot of heads. As many as my C5 did. I have had Volvo owners really twist there necks as I pass. Probably jealous not to see a square box from Sweden.
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