My wife and I recently bought a new 2003 9-5 Aero Sedan (5 speed) after a fairly comprehensive search for a sporty, fast semi-luxury sedan. Other vehicles we tested included the Audi A4 3.0 AWD, BMW 330i, Lexus IS300, Infiniti G35 and Volvo S60. We have had the car for four months and put about 7,000 miles on it, the majority highway. Overall, this is a great car with attractive and unique lines, but not exactly what I was hoping for. It was my wife's first choice, so that's what we bought.

EXTERIOR:

I like the look of this car a lot. It's big and upright looking compared to the others listed above. Also a nice, unique shape. Body part fit is not perfect, but it isn't as bad as I've heard some reviewers and car magazines say.

INTERIOR:

Both my wife and I fell in love immediately with the look of the interior. The airplane-like treatment is different, but to our eyes it works. I like the setup of the gauges, but wish there was an oil pressure indicator. Surfaces (including leather upholstery and trim) seem like they are high-quality.

The car is very roomy and comfortable. No need to keep tall, long-legged folks out of the back seat--they'll be just fine.

My only complaint about the interior is the seats, which are too soft to provide good support in hard driving. If that's how you drive, consider whether these are tolerable. The seats are, however, very adjustable with great lumbar support available. Also plenty comfortable and supportive for long drives.

Controls/switches/ buttons, etc. Everything seems well laid out and natural to use; I rarely need to take my eyes off the road to find the controls.

POWER/ENGINE

The power delivery in the Aero is impressive. I travel rural highways a lot, and there's nothing better than putting the hammer down in 4th gear at 65 mph, passing the RV brigade, then having a ticket-panic when you see you're in triple digits. This engine never seems to sweat.

It does, however, have significant (and annoying) turbo lag at low rpms. The advertised low rpm torque is there, but not before waiting for the turbo to kick in. I don't enjoy the power delivery in this car unless I run it at 2,800 rpms and above. I also dislike the launch, which requires clutch engagement at rpms higher than I like to avoid a very uneven trip through first gear. Once started that way, it's not far to the 6000 rpm rev limiter, which I've hit too many times. The smooth, linear delivery of the V6's in the BMW 330i and the Lexus IS300 seem much better to me.

OTHER MECHANICAL STUFF:

Brakes seem just fine; clutch feels light but seems to engage with authority; the shifter has a muted engagement that some may not love, but feels solid and comfortable to me.

HANDLING:

This is a substantial front wheel drive, and feels just that way. I find that in high-speed rural highway driving, with big turns and room to run, it is a very fun car to drive. It's stable, responsive and feels very good.

However, when pressed on real backroads with tight turns and lower speeds (where I'm more willing to push the limits), you get understeer, followed by front tires clawing at the road on the way out of the turn (feeding back through the steering) accompanied by stability control system kicking in and making everything feel funny. If these are the roads you look for, get a different car than the 9-5.

By the way, you can also induce significant torque steer off the line with this car.

BOTTOM LINE:

My wife has her car, and I'm now looking for a used S2000. Still a great car, however.


Amount Paid (US$): 35,900