This car was a real surprise. We outgrew our VW Passat Sedan recently...in need of a wagon. We looked at everything from a new Passat wagon to an E series Mercedes. Always drove by the Saab dealership without a second thought. We had almost settled on an Audi A6 but were troubled by the fact that you couldn't get it with a manual transmission. On the way home, on a whim, we dropped into the Saab dealership and were immediately drawn to a Porsche red 9-5 wagon. It had a 5 speed! We were given the keys and took it out for a drive. I drove it first and was amazed by it's torque. It carved through the corners like a go-kart, yet the ride was smooth,quiet and comfortable. No torque steer, a little turbo lag...and whoosh! I couldn't believe this was a station wagon! When my wife drove it initially, she was afraid to take her foot entirely off the clutch for fear of the rush of power. Fortunately, she has broken this habit.

The car we were handed was the 9-5 Aero Sportwagon. We bought it that day and have been thrilled ever since. It has a 250 horsepower engine with 257 lb. ft. of torque. With the five speed, there is a 20 second overboost function that gives you an additional 20 lb.ft. of torque when you floor it. It feels like nitrous. The car handles like on rails. It sits low to the ground and it's dynamics belie it's size. Interior volume is second only to the Mercedes E-wagon. The seats are very comfortable with excellent side support. Front and back are heated. All of the obligatory safety gear are present. Our infant and toddler seats clamp in via the LATCH system. There is a cargo net that keeps stuff in the back from coming to the front. The car was rated the safest car ever tested by the European version of the NHTSA.

The interior is attractive, very Saab-esque. I had an old 900S when I was younger and similarities abound. You still stick the key in the floor to start the car, and have to put it into reverse to get your key back. Kind of quirky-cool. Maybe it's just different for the sake of being different, but it's functional.The only downside is that some of the switches don't have the highest quality feel. Our other car is an Audi A4 and we've been spoiled by the VW/Audi attention to interior detail that is lacking in almost every other car make. This is a minor point however. The Saab overall has a very solid, vault-like high quality feel to it.

In terms of bang for the buck, I think this is the third most powerful station wagon on the market. The first two are the Audi S6 and BMW 540i. You have to pay $20000 more for either of those. And as a final, perhaps juvenile point, it feels good knowing you can pull up beside a Porsche Boxster at a stoplight and have him for lunch when the light turns green.
Amount Paid (US$): 41000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: Aero