Saab 9-5 Wagon

explorerx4 · July 2003

am i wrong, or is the hk stereo now optional too(or not at all)?
have an '01 se wagon (3 year lease). v6 discontinued, '04 decontented. linears too little, aeros too much. doesn't look good for next year, either way.

dski · July 2003

I don't see the enthusiasm with all this! It just means the Saab is about Dead! IMO

V8's are not SAAB! Vauxhall's and Opels aren't Saab. GM is planning a rebadged Chevy Trailblazer for Saab. GM fired about a thousand employees in Sweden and GM put the woman who was hired to dismantle Oldsmobile in Charge of Saab.

Saab may live on somehow but it won't be same appealing and unique company anymore. The whole thing makes me sad. Volvo has NOTHING to fear. They are kicking the living you know what out of Saab sales unfortunately. With the way GM is running this division, don't expect that to change anytime soon.
Drew

dmmcirvin · July 2003

I am very happy with my one week old cosmic blue swede aero wagon with the ventilation seats, on star and turbo. I hope it proves to be as durable as the '95 Volvo 850 sedan with 198K miles and the original clutch that I'm passing on to my college bound niece. Any suggestions for Nokian snow tires for CO, 15 or 16"?

stu15 · July 2003

did it....2003 Saab 3.0t....white/tan. I love it.

39,975 MSRP....paid $34,975....got $6500 for my 1995 Volvo 940T Wagon with 61K miles (no leather or sunroof).

too bad they are dropping the V6 next year...the 4cyl feels rough..idles rough....sounds like a 4 cyl honda.

They have 2003 95 Linear Sedans for $30K! gorgeous cars (even though they are 4cyl). I'd take a Saab 95 over a Passat V6 any day for that money.

nelsoncm · July 2003

Funny, I used to have a Grand Sheltie, spitting image of Lassie, only smaller. Don't know if he would have liked the Saab or not, but he never had need for a cupholder anyway!

So Saab is chucking the v6 after what, 2 years? I haven't had a problem yet, and I do love the power. You couldn't pay me to drive the 2.3 linear, I drove one as a loaner car for 2 days and couldn't stand the vibration.

Guess that makes my Saab an interesting one-time experiment.

buddhabman · July 2003

GM needs Saab as their Euro line. They aren't going to mess with the quirkiness of Saab less they want to kill the brand. They will share platforms with Vauxhall & Opel in Europe to bring over here, and some other tech form Subaru to save costs. The Saab stylist hopefully will remain. They need and they will try to keep Saab as a premium brand.

The V8 is an evolution, particularly if they make a larger footprint model. The feature they need the most is AWD to make the most of the turbo powerplants. I do hope they come with a 300hp
AWD 9-5 and 280Hp AWD 9-3, 250Hp AWD 9-2. I think they will to be competitive.

dski · July 2003

Well.. the next two Saab Models are going to be:

A rebadged Chevy Trailblazer and a Rebadged Subaru.

Do you think this is NOT "killing a brand"? Add to that the fact that they have fired half the staff over at Saab in Europe. How are we to think they are serious about expanding the "Brand"?

Don't get me wrong, I want the Brand to succeed. But I was hoping they would leave the Good Stuff at Saab and fund it's growth, not take it over from Detroit.

Drew

skday1 · July 2003

my last post didn't, so this is just a test

revka · August 2003

Hi Folks- If you have any insights to offer on 2000-1 Saab 9-5 wagons, we'd appreciate your feedback in our Help me select a Wagons discussion, Post #376. Perhaps you can help snmat (Stephanie) make a decision.

And now, back to the subject of the Saab 9-5 Wagon. Thanks for your participation.

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

snmat · August 2003

with your 2000 or 2001 9-5 Wagons? I'm in the midst of deciding between the 9-5 and an LL Bean Subie and have gotten great advice about both. Now I'm curious what problems owners have had and how much they've cost to be fixed (if not under warranty). Btw, I've found two 9-5 Wagons, 2000, with 30,000 miles, so they'd still be under warranty at least for a bit.

And fauxpaws, if you read this, since you showed off your cute sheltie (and daughter), here's one of my "big red dogs". But no Best in Show jokes please. :-)

http://www.3lefties.com/sadie.htm

Steph

snmat · August 2003

http://www.3lefties.com/rhoridge/sadie.htm

Sorry!

tonyd6 · September 2003

I have noticed recently that often when I stop behind another car, my 2001 Saab 95 wagon picks up exhaust smell from the car in front. I took my car to my dealer, but they said that there was nothing wrong with my car's exhaust system or air conditioner. This problem doesn't happen all the time, and it happens in the country rather than the city, where you would expect some exhaust to make it through the AC filter.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what may be causing this problem?

dski · September 2003

The 9-5 has a Great feature you can program into the ACC system. I'm not sure of the procedure but you can program it so that when you come to a Stop, the Ventilation system automatically goes into Recirculation Mode to avoid just the problem your having. After you start back up, the system goes back to fresh air circulation.

If your system isn't already set like this, I'm shocked that your dealer didn't explain and program it for you. It should be in your manual and I'd point it out to the dealer as something he SHOULD have known!

Good Luck
Drew

explorerx4 · September 2003

our saab 9-5 se had a bad smell at times. it turned out to be the maf or map sensor. the kids said the car used to 'fart'. is it always the same smell?
it wasn't fixed until some kind of warning light went on. i would guess they needed the code to fix it.
btw, it started after the service department tried to fix another engine related problem (a leak).

mjwills · October 2003

What is included in the scheduled maintenance? Does it include oil changes? My 9-3 vector includes this, but I was wondering on a lease of a 9-5 wagon.

Also are there any rebates on this car? Do they apply to leases?

explorerx4 · October 2003

it's 3yrs/36k, so basically 10, 20, 30k.
i get the oil changed on my own on the 5's too.
you can try this site or saabusa for some info on rebates, etc.

revka · October 2003

mjwills- Here's a direct link to Edmunds' Incentives & Rebates section. Good luck, and please keep us posted on your purchase.

explorerx4- Thanks for your feedback/help in this discussion. ;-)

Revka
Host of Hatchbacks & Wagons

explorerx4 · October 2003

just trying to share my experiences.
alhough i'm not the primary driver, imho the 9-5 is a good looking, easy to live with vehicle.
have had some issues, but overall we like it.
like the no extra charge 30k maint, but had to pay about $300 for new front rotors and pads. actually the rotors were comp'd, but had to pay for the labor portion. based on the amount of dust the brakes produced and the fact the the traction control system probably uses the brakes too, i wasn't too suprised, though.
will have to decide in about 6 months or so weather to buy it, or turn it in.
not too many vehicles have heated rear seats, so i have to factor in the kids complaining by switching to something else.

dparadis · October 2003

Took delivery of a brand new 2003 9-5 Linear Wagon on october 2nd (my birthday!). End of year deals were great and I got mine for around $38,000. Expensive you say?!? Forgot to mention those are CAD dollars (around $US27,000), including premium and Touring package. I substracted another $2,000 from my GM card for an extremely sweet deal!

After having owned a Volvo 850 wagon and a V70 wagon (both non-turbo), I am still getting used to this car and cannot say that I absolutely love my Saab.

What I do like:

- A lot more sporty and impressive in acceleration than my old Volvos;
- the Saab is, I find, a far better long distance
cruiser, and is also a lot more stable at high speeds. My wife would often wake up when I reached 130-135 Km/h (was it the sound or the vibrations?) in the Volvos. I made it to 160 Km/h in the Saab during a week-end trip to Ottawa and even I couldn't tell (Cinderella and the kids just kept on sleeping...).
- Xenon headlights. I know they will make a huge difference in the quality of nighttime driving. They are great!

What I don't like:
- The sound system. While I have the Premium system (200 watts, 9 speakers), I am very disapointed by the high-pitched nature of this system. Its almost as if it has no base... Someone told me not to compare to the Volvo radio since it is sourced from Kenwood and is of course of better quality than the Harmon-Kardon!?! I find that hard to believe. Will ask my dealer to look into it.

- After 700 miles on it, I still cannot adjust my seat to the comfort level of my Volvo. The Saab's is harder, has less side bolstering and I find myself continuously micro-adjusting the electric controls in hope of finding just the right spot. The sore spot is the kidney area.

- The numbers seem to indicate that the storage area of the 9-5 and the V70 are similar. While that maybe true, i find that the 9-5 is narrower at the top than the v70. This shows up as the swivvel(!?!) part of the baby seat, when at the top, now intrudes into my rear view mirror view! When it is up, the swivvel now touches around the top of the C-pillar and intrudes inward.

The real test will be over next summer holidays. ( I do have the Thule Advanturer Box to supplement space)

- The xenon headlights!!! One is already not working on high beams (stays on low beam...).

Not enough to say Yeah or Nay at this point, but i do like the looks of the car.

One question though.

The xenon headlights have a pair of accompanying side halogen lights that seem to be operative in Europe (they work in tandem on high beams - both xenon and halogen). It seems that Transport Canada has required that they be disactivated for security reasons ( not mine it looks like!).

Anyone know how I can reactivate the halogen lamps? (Let Transport Canada find out if they can). Besides, i do plan to be respective of other drivers. Living in Montreal and often driving long distances at night, I would like to "get my moneys worth"

Thx for the help!

revka · October 2003

on your new 2003 9-5 Linear Wagon! Thanks for sharing all the details. We look forward to your future notes.... Happy motoring!

Revka
Host of Hatchbacks & Wagons

drive54 · October 2003

I am researching a 2001 Saab 9-5 wagon and noticed that they offer a V6 engine. Saab historically has offered 4 cylinder turbos and has eliminated the V6 for the 2004 model year.

Should I avoid the V6 engine, or has it been reliable?

rdeschene · October 2003

Congratulations on your deal on a Saab Linear Wagon. That's a pretty darn good deal - if only we had a local Saab dealer. Maybe next time around.

And I assume you were doing 160 klicks on the 417 (which isn't bad...if you're not caught!). When I first read that, and didn't realize you were from Montreal, I thought you might have been a Torontonian driving down Hwy 7 (two-lane!) at those speeds to Ottawa. "You get there faster if you get there at all!"

Anyways, Harmon-Kardon is a high-end stereo supplier so I would suggest reading your owners manual and playing around with the controls to see how much you can pump up the low frequencies. I suspect there are pre-programmed equalizer settings, and also (on manual mode) you can adjust the base/low frequencies up.

I would try addressing your headlight problem with the dealer -- this is a new car, a burnt out bulb seems rather premature. I never had to replace a bulb.

grumb · October 2003

I have a 2003 Arc SW with 18K miles and love it. The car grows on you. The headlights are very customizable by your dealer via the Tech II settings, but I am not sure if it would be legal in Canada to activate the halogens. As far as the stereo, SAAB & HK are aiming for sound that is very pure and deliberately does not introduce added bass that is not in the original recordings. You can adjust it somewhat, but don't expect a booming bottom end. Enjoy the vehicle

dski · October 2003

The stereo complaint you have is common from new 9-5 owners. Shame on your dealer for not going through the programing with you, explaining these features and setting your preferences. From you description, it sounds like you have the upgraded sound system, which DOES have a Sub Woofer, but yours is not turned on.

Check your owners manual. You need to find the proceedure for turning on the "Loud" feature. This will enable your sub woofer. It is dissapointing that H/K makes it difficult to figure this out and that the factory setting is for the loud feature to be off. I guess for some reason, they assume that the Upgraded stereo buyers only listen to AM radio. This is not the "best" sound system you could have but it certainly is not bad when programmed properly.

Good Luck, I'm sure you will love this car.
Drew

ncvol · October 2003

I've had the same question. The best I've been able to determine is that the V6 has done very well, but doesn't have the long track record that the Saab I4 has. Although, given the reliability history of Saabs before the late 90's that may not be a bad thing. The I4 is certainly the more quintissential Saab engine, while the V6 came in from GM.

I was all settled on the V6 myself until they discontinued it this year, making me worry about as well. Why stop making it if it's doing well? The simple explanation may be that Saab is trying to cut production costs, and only building one type of engine is more efficient than building two. I really haven't heard of any hint of a design flaw in the V6 that would make them pull it.

bretfraz · October 2003

With GM Europe coming out with all new V6 engines there's no reason for Saab to stay with the older 3.0L design. The 3.0L is/was shared with the Opel/Vauxhall Omega (aka Cadillac Catera) and that car is due for a major makeover soon.

My guess is that a V6 will be back in the 9-5 line within the next couple years, as soon as Saab can engineer a reliable turbo unit for it. Personally I'd rather see Saab continue development on a V8 for the 9-5 and skip the V6 completely. But GM will have the last say in this matter.

darandall · October 2003

Here's an odd one - when driving on the highway several weeks ago, there was a crashing noise from the front drivers side. I saw a flash or two, and thought a can from the road had popped up and hit the front once or twice. I got home to discover the turning lamp assembly had popped out, and was dangling by the wires. I reinserted the assembly, and figured it had been dislodged somehow. A week later, it popped out again, and banged around against the hood and front panel. I called the dealer from the road and service offered an immediate slot to fix it. I went in two days later, and spoke with the sales manager, who indicated that this has been a problem, confirming my suspicions raised by the immediate fix and availability of the part. Any other similar experiences?

fauxpaws · October 2003

sound is not the forte of the HK rig. I don't think they got the loudness contour right. Voice sounds boomy at low levels. You can certainly attract attention, though, if you leave loudness on and jack up the bass.

One of the first things I did when I got my 9-5 wagon home was disable the loudness control. Makes for a *much* more neutral sounding system, IMHO. Also, distortion is pretty low, so that lowers the "boom" factor. But if there's low information in those bits and bytes, the HK *will* produce it.

You want to boost it artificially, go ahead. Whatever floats your boat. Most folks haven't hear unamplified music enough to know what it really sounds like anyway <G>.

But try the "flat" setting first. Throw in a nicely recorded live CD (Allison Krause + Union Station Live, Nine Inch Nails Live, whatever...) and crank it up to concert level. You'll get a nice seat of the pants feeling. Clean and natural. Nothing added. And that center channel!!!

This is, by far the best sounding car system I've ever owned. Better by far than US$2500 in separates I poured into my last car. In a quiet environment like the 9-5, it makes traffic jams on the NJ Turnpike bearable.

Best,
Greg

PS: Dparadis, congrats on the Linear. I think it comes closest to what the Swedes had in mind when they designed the car. With the price you paid, have you stopped grinning yet?

dparadis · October 2003

Thank you all for the responses...

Just a quick note to mention that I haven't yet been to the dealer with my sound problem (it's that damn day job...). But I have noticed in the interim that the woofer in the back is shot (very little comes out of it, either with or w/o loudness on).

My litmus test for the quality of sound is AC/DC - Shoot to thrill (Back in Black) from time 3:20 (bass only) on to 3:50 (high pitched fuzz guitar)on with voice a few seconds later. Crank up the sound at the beginning (watch the windows shake!!!) and see if the system carries and supports the dynamics throughout. And that's just the thing; the windows in the SAAB do not shake (Volvo's did...). And believe me, I am not a boom box type. (Home speakers are Mordaunt Short - English I believe). And I do listen to Norah Jones but I think any system can handle that.

Will post again with update...

BTW, I have discovered and experimented a bit more with the sports ("S") setting in the 9-5. It is really remarkable. Every other car that I have owned, as far as I know, only added 500 rpm before gear changes. Didn't do much for responsiveness. In the 9-5 however, everything about performance is improved with the S setting. Must be the magic of Turbo (feels like you're riding a rabbit, ...or something like that...). Can only imagine how it is with the Aero.

Final note, I find the car extremely smooth. I felt like Jerry McGuire riding home form work last Friday, trying to match the music to my mood. ("Just call me angel, of the morning...":-))

I started with AC/DC (again) and swear to god, ended up in the driveway listening to classical music. The car just soothes the soul... AMEN!!!

fauxpaws · October 2003

when you get out of the city lights at night on a smooth stretch of highway is to hit the "night panel" button. Ahhhh. The night just opens up. One of the best features of the car, IMHO.

But first, get the da***d sub hooked up! If the sound on your reference recording is just OK now, you'd better be wearing one of those adult diapers when you hit "Play".

Best,
Greg (Pro-Ac, Cary, Rogue, AudioQuest wire)

PS: Agreed on the tightness of the car. Any rattles I've encountered are due to CD's in the door storage areas.

explorerx4 · October 2003

2 1/2 years, 9-5 wagon, no rattles. hadn't really noticed that until mentioned here(probably because the rattles aren't there to be heard). btw, it's been read ended and had the bumper cover and foam underneath it replaced. to me, the 6 is smoother than the 4. not the primary driver, but i have never tried the sport mode. i don't drive it like a hot rod and the exhaust note doesn't 'push' me to do that. base 4 seems to have plenty of power though, just not as smooth.

dski · October 2003

I absolutely aggree Faux...

Most people probabaly don't utilize the Night Panel feature but I think it's awesome. Traveling the expressway at night I activate it and then dim the remaining lights all the way down. Of course once you hit the metro areas and traffic lights etc... it helps to turn everything back up.

Drew

explorerx4 · October 2003

a few more(little)things about our 9-5.
the backup lights are great, they throw out a lot of light.
the door seals work great. i don't have to clean the part where the doors and the a,b,c pillars meet.
that night panel freaks me out when the gauges all drop to zero, and then the dashboard lights go out.

saabturboid · October 2003

The V6 and the Saab 4cyl engines in the 9-5 are both good. Which one you should buy depends on your preferences. Here are the differences:

V6 - It's a discontinued GM of Europe engine with a single bank of cylinders driving a small turbo charger. Due to the turbo's size, it will spin up quickly resulting in almost no turbo lag, but does not really add much power. The result is an ultra smooth engine that is slightly boosted for decent performance. The V6 engine is only mated to the automatic (no manual trannies here), and its only big drawback is it has a timing belt which requires changing every 30k miles. This costs anywhere from four to six hundred dollars depending on who does the work.

The 4cyl as has already been mentioned is a true designed and built Saab motor. It is well proven and has a lot of performance potential. In the base 9-5 it isn't even close to being used to its potential. There are a lot of aftermarket companies that provide upgrade-kits to get a lot more power out of these engines. I own a 9000 with a similar 2.3 engine that stock has 258 ft/lbs of torque and 225 hp. If well cared for, these engines are bullet-proof. The 4cyl is available either with an auto or a manual transmission and has a life of engine timing chain rather than the ever so temporary V6 timing belt.

I'd take the 4cyl any day, but if you have no interest in improving the performance of your car, want an automatic, and don't care about changing the timing belt every 30k then the V6 is a fine choice.

Chad Payne

'97 9000 Aero
'02 9-3 SE

saabturboid · October 2003

I'm a long time Saab owner. A 9000 Aero and a 9-3 SE currently reside in my garage. My family is growing and we now have two children (one almost 3, and the other two months old). We are feeling the lure of a minivan, which apparently a lot of people feel once they have their second child. The space issue comes into play, especially when road trips to the grandparents are required. These trips with two small children require a LOT of storage space for the stuff that goes with them. We'd also like the nicety of a video player to keep them occupied and the sliding doors make loading and unloading kids a snap.

The point of this message is we are on the fence whether we should join the populous minivan crowd, or find our own road and get a 9-5 wagon. The 9-5 wagon would be a lot more fun to drive, but would also be less spacious for road trips and not as good at things like towing a camper trailer.

As Bill O'Reilly would say, What say you?

dparadis · October 2003

My kids are now 3 and 6 years old.

I too for a while felt that I might be better served by a minivan. However, my first reaction with the first born was one of security. I instead bought a Volvo 850 wagon (and then a V70) which I kept through the birth and first years of the second born.

The lack of extra space I made up by buying an extra large Thule Adventurer box which can then be intalled on a need be basis. The carrying capacity of this accessory is truly amazing.

With the grandparents living three hours drive away, we know all about the accessories that needed to be brought along (high chair, portable crib,...) The Tuhle always delivered..

Now that the kids are past the baby stage, I am happpy to have stayed with the "station wagon" instead of the minivan. I figure you need the space for maybe two, three weeks during the year (vacation time). For the other 48 weeks, you end up with a real car.

Now that I have the 9-5 wagon, my only regret is not having switched before.

P.S. To be honest, I must admit to having felt some minivan envy during the latest summer holidays. Both of the couples we traveled with had Siennas (albeit with three kids each) and they looked damned comfortable.

As far as the DVDs go, just watch for the portables that are now coming out ultra cheap. They can be installed on the armrest between the front seats and plugged into the cigarette lighter...

Good luck!!

bretfraz · October 2003

The V6 timing belt needs replacement every 60K, not 30K. And Saab USA pays for the first replacement.

ncvol · October 2003

Good to read these posts. I'm going through this as well with two kids and a new car purchase coming up. A minivan has never been considered, but I'm glad to know that my plan of a wagon + roof carrier has already been tested with good results. :-)

dski · October 2003

My advice, do what's right after careful consideration.

We have the Wagon and it's fine for us with a 7 & 9 year old but.... We have always had a good size SUV for those trips where storage is needed. AND trust me.. you will need it.

Our second vehicle is a Honda Pilot. It's a bit bland but an awesome road vehicle with tons of cargo space. If you need things like Strollers (UGH) and Portable Cribs.. don't even dream that you'll get away with the Wagon alone.. Sorry.

The video thing? I got that with the Pilot and it's a nice feature but.. now that I've found some nice portable DVD players, I wish I would have gotten Honda's Nav System and a portable DVD player. I found an Awesome one at Best Buy that is a single Screen unit where you insert the Disk into the top of the screen. It has a stand and attaching speakers for when you want to use it as a table top.... around $400 if I'm remembering correctly.

Good Luck
Drew
PS.. The Pilot is much smoother and quieter over the road than our 9-5 Wagon.. it's just bland.

lancerfixer · October 2003

Well, I can only think of two possible explanations here; one being I have some sort of packing ability that goes above and beyond that of mere mortals, or the second being that the trunk of my Volvo sedan is like the TARDIS...the interior is in another dimension and therefore infinite. I can think of no other theories to support why everyone around me seems to need a big honkin' SUV or minivan to move their kid and his/her assorted stuff a distance of greater than 50 yards, whereas on the two midwest-to-east-coast drives we've made, I've been able to get a stroller, Pack n' Play, and various assorted baby stuff plus enough clothes for a week for myself, Mrs. Lance and Lancer 2.0. Clearly more research is warranted, and either way I think NASA or the Air Force should be involved. It's obvious that either I or my car are the solution to their cargo-carrying problems.

robr2 · November 2003

I think it's in the how much to pack ability. If we are going to visit family, it's easier to pack light on clothes because we can wash them there. We go to Grandma's in FLA via air for a week with 2-21" rollers (with all the clothes), each kid with a tiny roller (with their toys), a backpack, and a briefcase and have everything we need. Our first driving vacation with a then 4 YO and 18 month old found the back of the Ody filled with a wagon, high chair, pack & play, toys, floats, life jackets, pillows, etc. We took more than we needed because we could.

As the kids get older, their stuff gets smaller. We really don't need the Ody for family vacations any more because we aren't carrying all that stuff. But it's good to know I can stuff muliple 42" plasmas in there if I had too!!

lancerfixer · November 2003

I was hoping for the "dimensional portal" thing, myself.

nelsoncm · November 2003

I have a 02 Arc Wagon, and I downsized from a Merc Sable wagon, which had about 8 more cu. feet than the Saab and far better storage space/cubbies within the car. The Sable had the equivalent space of many SUV's including the Ford Explorer. (But it was in the shop all the time, so there you go.)
Anyway, I only have one kid and when it's just him and me, we do fine with space in the Saab. But when we take family trips, it includes my husband, the dog (who gets the back of the wagon) and all our stuff. We have a roof rack, but not the Thule thingee. It gets really cramped in the Saab on family trips, even with the roof rack utilized. (I got through my son's stroller/Pack n' Play phase in the Sable and never could have done it in the Saab.)
But even w/out all the baby accessories on board, the appalling lack of cubbie space makes the Saabe frustrating for me. There's nary a place to put trash, wrappers, etc. after you've buzzed through the fast food for a bite on the road. The armrest/storage bin is lost when it becomes the drinkholder for you or your spouse. The cell phone is stuffed into the small door pocket with my tiny packet of kleenex and my headset.
Anyway, if I had 2 kids, I'd either be back in a Sable wagon or move up to a Highlander or Pilot. I drove a couple of minivans and just don't like the way they drive -- too ponderous.
I love many features of my v6 Saab, especially the seats and the solidness of the construction, and in my opinion the awesome stereo system -- but even with one kid we feel cramped on family trips and it's a shame there are so few large wagons on the market. The Ford/Mercurys are the largest domestic wagons and then you're looking at the Mercedes, and who wants to spend $50K on a wagon? I feel a bit superior not having caved in to the lure of the SUV or minivan, but someimes, it is hard.
P.S. The Saab has lived up to its reputation as a very reliable car. It is nice not having to visit my dealership every other month!

drive54 · November 2003

buysaab · November 2003

My 1996 V6 owner's manual shows the intervals for belt change-out at "no-charge" up to 100K regardless of years on the road. Don't be tardy on the 30K intervals or they may charge for labor and material (belt). Call the dealer for information.

explorerx4 · November 2003

'01 book says saab will replace at no charge to customer at 60k.
speaking of maintenance, any ideas on how much the 40k and 60k services are? think i remember seeing 650-700 for 60k in one of the ed'ies saab discussions.
major diffs '01 se to '04 arc, as far as i can tell;
01 v6- regular gas, 04 i4- premium.
01 heated front and rear seats, 04 front only.
01 onstar included(1 year), 04 optional(hardware and subscription?). 01 4spd auto, 04 5spd auto.
01 chrome exhaust tips, 04 hidden.
anything else i can agonize about?

kebbat · November 2003

Hi, we are taking delivery of a 2003 9-5 Linear either on Wednesday.

Silver w/ graphite interior, all the bells and whistles.

Just wondering what the experience has been with the sentronic manual shifting option .....

Also, we got the car "loaded" and paid 30k. Sound like we got a good deal? We live in Mass.

blockislandguy · November 2003

No one has remarked on the asymetric turbo hung on the V6 that is powered by only one bank of the Vee.

The set up sounds wierd. Kind of like a guy running a marathon is a New Balance on one foot and an Allen Edmonds tassel loafer on the other. Do the cylinders use the same pistons? Usually, turbo engines have different pistons (oil cooled jets; lower compression ratios, etc.) than natural engines. Does Saab use the same Part Numbers across the banks? Are the valves the same? I would expect that the exhaust valves on the turbo head would run a lot hotter and have to have better material and be in better seats.

In any case, wouldn't the diffent load patterns between the turbo and nonturbo cylinders lead to abnormal wear because one bank of the engine is doing more work? Wouldn'/t the fact that one side of the engine is loafing while the other isn't, require that one side of the engine need rings or head work first?

petersjf · November 2003

We purchased the exact car you describe, 2003 linear + touring and premium for 31.5k including loyalty discount last April so 30k is a good deal. So far, we've been happy with the performance and handling and are not bothered much by the mild turbo lag at the low end. I don't use the sentronic automanual mode much - I find the Sport mode more satisfying with smoother acceleration. It comes in handy on long hills, but not in routine driving IMO.

explorerx4 · November 2003

my unexpert opinion. all the air on the intake side passes through the turbo, so all the cylinders get more or less equal pressure. on the exhaust side, there would be some imbalance, but since a turbo can spin at like 100k rpm, it doesn't take much pressure to get it moving. i imagine the exhaust manifolds can designed differently to somewhat equalize the flow, if that is required. interesting questions, though. maybe someone knows the real answers.

Saab 9-5 Wagon

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