- station wagon 124,632
- 664 below average
- 3,500 good
- Nicholasville, KY
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- autoshopper.com
- 664 below average station wagon 124,632 gasoline grey automatic
2003 saab 9-5 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Fast, stable and comfortable. introductionthe saab 9-5 line of sedans and wagons are comfortable, convenient and enjoyable to drive around town and on the open road. Precise steering and excellent high-speed stability make the 9-5 a great companion for covering distances in a hurry. The seats are supportive and the interior is well designed. The saab 9-5 aero is an absolute delight for working through fast traffic. The luxurious 9-5 arc is no slouch either, offering brisk acceleration performance. the saab 9-5 benefited from suspension, steering and styling changes last year that sharpen its handling and its looks. For 2003, the electronic stability program (esp) is now standard on all models, a real benefit. . lineupsaab 9-5 (pronounced 'nine-five') is available in three trim levels, or 'forms.' the 9-5 linear, arc, and aero each offer a distinct personality. Essentially, they match interior styles and engine performance to suit the different personalities and priorities of their owners. Linear sedan 33,995) and wagon 34,695) come with an impressive level of standard equipment, including leather upholstery with leather door-panel inserts, a walnut-trimmed instrument panel, power front seats with electric heat, power sliding sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, cabin air filter, power windows, power central locking, steering-wheel audio controls, am/fm/cd/cassette stereo with seven speakers, front and rear fog lights, abs, and traction control. Arc sedan 33,650) and wagon 39,350) comes standard with the new sentronic five-speed automatic transmission, which can be manually shifted using buttons on the steering wheel. Standard features include ventilated leather seats with electric heat plus their own internal three-speed fan to circulate cooling air in the summer. Rear seats are heated as well and are much appreciated by rear-seat passengers. Aero wagon and sedan come with a sports suspension and 17-inch wheels, and are distinguished by unique exterior styling cues, special bolstered leather sport seats and metallic-finish dash trim. Aero models cost the same as the arc models, but the power-ventilated leather seats are optional 995). the sentronic automatic transmission is optional on linear and aero 1300). . walkaroundsaab revised the styling of the 9-5 last year to give it a sportier look. That look remains unchanged for 2003. up front, smooth bumpers, an integrated grille, and clear-lens headlamps emphasize performance. Those clear headlight lenses show off the optional bi-xenon projector headlamps, which give the 9-5 a high-tech, night-fighter look. On the wagons, a rear decor panel visually unites the tail lamps for a tighter, more solid appearance. Aero models sport an aero badge. Badges on the trunk lids identify the engines on the linear (2. 3t) and arc (3. 0t) models. exclusive wheels differentiate linear, arc, and aero. Linear rides on 16-inch, ten-spoke alloy wheels, while arc runs five-spoke 16-inch alloys. Sporty 17-inch alloy wheels with ten spokes come on the aero model, with low-profile 225/45wr-17 all-season radials, a tip-off that this is a high-performance car. overall, the saab 9-5 has a sculpted, scandinavian appearance. Its aerodynamic lines are tautly drawn. Yet it's also practical in that scandinavian way. The traditional saab clamshell hood remains. Interior materials are high quality. the seats in the aero wagon offer sufficient side bolstering for hard cornering, yet sliding into and out of them was easy. There were plenty of adjustments, yet it wasn't critical to adjust them just so in order to get comfortable. the arc we drove also had a nice leather interior, with perforated center inserts on the seats. The arc's seats are particularly nice when it's very hot or very cold outside. We loved the arc's seat fans. Two fans are located in each of the front seats, one in the seatback and one in the seat bottom, that draw air in through perforations in the leather. But they do a good job of keeping things aired out down under on those sultry days. When it's cold, the seat heaters can be turned on, and feature adjustable temperature settings, useful as the car warms up. Seat heaters in the rear are appreciated by rear-seat passengers who generally have to wait longer for the car to warm up than front-seat passengers. brushed aluminum panels on the aero's dash give it a sporty look. It's pocked for better grip, between 2 and 4 o'clock on the right side and 8 and 10 on the left. arc features an attractive center dash, though the burled walnut wood trim looked like plastic. The doors are trimmed very well. the instrument panel is curved at the top in the same shape as the steering wheel, affording an unobstructed view of the speedometer, tachometer, fuel, temperature and turbo boost gauges. It's fun to watch the boost gauge, as the power responds more to boost than to revs. big buttons for the sound and climate systems are located in a large rectangle in the center console and are easy to understand. The audio controls for the harmon/kardon stereo are great. Redundant audio controls on the steering wheel reduce distraction from the road. The radio is wired hot so it can be turned on without the key, useful when parked. Vents are attractive and designed well for aiming. the leather-stitched shifter knob on automatic models has a good feel and is easy and pleasant to operate. The gearshift knob for the manual transmission is also leather-stitched and pear-shaped and likewise has a good feel. Manual models have a light on the dash indicating when it's time to upshift to conserve fuel, a feature we could live without. saab comes up with unorthodox, but effective solutions to interior needs. In the 9-5, these solutions are clever and very successful. A cup holder pops out of the dash from a vertical slot the size of a cd and pivots around to hold cans of soda or that grande cappuccino. A fixed cup holder in the center console is a bit less convenient, especially if there's already lots of stuff in there. the far end of the right side-view mirror bends outward, which provides a wider view of the right lanes. It requires familiarization to determine the location of an approaching car at a quick glance. We found it didn't work well in the rain. When moving from the left lane to the right lane, it could sometimes make an approaching car look like it was changing lanes and moving toward us. interior lighting is excellent, including one map light in a rotating directional ball, like the reading lights in airliners. The placement of the gauges, the cup holder, radio switches and the map light indicate real thought went into the saab 9-5 interior. Instrument lights can be switched off by pressing the night panel button for improved nighttime visibility. split visors allow shielding the sun when it's in the corner of the windshield or when changing directions fre. driving impressionthe saab 9-5 is a wonderful car for working through freeway traffic. It's as stable as a rock at elevated velocities and feels supremely confident in sweeping turns, taking high-speed turns like it's on rails. handling and steering response are terrific. Saab extensively reworked the chassis and suspension of all three models last year for sharper handling and steering response. There's less suspension pitching or other movements in the rear. The ride is firmer, but we found the arc handles bumps well, damping and softening big bumps. We found the arc offered good grip in corners, though, there is some traditional saab body lean. Steering was slow, but precise. Power Windows✔ Tachometer✔ AM/FM✔ Climate Control✔ Leather Seats✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Alloy Wheels
3,500 Nicholasville, KYNicholasville, KY at autoshopper.com