Saab test drive 9-5 2001-2005 sedan

Universal car

Saab 9-5 Wagon: Functionality and luxury in Scandinavian
 
And be sure to pay attention to which car your potential partner came to the meeting. The car can tell about a lot. Further, the author of the book for beginner businessmen is trying to compare the type of vehicle with the character of the owner. An interesting, I must say, research, although very subjective. In the case of Saab 9-5 Wagon, one can say definitely: its owner is an energetic person, tastefully, he appreciates comfort, is quite wealthy, holds a good post in the company, and at the same time practical.
 
They meet by car
 
In general, and without any books, it is clear - a car for the image of a person (and a company that he represents) means no less than a suit and good manners. Take a look at Saab 9-5 - its appearance symbolizes dynamism, if you like, the desire for success. And in the Wagon version, the model has retained the sports look: the back does not look heavy, and the profile with a roof line decreasing to the stern emphasizes the ability to move very quickly.
 
It is worth looking into the salon, as you know - the owner managed to achieve considerable, but did not lose the taste for active activity. The front seats are soft and comfortable, with developed lateral support. Of course, they are equipped with servo drives. Only a lumbar background is mechanically regulated. The steering wheel of a small diameter and the slope of the checkpoint are lined with the skin. The panel of instruments in the traditional aviation style is deployed to the driver. An audio system with a cassette radio, a compact disc player and a tuner can be controlled directly from the steering wheel and has an excellent sound. The separate climate control system is very effective and provides comfort in any weather.
 
Passengers of 9-5 Wagon, located behind, also have nothing to blame the creators of the machine, the legs are quite enough. The luggage compartment, as it should be in the station wagon, is very roomy: its volume is 890 liters. And if you completely fold the rear seat (you can also in parts), then the owner will receive at his disposal 2000 liters of utility space. Say, with the transportation of equipment and materials for presentations, problems should not arise. On the sides of the compartment are two black boxes for compact luggage. As for the first -aid kit, an emergency stop, a set of tools and other little things, all this is in the best way under a double floor. In addition, the trunk has a special grid and a pair of belts for fixing things. As an option, a special passing floor is proposed, capable of withstanding a load of 200 kg. A thing useful for picnic lovers.
 
Speed \u200b\u200band comfort
 
Most often, Saab is used by top managers without a driver, although it is quite suitable as a traveling corporate car. The first thing the owner will undoubtedly note is an excellent soundproofing of the cabin: by running the engine, you can find out about its work only by devices. There are practically no vibrations, which indicates a good balancing of the power unit. The car that got to the test had a mechanical 5-speed box. I turn on the first gear and smoothly touch the place - first you need to get used to it a little. I note the softness of the clutch pedal and its relatively small move - the moment of picking is felt, but not too clearly. The move of the gear shift handle is just as short, and this is a certain plus.
 
The engine shows its full power, as soon as the tachometer arrow crosses the mark of 2500 rpm. If at the same time, the gas pedal is in the floor, then it should be omitted, otherwise the engine will rush into the electronic limiter in literally a split second. It is better to switch to the next step in time, then the acceleration rate will not fall. Yes, we still have to manage to dodge from the rear bumpers of other cars too fast in front ... In fairness, I’ll say that it is easy to do. Perhaps even too easy, which is the question. The fact is that the steering is peculiar. The machine reacts very sharply to the turns of the lamb, but the feedback is not too obvious. Of course, with an increase in speed, the steering wheel is heavy, but, in my opinion, not enough. In general, such settings need to be used to. The brakes did not cause any complaints. To moderately, a hard pedal is felt well, and brake calipers press the pads with such force that it will not be difficult to stop 9-5 at any speed. ABS, which is included in the standard equipment, will suffer from possible skidding on slippery coating, and at the same time will not annoy with strong vibration on the pedals. The stabilization system has also established itself very well.
 
Frankly, in one of the turns, I frankly overwhelmed at a speed, trying to determine the limit of the car. ESP turned on at the last moment and behaved very correctly, easily correcting my mistakes and practically preserving the given trajectory of movement. By the way, the turns themselves are passing like on rails, the moment of skidding occurs already when a normal driver will release the gas pedal for a long time. In general, the behavior of Saab 9-5 Wagon left a good impression.
 
Flit prospects
 
Saab 9-5 Aero Wagon - the car is not cheap, and is more than designed for middle and senior managers. The fact that, according to the results of the study conducted by the insurance company Folksam, Saab 9-5 in 2003, became the safest car in Sweden is also important. This is the only model in which the indicators according to the results of crash tests are 40% better than similar in the average car. Saab 9-5 was also recognized as a car with the least risk of disability as a result of an accident.
 
If we talk about prices, then in salons they start from a $ 34 600 mark. The list of standard equipment includes a 2-liter 150-horsepower engine with turbocharges, 4 airbags, ABS, climate control, audio system, heating the front seats, and a fabric interior.
 
As for discounts for corporate customers, they are united for all GM departments, including SAAB. When buying, a discount can be up to 14%, up to 15%for service, and up to 20%for spare parts. Plus many additional services.
 
Finally, about competitors. Among them are the Mercedes-Benz E-class station wagons, Audi A6 Avant, BMW 5th series, Volvo V70. Saab wins at the price of many competitors, and the cost of owning all these models varies within a few hundred dollars a year - that is, not much for business class cars. So the choice of a flue manager in this case can be based on the attractiveness of corporate programs.
 
Andrey Osipov
 

A source: Newspaper "Automobile Izvestia" [No. 9 (55), 2004]