• 2008 Saab 9-5

• Used Saab 9-5
• Repairs Saab 9-5

These scores and this review are from when the car was new.

Scorecard

Overall:	2008 Saab 9-5 U.S. News Best Cars 8.0
Critics' Rating:	8.6
Performance:	7.3
Interior:	7.8
Safety:	9.4
Reliability:

How we calculate scores

Research analyzed for this review

Pros & Cons

• Good safety ratings, though not award-winning like its smaller 9-3 sibling
• Impressive output from the turbocharged four-cylinder engine
• Sporty handling

• Ride is overly firm, too choppy for many drivers
• High base price, compared to competitive European and Japanese upscale sedans

Research Other Years

• 2011 Saab 9-5
• 2010 Saab 9-5
• 2009 Saab 9-5
• 2007 Saab 9-5

The 9-5 delivers sporty handling and great safety ratings, but can't match the ride quality of others in its class.

Saab is proud of its aircraft-building heritage, and with good reason. Many reviewers say the sedan's four-cylinder engine is capable of jet-like speed and acceleration. But most consumers and critics expect more from an entry-luxury vehicle. A rough ride and not-quite-silent interior are sore spots for test drivers. The 9-5 sedan does live up to its Swedish reputation for strong safety ratings and a clean, if dated, design (it was updated in 2006 but is otherwise a 1999 car). But for a design that lags behind competitors for newness, the 9-5 leads the class with the highest MSRP.

If you are in the market for an upscale sedan, consider the prestige and all-around excellence of a BMW 3-Series, or the luxurious Lexus ES.

• "The 9-5 is the senior Saab, a mid-size front-drive sedan that aspires to the lower ranks of the European luxury-car class. However, there's only one engine…and it also has the disadvantage of being a front-drive sedan in a rear- and/or all-wheel drive class." -- Car and Driver
• "Saab enthusiasts should be satisfied with what amounts to a faster, sharper, better-looking, and best of all more affordable 9-5. For the rest of us, all-wheel drive and V6 power can't come soon enough." -- AutoWeek
• "As always, any 9-5 is a good choice for drivers who don't want a cookie-cutter car." -- New Car Test Drive
• "It has a higher price than many competitors, it's average in most every way, and it lacks an all-wheel-drive option. The result? A good 9-5 lost in a sea churning with better alternatives." -- Autoweb
• In its 2006 review, CNET reports the 9-5 "might not be the brightest star in the galaxy of near $40,000 passenger cars, but the Swedish four-door certainly isn't the dimmest." -- CNET
• "I went into this test drive regarding the 9-5 as the elder statesmen of European cars and came away with a new-found respect for it. Yes, it's been around a while, and its face bears the scars of questionable plastic surgery. But the 9-5 can still hustle with the best of 'em, and that's what really counts." -- About.com