Good Car with minor quirks
Pros:
Great gas mileage (highway), reliability, not too many on road. Snow traction.
Cons:
Occasional weird electrical quirks - not uncommon in european makes
The Bottom Line:
Highly recommended. If cared for will treat you quite well.
|
|
Overall Rating:
|
 |
|
Author's Review
I have a 2003 9-5 ARC (V6 turbo). Comfortable, reliable. It does have its little quirks that come with age. Occassionally I see the airbag light flash for a second.. this happens once every 2-3 months and does not worry me. I have had issues with the SID (Saab Information Display) with pixels burning.. very common. You can find fixes easily on ebay (instructions) or some places do SID exchanges and SIDs are not expensive via this route (100-200). A dealer will charge you over 400 for a new SID installed. With my new SID I have had problems with fuses burning once a month or so or more on long drives. I just keep a pack handy and pop one in.. very easy to do that it takes seconds.
Other than that the car is very reliable and comfortable, especially on long trips. I love the ventilated seats in the summer and seat warmers in the winter. I have also grown accustomed to the rear parking assist and have trouble with rental cars (I expect that beep beep beep). Gas mileage on highway is EXCELLENT. I have seen 30 mpg! And this is a v6 Turbo! City driving is blech - 15-16mpg.
Winter driving is secure, car has a Winter mode button that aids in traction.
Engine performance is good, very good when you press the Sport button; but I only use this when merging on the highway. With gas prices the way they are, slow and steady is my new mantra.
Overall I am very happy with my car. I have driven the gamut of european cars - Mercedes, Volvo, MINI, BMW, Audi, VW, Peugeot and this is among the tops (along with my old 1992 Peugeot 405mi16 which I still miss).
CarsBelowInvoic e
