9-5 Aero, 2006-2009, buying advice

[yamahafj]

Hi Saab enthusiasts!

I have thoughts on buying an Aero hatchback having completed perhaps 15.0000 miles or so. I have read the technical spec s but are still unsure - does the Aero require 98 octane?

Thinking of automatic or manual. I've read that the Aero really is best suited to automatic but the gearbox is quite slow - is this true? According to the spec the manual 1.5 seconds quicker to 100 km/h. It sounds a lot.

You who own this vehicle, what is you average fuel consumption?

Is there anything special I should look out for this model and is there anything in the luxury department that is a must have?

Many questions...

:-)

[SaabScott]

First off, good decision. ;-)

A Saab does not require hi-octane.
However, it does get more power and better fuel economy when you do use it.
Mine only gets either 91 or 94 octane here.

I would recommend driving both and let your butt make the decision.
I have found that the autos actually feel faster.
The auto plus turbo plus the electronics on the car work incredibly well together.

I average, over the long term, approx 9.5L/100kms.

Aero is a must (IMO), sunroof is something I won't live without. After that, everything else is personal.

[yamahafj]

Thanx for info.

Yup, an automatic seems the way to go.

9,5l/10 km is not so bad when you have 260hp under the hood.

:-)

I guess I would like the Harman Kardon audio in the car too.

Have you had any problems with your Aero, Scott?

[tunnanxwd]

Since you mention automatic, I'll toss this in just in case in shopping you find it difficult to find an Aero and decide to settle for something else. This may apply to Aero automatics too, I am not sure.

I was just getting back into Saab shopping and looking for a 9-5 auto so I did not takes real good notes on the models I was testing.

One poster has gone on to ask a question about the fact that he just bought two Saabs (wife a 9-5 and self a 9-3), and that his wife was complaining that the car was too slow a was dangerous; it was an automatic and these were purchased new.

I put this information in my "pocket" and began to test used but late model 9-5's and lo and behold I found what he was asking about. Each one had a real "dead spot" in the acceleration curve. Worst, it showed up under highway merge conditions. Imagine getting onto a busy highway from a side road and as the car goes through the gears it hits a wall of jello.

After car #2 the salesman concedes "they do that, use the paddle shifters". I was trading my former car (2000 Corvette), over medical issues and am not in the mood to be "100% on my game ... did I turn sport on? ..... oops, forgot paddle mode?

A few folks on the forums then asked if these cars were Aero or implored me to try a manual. Sadly, at the moment, there were only about 4 or 5 dealer cars in the NJ area and when I finally found the perfect car, I could not afford it. A Delaware Line dealer had a brand new Griffin, black, manual and he was not willing to budge much on the $35k price. Possibly the last new 9-5 in the mid-east?

Just tossing this out in case you come down a notch from the Aero search. Wring the car out a bit and put it through some paces.

[Hirsch]

First off, good decision. ;-)

A Saab does not require hi-octane..

Some Saabs do require high octane fuel. Maybe its because mine is a high compression V6 turbocharged engine, but 91 octane or higher is recommended for my car. I've never run anything less than 89 in it.

[nordwulf]

Many countries (including Sweden) in Europe use RON (Research Octane Number) for petrol ratings. North America uses AKI (Anti Knock Index).
Super in Europe is 98 MON which is equivalent to 93-94 AKI. Regular 95 MON in Europe is 90-91 AKI which is a mid-grade in North America.

It should be fine without using 98 MON but many owners report better fuel mileage with higher octane fuel. Performance will be a bit better as well.

Average with my 2.3T Aero has been about 9L/100km which is pretty good for a 250hp engine.
http://saabworld.net/garage-view-fuel-tracking-4/

The great thing with these turbo engines is that it consumes fuel like a regular 4-cylinder when you're just cruising or taking it slow. But you always have that extra power available when you need it. Or just want it.

[yamahafj]

Thanx for info on gearbox and octane. I will of course test the car before buying one. And I will look out for "the jello spot".

0.9 litres/10 kilometers is a good figure. But I like to put my foot down so I guess I will average a bit more...

Heard that some people has had issues with the Xenonlights. No other known problems to lool out for?

[mt.aero]

Is can be confusing when asking octane questions on a forum since it defers even in the same country. (highest octane (premium) in colorado is 91 while at lower altitude its 93 for premium) Gas can be a complicated beast. My suggestion is to only use premium for the Aero wherever you go and I will argue that its not required. There can be serious consequences to running lower octane besides reduced mileage and performance. I just had a co-worker that detonated from running lower than suggested gasoline and cracked piston #2 on his 9-5. Sure, he was driving up and over loveland pass, but ask him now if he will be running premium or not. Its startling how many saab engines are blown in Colorado from folks not running the recommended fuel. I ping at WOT even with some companies premium. I use shell v-power exclusively since its the only brand that I have found that wont ping.

[nordwulf]

I never experienced an issue or certain spot with the automatic transmission. I had a 2006 9-5 Aero auto and 2005 9-5 manual before my current 2005 Aero auto. Especially in Sport mode, the automatic is a very responsive transmission and suits the 9-5 very well. I liked my 2005 manual but shifting is a bit rubbery and indirect.

Did you see the http://saabworld.net/f9/saab-9-5-buyers-guide-693/ ?

All of the earlier problems had been sorted out by the 2004 model year and 2006+ should be very reliable with only a few common issues. Xenon bulbs are more expensive than regular halogen but you can save significantly on these when you shop around instead of having them replaced by a dealer. But they are well worth it in my opinion.

There aren't really any must-haves as far as luxury goes. Aero models in the US are usually fully loaded but this may be different in Sweden. Heated seats in cold climates are essential for me but I think they'll be common in Sweden. Sunroof and good audio is also important. The factory navigation is not the best but still nice to have.

[tunnanxwd]

Again Wulf, let me be clear so as not to cause false alarm. I think Ken and perhaps you and Boxman set me off on the path to seek an Aero.

The problem was with a new car and this was last summer since I assume it was a, like my wife's car a "GM orphan". So the problem may be confined to late year GM cars. My daughter had a perfectly fine 2000 9-5 auto that I loved. I liked it so much I almost dumped my 98' XC on her as I was driving it home.

My point is that with the rarity of 9-5 Aero's available (I checked and our 2 local dealers don't even have a used 9-5 in stock), he may scale the search to a more base car.

The Aero may not do this at all. I was shooting for a Saab Cert on the car and they were all 2008. Sadly, I found my notes when this came up a few months back and I had prices and year but did not define if the cars were Aeros. At that point, I would revert to the dealers web site.