Cars.com's Dave Thomas takes a look at the 2010 Saab 9-5 Aero. It competes with the Audi A6 and Infiniti M37.
Transcript
<v Narrator>Cars.com auto review. Hi, I'm Dave Thomas with cars.com and this is a 2010 Saab 9-5. It's an all new design and it's one of the most stylish in its segment.
However, the style is about the only thing where it stands out from the rest of its class. The front end might be a bit boring, but when you get around to the side, the profile is actually quite striking and unique. You have this blackout A-pillar, you don't really see that much in the automotive landscape. It's a different color than the exterior paint, so it really stands out. As this is two-tone side mirror, it's got this jewel-eye turn signal right in it. Very cool. And then you've got the sloping roof line, which a lot of cars slope, but not quite with this much angularity to it. And then you've got a huge C-pillar. For Saab fans, however, the back is where it's at because the design is reminiscent of the classic 900 hatchbacks from, geez, two or three decades ago now. However, there's a lot of modern touches here. Namely, this light bar that runs across the entire back end, split up only by the Saab name. So it's almost like a rolling billboard when it goes by and say, "What is that?" Well, it's a Saab. If you want a history lesson in General Motors and their bankruptcy, just take a look at the dashboard of the new 9-5. Because it comes right from that timeframe of two to three years ago, it was kind of frozen in development. And you'll see that with a lot of cheap plastics that definitely shouldn't be in a $50,000 sedan. When you finally get behind the wheel of the new 9-5, it becomes readily apparent that this car was developed in conjunction with General Motors before it was sold. It's got a turbocharged V6 engine, good for 300 horsepower. While it's a nice engine, I still prefer the supercharged V6 in the Audi A6 or even just a plain V6 in the Infiniti M37. The model we're in here is called the Aero and it starts around $50,000. It's a top of the line trim, but that also means it's a sports-oriented trim level as well. So it rides lower to the ground and it has firmer shocks, and that means it's a really rough ride. So if you're looking for a comfortable commuter, don't pick the Aero. Luckily, from the dashboard back, the 9-5 has a really nice interior. It starts with a sturdy steering wheel and shifter, really unique doors, has a unique design going on there, the seats are really comfortable in a rich leather, and the backseat is pretty big. Not only is the new 9-5 significantly bigger than the model it replaces, it's also the longer than the competition like the Audi A6 and Infiniti M37. And what that means is, you've got a really big back seat. Now the driver's seat, exactly where I had it where I was driving, I'm 5'10", and as you can see, I have inches of room between my knees and that seat. Now there's lots of leg room too, and it has more leg room than the Audi A6 and the Infiniti M37. And not only that, it has a bigger trunk too. While the new 9-5 is certainly a stylish car, it doesn't really live up to that 50,000 price tag of this Aero equip model that we have here. However, it does show a lot of potential for the brand now that it's post General Motors. <v Narrator>For more car-related news, go to cars.com or our blog kickingtires.net.
