RE: SOTW: Saab 9-5 Aero HOT

RE: SOTW: Saab 9-5 Aero HOT

Friday 4th January 2013

SOTW: Saab 9-5 Aero HOT

A turbo'd Swedish barge for Shed money? Yes please - that'll do nicely



Scandinavians are different. In the Saab museum in Trollhattan there’s a 1959 Saab 93 powered by two 750cc two-stroke triples sitting side-by-side between the front wheels. Saab’s motorsport development drivers called it the Monster. Why? Because, at speed, the rear end would lift off the ground. The rear end. How would you deal with that?

Facelift Aero had 250hp - sprightly, then
Facelift Aero had 250hp - sprightly, then
Later, a thoughtless scribe ventured the opinion that 200hp was the absolute limit for a front-wheel drive car. For the madness-loving Saab folk, that was a challenge that had to be answered. Shed remembers only too well that grisly day when a 9000 Griffin, a callow right boot and a damp road in New Malden came together to prove that journalists are not always wrong. 

Since then, eyeball-swivelling torque steer and chin-wobbling axle tramp have been effectively vanquished by nancy-boy traction control electronickery and sophisticated chassis designs. Which means that even the most lead-footed buffoon in PH Land should be able to enjoy the big-stick temptations of this rather handsome 9-5 Aero HOT.

There’s an addictive quality about a big Saab that’s hard to explain if you’ve never experienced it. Despite being based on the Vectra chassis, the 9-5 serves up a generous dose of specialness. When new, this lavishly-equipped Aero car (the highest trim level available) would have cost around £29K. Now it’s here for greedy exploitation by some lucky Shedder at just a grand.

Comfy, leathery goodness for peanuts
Comfy, leathery goodness for peanuts
What’s to like? A lot. As all PHers will know, ‘HOT’ is an acronym, not an adjective. Having said that, it stands for High Output Turbo, which does make the car hot, or hottish anyway, in lower as well as upper case. This 250hp version of the Aero was one of the fastest 9-5s, with an electronically-governed top speed of 155mph. In manual form, it rapped out 0-62 in an authoritative 6.5sec. This one’s an auto, which knocks that back a fair chunk to 7.8sec, but you can reclaim a few tenths’ bragging rights by factoring in the 20hp remap and the correct Imperial 0-60 measurement. Even in slushbox mode you’re most definitely operating in a real performance zone.

Wonderfully comfortable seats make long journeys a pleasure, as does a great cabin ambience, especially at night when the dash lights up like a Heathrow traffic controller’s workstation on Bank Holiday Friday. Or not, if you select Night Panel to blank out most of the lights bar the speedo – very restful, that, especially for the somnolent Shedman who may be hoping to catch up on a few zeds on some of the straighter sections of motorway. That’s a joke by the way.

Boot's big enough for a bike. Sort of.
Boot's big enough for a bike. Sort of.
Another 9-5 plus point is space. The estates are massive, but the saloon version is not exactly lacking in boot room with 500 litres. Some might smile appreciatively at the bluff solidity of that saloon roofline. Others might note the exclusivity of the saloon relative to the estate, and the usefully depressive effect this has had on its used values. 

The owner of this car has a saucy whiff of Garlick about him, in that he seems to be incapable of running a car in anything other than tip-top condition. It’s as well to be dealing with a dream vendor like that, because 9-5s plus bad luck can equal major financial pain. Potential issues cover the whole gamut, quite apart from the usual trail of malfunctioning electrics and corroded brake pipes that can plague any Shed. Hoses pop off or split, temporarily de-tuning your motor. More persistent absence of turbo boost could be a failed one-way valve in Saab’s EVAP gas-dispersal gizmo: new valve kits that replace the original plastic items with aluminium ones come in at under £40. Engine misfiring might be a duff DI (Direct Injection) cassette. Replacements can cost anything from £80 to £270 depending on how aftermarket or used you want to go. Used cassettes can be a false economy though, as misfires can crock the catalytic converter. At least the DIC’s drop-in four-bolt design means that even a chimpanzee can stick a new one in in under a minute.

Yep, seems to have an engine...
Yep, seems to have an engine...
Suspension parts are vulnerable, principally front wishbones, anti roll bar bushes and drop links. Crankshaft position sensors can lose the plot. If the 2.3 engine is a B235L or B235R, without the redesigned breather system, it can suffer from oil sludging, particularly if it’s not been run on fully synthetic. A contaminated strainer and gummed-up pickup starves the motor of oil with predictably ruinous consequences. For peace of mind, the service history needs to show the sump’s been dropped at some point for pickup and strainer degunking. This car comes with that reassurance.

Even Shed’s mum knows about missing or dead pixels in Saab Information Displays (SIDs). There are plenty of specialists around to fix that for you. There’s an easy fix for the vendor’s errant Xenon headlamp levelling warning lamp, too. All you need is a small piece of black electrical tape, or possibly two if you can still see the light when the first piece of tape is in position.

What's a scraped rear quarter between Sheds?
What's a scraped rear quarter between Sheds?
True Shedmen will laugh heartily at the scraped rear quarter panel, as that’s all behind them and therefore irrelevant. Parts that are more essential to continued motoring are obviously going to get scarcer and/or more expensive now that Saab is no more.

Here’s the big danger of Saab ownership: being seduced by the idea of it and then getting sucked into an apparently endless programme of maintenance. As all powerfully-built PH types know, trying to recoup your roulette losses by increasing the size of your bets never works. Go in with your eyes open and your wallet shut, and don’t be scared to pull the ripcord if the ground seems to be approaching a bit too quickly.


Here’s the original ad:

SAAB 9-5 AERO HOT 2001  (£1,000)

I am selling my late 51 plate 9-5 aero, it has the 02 facelift etc, 250 BHP model remapped to around 270, otherwise standard.

It has 118K on the clocks and is taxed and tested until April 2013.

Electric windows, Xenon headlights, heated front seats, dual zone aircon (been regassed last autumn) Cd player, parking sensors and so on. HPI clear, with report printed when I purchased the car. Chassis and engine numbers all present and correct, v5 in my name and personal address, three keepers before me.

I have owned the car 14 months and when I bought it I serviced the fluids, plugs and filters, replaced all the disks, pads, springs, front top mounts, droplinks, dropped the sump and cleaned it and updated to the newest PCV system. I also did the gearbox oil which is extremely expensive due to do. Since then its had a further two oil changes, always mobil one oil always genuine filters and parts.

Service history is present up to when I purchased the car and then I have receipts for all the above parts I fitted myself.

Tyres are all in good health, checked pressures fortnightly and all in all the car has wanted for very little in my ownership.

Two bad points are that the front xenon level sensor lights up a yellow light on the dash, they level as they should and passed an mot like that. I have found sourcing a sensor difficult, always on back order. Second bad point is I bumped the rear quarter, ive had the dent pulled out by one of those paintless dent guys but it is not 100%, photo below.

All in all this is a real workhorse of a car with as much load carrying capacity as Ive even wanted with a young family (two kids and a wife) and will still show up some supposedly hot hatches on the open road.

I am asking £1000 for this car which is 500 less than the cheapest similar spec car I can find on autotrader etc. for that reason the price is firm and no offers, unless you happen to have a mk4 golf gti with the 1.8T engine in it that you want to swap.

Part exchange

mk4 golf 1.8T

Author
Discussion

Trusty Steed

Original Poster:

288 posts

193 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Go on then! nice shed!

Edited by Trusty Steed on Friday 4th January 11:10

pSyCoSiS

3,581 posts

204 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
I like this.

A good, solid SOTW.

Driven a few, and they are quick cars and feel well built inside.

A pleasure to complete long journeys in.

High spec and alot of car for the money...

rmcoboy

35 posts

153 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Lotta car to waft around in for a grand. Saabs have the comfiest seats in the world - fact.

Stuart

11,635 posts

250 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Good shed. Possibly for the first time ever in sheddom, I'm really tempted by this.

mikeyr

3,118 posts

192 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Interesting, never had any desire to own a Saab before but that seems a bargain way to cruise around. Fuel consumption poor I guess?

BTW, most amusing SOTW article for some time, normally flick through and then read advert but genuinely had my attention the whole way through. Good article that man! thumbup

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
What. A. Bargain.

Lots of love for that colour, a nice bit of waft and a good turn of pace. Clearly a seller who isn't afraid to tell it how it is either.

Devil2575

13,400 posts

187 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
I like it.

£1k for 250 bhp of Turbo goodness biggrin

MrMoonyMan

2,582 posts

210 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
SOTW starts 2013 on top form.

Great work chaps.

Faust66

2,028 posts

164 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Good shed!

Always had a real soft spot for these. I regard Saabs as an itch in the middle of my back that I can’t... quite...reach. One day that itch’ll be scratched though!

I mean, a turbo’d barge pumping out 250 ‘horse for a grand (less if your battering skills are up to speed); what’s not to like?

From the seller’s add it looks like this car has been pretty well maintained and seems to be in reasonable condition for its age, so (hopefully) there won’t be too many horrors awaiting the new owner.

Dan XJR

253 posts

219 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Fantastic cars these!

I used to nick my Dad's one all the time and flew to LeMans in it and even loaded it went to the limiter with ease! I should have bought it off him but I'll still own one... one of the biggest bargains out there IMO smile.

P2BS

3,589 posts

142 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
As a 9-5 Aero owner (albeit a 2004 model) I'm slightly uncomfortable that a similar model to my own is in shed territory... but we all know they are cheap & fantastic value.
One thing recommended with 9-5's is to check that all warning lights come on & then go out when you start the car - this includes airbag/abs & the check engine light - possibly the most important one. Simple things can throw the light on like split vacuum hoses, O2 sensors etc, but things like failing DI cassettes are £250ish for replacements.
The Aero's were allegedly less prone to oil starvation (sludging) thanks to fully-synthetic oil being prescribed from day 1.
Other than that, tyre wear caused by worn suspension bushes (like any other 10+ year old car I suppose), front subframe bushes, xenon light level sensors (make sure the lights go down & then come up to level), and the one that you might think you'll live with, but will hate - any defects in the climate control system. Pressing auto & off together will calibrate it, and display fault codes if it has any. Also snapped wires in the body-to-bootlid loom - again, like a lot of other cars.
Other reality checks for 9-5 are 25ish mpg in this tune if it were manual. 20ish cos it's an auto, and front tyre wear given that 275bhp! The tyres are 225/45-17, so not an oddball expensive size by any means.
They are a hoot to own, really fast, comfortable, and (if it has the 9 HK speaker stereo) amazing sounds.
I have just noticed this one is an auto. I've owned both Auto & Manual 9-5's - the auto is ok, reliable enough box (aisin warner 5 speed from Sept.2001 on), but it really does numb the performance. The manual is way faster & more responsive.
The traction control on a 9-5 is a lot less intrusive than on my previous BMW E46 330i, but torque steer is severe with any stage 1 remap.
Parts availability - there are no issues currently, you can still get new parts from dealers / specialists like NeoBros.
I was almost in there, but auto means I'm out.

Edited by P2BS on Friday 4th January 10:11

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
That is a very good price. We paid more than twice that for a similar vintage estate (few less miles) a year ago...

Agent Orange

2,194 posts

245 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Swede as a nut... getmecoat

Itsallicanafford

2,759 posts

158 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
...all boxes seam ticked here, top shed...

trashbat

6,005 posts

152 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
I like it too. What everyone above said really, especially that it was good writing.

PH said:
Saab’s motorsport development drivers called it the Monster. Why? Because, at speed, the rear end would lift off the ground. The rear end. How would you deal with that?
Brilliant.

WojaWabbit

1,112 posts

217 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Damn you Shed! I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on this all week... its also currently on the 'bay at £922 (reserve not met).

James1972

98 posts

144 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
This would waft me nicely from Somerset to Heathrow / Gatwick....
Not sure if I can get it past the household purchasing department manager though.
Assume not the cheapest things to insure ?

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
James1972 said:
This would waft me nicely from Somerset to Heathrow / Gatwick....
Not sure if I can get it past the household purchasing department manager though.
Assume not the cheapest things to insure ?
I think we're sub £350 for both of us (with business use). Sarah would know.

V8 FOU

2,970 posts

146 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Great Shed!!
Always loved all things Saab......
Makes me miss my 99EMS of many years ago.

BTW There was a Sonnet at Brooklands New Years

famfarrow

677 posts

153 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Great shed and a humourous,entertaining read. Top work SOTW.