Description
Automatic Saab 9-5 Aero HOT estate in black.
ULEZ compliant.
105, 000 miles.
** FRESH 12 MONTH MOT TO NOVEMBER 2025**
I've loved owning this Saab. I bought it from someone who had it garaged as a future classic, but needed to let it go to free up the garage space. There were some (now resolved) aesthetic and electronic problems with the car when I got it that I'll detail later, but it was (and still is) in great mechanical condition. When I bought the car it had recently had suspension, brake and wheel bearing work done (I suspect to remedy any problems that came from it being sat for so long).
The car is extremely solid underneath, structurally very sound, has a great running gear and pulls like a train - a pretty fast train at that!
The car is a 53 plate, but a 2004 model year. This means it has Saab's upgraded PCV system from new, and doesn't suffer from the oil sludging issue that can affect the earlier models.
Broadly a good condition car, I'll list the niggles before getting to the best bits:
-Intermittent air bag warning light
-Alarm battery low causing 'theft prevention system failure contact service' message to appear every time you start the car
-LED sidelights don't communicate properly, blink and cause a headlight warning light (I might change these for standard w5w halogen sidelights before sale)
-Junction 16 connector (between the front O2 sensor and the ECU) occasionally shorting and tricking the ECU into thinking that there's no signal coming from the oxygen sensor
-Dent/ scratch to the passenger side rear wheel arch (pictured)
On to the good stuff, during my tenure the Saab has received:
-Poly bushed torque rod mounts (to replace the rubber ones that fail and make the auto gear changes much smoother)
-Engine and gearbox mounts
-Multiple gearbox oil changes (a bit at a time to get the fluid now completely new without risking any damage to the gearbox)
-New exhaust manifold gasket (old one had a slight leak/ blow)
-Regular oil changes (two in the past 12 months)
-'Stage 1' remap to ~275bhp (it also marginally helped the fuel economy)
-Upgraded snorkel intake for more air flow into the air box (the 'diesel snorkel' upgrade, you'll find info on forums)
-Performance air filter (this honestly made no difference, but getting to the air filter is a bit of a pain so the extended service interval is nice)
-Upgraded charge air bypass valve (from plastic with a rubber valve to billet aluminium with a spring loaded valve, has really helped throttle response)
-Upgraded charge air hoses to silicon (these can dry out, crack and leak so I just did this while replacing the valve)
-New Osram xenons and clear indicator bulbs front and rear (just helps the car look more stylish on the road)
-Fully refurbished 'klingon' three spoke alloys (the most unique and 'Saabish' so obviously the best)
-Refurbed and painted brake calipers
-Subtle wheel spacing to slightly widen the stance and fill out the arches (proper milled spacers used and no detriment to handling, just a slight aesthetic improvement to show off the shiny, Saaby alloys)
-3D printed cup holder (so the car now has two)
-Saab vanity door lights (perhaps a bit much but I really like seeing the Saab logo on the floor)
-Retrimmed door pulls (the cream rubbery plastic on the door pulls is known for drying out and cracking, and there was barely any of it left on the front handles when I bought the car)
-Retrimmed black vinyl A pillars (to cover the aged cloth and match the door pulls and dash)
-Tailored set of black car mats
-New battery
-New iridium spark plugs (that work really well with the picky Saab ignition coil)
Other bits and bobs include a new outside temperature sensor (it had broken off when I bought the car, the car believed it was -99 outside at all times so the aircon wouldn't kick in at all, it does now work but needs gassing), a new OEM cup holder (which was a pain to fit) and a new OEM jalousie blind around the gear knob (these are prone to cracking).
Overall a really good car with very good recent history, sad to be selling her but needs must. Still some bits that warrant attention, but it'll start first time every time, drives beautifully, cycles through every gear smoothly and will always get you where you need to go.
--UPDATE--
The car is no longer in daily use and will be SORN at the end of NovemberI bought the Saab because it was a great base car that just needed some fettling and general maintenence to become a good example, and didn't want it to go somewhere where it would just be run into the ground. It's really been a great car to own, very reliable, extremely comfortable and quiet but really quick when it needs to be.
