Overview & Reviews
After last year's extensive round of improvements, the 9-5 received only minor upgrades for 2003. All five-speed automatic-equipped models now have the Sentronic manual-shift feature with steering wheel-mounted controls. Ventilated sport seats are now optional on the Aero, while electronic stability control is now standard on all models.
- Best-in-class crash scores, long list of standard features, plush highway ride, supportive seats, large trunk.
- Turbo lag at low speeds, suspension too soft for aggressive driving, interior materials could use improvement.
User Reviews:
Showing 11 through 20 of 141.00-
Great ride! - 2003 Saab 9-5
By saabinvt - December 8 - 10:44 pmI bought my Linear with 81,000 miles in 09. Its had some problems, but not outside what youd expect with a car approaching 100K miles. Yes, repairs can be expensive, but Ive done much of them myself, and parts can be found on eBay and junk yards for cheap. This car has a very smooth ride, is very quiet, the stereo is very good, the climate system is great and the controls are well laid out. The dash cupholder is useless, but I just put aftermarket ones on the doors. The acceleration is great, and I installed a high pressure turbo from an Aero, so now it really hauls! While not cheap to maintain, 9-5s can be found used for far less than competitive cars, and they look better too.
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big bang for the dollars 95 aero - 2003 Saab 9-5
By matmat - December 7 - 10:00 amhaving tested many european cars for around 40,000 grants, nothing compares with the over all value that saab offers for that kind of money, as far as reliability...remains to be seen ..truly one of the most beautiful car. as far as pure driving pleasure, no motor car is going to defeat bmw, but for 8 grants less then the slower 530i....hey, ...
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Engine Failure - 2003 Saab 9-5
By SaabingStu - August 12 - 10:00 amBought this car used with about 45K on the clock. Had for 3.5 years and put about 70K miles on it. Always ran synthetic oil, maintained the car very well, and the engine has failed at just 116K miles. Very disappointed, as I really enjoyed this car, and it was my second Aero, and now have a worthless car. I dont think Ill ever buy another one. also, very frustrating is the digital display always goes out on these things.
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Saab 9-5 - 2003 Saab 9-5
By TONY TOMPKINS - March 20 - 10:00 amLove the car and its ablility to perform. I am dissapointed with the build quality. I have creaks and shakes in the dash and surrounding areas. I came from a 5 series BMW, and will go back to BMW. I have had the drivers seat fixed 4 times, and it is still loose from the base. My dealership experience has been less than o.k.
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Good could be better - 2003 Saab 9-5
By Leon2 - September 7 - 10:00 amThe car is extremely comfortable, especially if you have long legs. The engine has plenty of power but sometimes there is a turbo lag and sometimes there is no lag, making it not reliable when accelerating to pass: will it kick right-away???
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Good for a passionate car lover. - 2003 Saab 9-5
By matt_beckman - August 6 - 5:59 pmAfter driving 3 Saabs, a 2005, 2006 9.3 Turbo, and a 2003 9.5 Aero It is clear that Saabs are cars to be pampered and taken well care of. If you are looking for a reliable car with as little maintenance as possible this is not the car for you. Your better of with a Toyota. You will get what you give with Saab and the car is good for someone who enjoys taking care of cars as a passion and DOES NOT mind putting in an extra dollar to keep their jem running at top quality. For about $4500 the 2003 Areo is about the best sports car you can get for the price and after regular maintenance you can expect quick acceleration, good gas mileage, and an all over all smooth, stylish, and luxurious ride.
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Not worth the money - 2003 Saab 9-5
By shellEy - February 28 - 7:36 pmFor a car that costs as much as this did, I expected much higher quality. The engineers did a poor job of ergonomic design, parts break (and when they do, its *very* expensive to fix), and there are known bugs which Saab doesnt seem to care about fixing. (Repairs on my car in 100,000 miles: fuel pump, brakes (twice!), rear-hatch-closed sensor, engine-temp gauge...) My pet peeve is if you set the interior temperature, I expect the car to maintain that temp. Instead, itll either be too hot or too cold.
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Saab 9-5 Arc - 2003 Saab 9-5
By - December 10 - 2:00 amIn 2000 miles, Ive experienced a car with oustanding highway & city driving capabilities. The seats are exceptionally comfortable (w/ heat and a/c !) Driving through a downpour on the highway provided me a great deal of confidence due to traction & stability control. The Sport mode on the trans. launches the car like it has 50 more hp The stereo (240 watt Harmonn Karden) is awesome. The build quality is very good.
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Saab 9-5 Arc - 2003 Saab 9-5
By gtoman - December 10 - 2:00 amIn 2000 miles, Ive experienced a car with oustanding highway & city driving capabilities. The seats are exceptionally comfortable (w/ heat and a/c !) Driving through a downpour on the highway provided me a great deal of confidence due to traction & stability control. The Sport mode on the trans. launches the car like it has 50 more hp The stereo (240 watt Harmonn Karden) is awesome. The build quality is very good.
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Tow after Tow after Tow after Tow - 2003 Saab 9-5
By hatesaab03 - December 5 - 10:36 amI had purchased this vehicle not even 2 weeks and it died on me. I had bought it with about 57K miles, and two weeks later on the way to a mini vacation it leaves me stranded in the middle of the freeway. I took it back to the selling dealer and also their Saab dealer and they slapped the machine on it and "Nothing is wrong with it, it drives like a champ." Again it had just died as i was accelerating through town, and then my speed gauge gradually goes down once again! On my way back from work on the freeway it died again! DO NOT BUY THIS MODEL. By the way i failed to mention i had to waste my money towing this vehicle every single time it died on me. STAY AWAY!
