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 51 through 60 of 141.00

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  Swedish quality - Worth every penny - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By carb1776 - February 10 - 3:10 am

  This is my first Saab, bought it new. Looked at Lexus, Infiniti and Acura, liked the Saab the best. At 65 mph this sports car get 26-28 mpg, 22 in city. Quick acceleration for passing. Car really holds the road in bad rain and snowy weather. Would buy again! Interior is clean and sporty! Large trunk.

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  Everything but a cupholder - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By strech - February 7 - 10:00 am

  Really a fun car to drive and own. Have found the engine and ride to be exactly what I was looking for. Capacity is un-matched - holds lots of stuff with the rear seats down = 4 kegs for a family reunion. Wish it had better and more drink holders though.

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  Great car and great value - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By PeteSaab - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Not a car for everyone but the combination of comfort, performance, and function (great big trunk, saftey features, etc.) made this car a logical choice. Many people talk about this car being quirky. If quirky means slightly different that most models in the pack sure. However, a personality does not, to me, mean quirky. While not a reason to buy a car, it is also fun to drive and not see a ton of the same cars on the road.

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  BEST car ever - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By Saablover - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in september of 02 and Love it. I had a 2001 95 se that was noisy and wasnt traditional. It has 10,500 miles on it and is still fun to drive. After driving a 5 series this wins in power,space and performance. Love the new tranny.

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  reflections of the 900 - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By saab9000 - January 1 - 10:00 am

  while this car looks large, the interior does not match the promise of size one would expect. the exterior styling seems to be reflective of the early 90s 900 and not the last of the 9000s. the car is comfortable to drive and the seats are heaven but interior storage is very limited.

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  Great ride! - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By saabinvt - December 8 - 10:44 pm

  I 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 am

  having 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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  2003 Aero - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By Trebla - November 4 - 12:13 pm

  Best car Ive owned (of 12 in 42 years of driving). Fast, fun, comfy but not floating, gets 26-31 mpg and easily does 110 mph on highway. Astonishing acceleration 40 to100, which is where most of us actually use it.

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  Best sporty Saab - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By Saab lover - October 25 - 10:00 am

  The Saab has an excellent warranty and also includes free scheduled maintenance. I love to take my friends for a ride and see their faces when they notice the acceleration on this 250 hp little rocket. Handling and ridde confort are superb.

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  Fun to drive & Cool to look at - 2003 Saab 9-5
  By david3d - October 8 - 3:30 pm

  The Saab Aero is a very fun car to drive, the turbo kicks in effortlessly pushing you back in your leather seat. The car sticks to the road, and in "sport" mode you can move in and out of traffic with no hesitation. The cars styling is aggresive let refined, with the classic Saab clam shell hood.