Is the Saab 9-5 1.9 diesel a good car?

I have a Saab 9-5 1.9 Tid diesel saloon in relatively good condition and 155,000km on the clock. Is it rated as a good car?

James Mc Greal (Drogheda)

Dec 2016 Filed under: reliability

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Expert answer

Hi James,

It depends; do you mean the first-generation 9-5, which was in production from 1996 to 2009 or do you mean the short-lived last-of-the-line 9-5, which only survived in production for two years before Saab went bust?

If it’s the first generation car then the rating is a little mixed. It was always well thought of in terms of overall quality, comfort and driving dynamics, but there were a number of annoying, niggling reliability issues with that model, although at least with the 1.9-litre diesel engine you’re avoiding the troublesome 2.2-litre model.

If it’s the later, second-generation version of the 9-5 then it is indeed very well thought of, and generally considered one of Saab’s best cars. It’s just a shame that it was also its last.

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor
@neilmbriscoe