2011 Saab 9-5 - Performance Review

The 9-5 is offered with a choice of two different engines—a 220-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a 300-hp, 2.8-liter V-6. Both are turbocharged, and both should offer quite lively performance. With four-cylinder (so-called Turbo4) models, you get front-wheel drive, and a choice of between a six-speed manual and six-speed automatic, but all V-6 models (Turbo6) get the automatic transmission and XWD (all-wheel drive).

We haven't driven the four-cylinder version, but based on experiences with the smaller 9-3 it's stout and responsive but a bit more peaky. The turbo V-6 makes its peak torque of 285 pound-feet at just 1,850 rpm, which means it should be able to respond solidly either just off a standing start or pull strongly from near the bottom of each gear—and it does, but this engine behaves more like the turbocharged engines of a decade or more ago: Step your right foot down, and there's a slight rubber-band-like pause before the power comes on with a whoosh. You adapt to it quickly, but it's not at all like the nearly instantaneous power delivery you get from BMW's excellent turbo V-6.

Steering is surprisingly good—well-weighted, with a nice, natural feeling on center and a precise feel, even if there isn't any feel of the road or adhesion. For a vehicle that's primarily a front-driver, we didn't expect much, but the 9-5 is easier to position and plant in tight corners than many other luxury sedans. Go full throttle even with the steering off-center, and the wonderful weighting is lost, but it's still very easy to control.

The balance between comfort and responsiveness is among the best we've encountered in sport-luxury sedans here; just to the right of your knee is a dial with three modes: Comfort, Intelligent, and Sport. The simple setting controls throttle, shift points, and steering feel, as well as the continuously variable real-time suspension damping system. Both in steering and in turn-in, the difference between Comfort and Sport is noticeable, yet we were happy to leave it in Intelligent for most of the time; transitions were smooth and the system was unobtrusive, bringing the best of both modes.