2006 Saab 9-5 SportCombi Raleigh NC

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We always find ourselves waxing a bit nostalgic when we drive Saabs, lately. The brand has done a good job of rebuilding the quirky Swedish charm that made it a success in the 1970s and 1980s. They may not look like it from the outside, but your average Saab could be considered a part of the 'retro' trend in auto styling.

Take the just-introduced 9-5 SportCombi. If this doesn't appeal to fans of the old Saab 900, we don't know what will. It's a full station wagon, true, but the clean dash and tall seats provide an aero-engineered environment that's reminiscent of the Saabs of two decades ago. Best of all, at the rear there's a big hatchback and a cavernous cargo area, one of the defining features of the early 900 and 9000 models. Saab has refined the 9-5 over the past few years, making incremental improvements to the design and mechanical bits. The result is a car with an interesting blend of Swedish tradition and modern luxury.

The styling looks modern enough from a distance, but up close Saab fans will instantly recognize the four-part grille and duck-nosed silhouette. For 2006 the 9-5 gets a mild front and rear facelift. The new grille's design is borrowed from the Saab 9X show car. The tweaked design hasn't changed much, adding crisper lines and distinction from the rest of the luxury-wagon herd. The 9-5 SportCombi's angular face carries into a character line that defines the lower edge of the greenhouse and cuts upward at the C-pillar for Saab's traditional "hockey-stick" line. The sedan's silhouette is extended to encompass the SportCombi's cargo area, whose rearmost pillar is swept rakishly forward for a sporty look. The SportCombi is one of the better-looking station wagons on the market.

The 9-5 has received all of the classic Saab ergonomic cues on the inside, too, right down to the pleasantly upright seating position. The dash is tall, flat and uncluttered, the ignition key is in the floor, and the two-tone leather is downright gorgeous. Careful use of contrasting trim gives the 9-5 an elegant, designer air that's not found in many other cars at this price point. Saab's familiar "black panel" dash is also available, allowing the driver to shut off unnecessary gauges at night to improve night vision. Leather seats, dual-zone climate control and a six-disc CD changer are all standard equipment. For easier driving in crowded urban areas, rain-sensing wipers and a rear parking assist are offered. Xenon headlamps are available, as is XM satellite radio.

The best Saabs have always been turbos, and the 9-5's 2.3 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine continues that tradition. It's got more power than past Saab turbos have, with 260 horses on tap. There's a lot of torque on hand as well, but the turbocharger is peaky, requiring the driver to work to stay in the powerband. The 9-5 SportCombi's 3600-pound weight tends to work against it as well. You'll have to learn to drive this car fast, rather than just getting it intuitively, and for some people that's just the ticket. Once you've gotten it, the 9-5 rewards with a rush of acceleration and positive shifts from the somewhat rubbery five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic is also available.

The suspension has been tightened for improved handling, but it feels tuned more for comfort than sport, and the 9-5 is soft in turns. MacPherson struts are used in the front, with a multi-link rear. Shocks and springs have been tightened for 2006, and stiffer roll bars are also used to improve road feel. The setup isn't the stiffest, but it is predictable, and like with the engine, a driver who's wiling to learn the 9-5's moods can wring quite a bit of performance indeed out of it. For those who aren't willing to learn, stability control is standard. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard, of course.

As with just about every Saab we've driven in recent years (or, well, ever), the quirk is the thing. The 9-5 SportCombi works just as well as any of the other luxury sport wagons out there, and doesn't stand out from them functionally. But there's no substitute for Saab's laid-back aeronautical sensibility. If that's your thing, there's only one way to go. Pricing on the 9-5 SportCombi starts at $35,820.


Specifications:
All specs are for the 2006 Saab 9-5 SportCombi.

Length: 190.4 in.
Width: 70.5 in.
Height: 57.7 in.
Wheelbase: 106.4 in.
Curb weight: 3620 lb.
Cargo space: 73 cu.ft. (rear seat folded)
Base price: $35,820
Engine: 2.3 liter DOHC turbocharged/intercooled four-cylinder
Drivetrain: five-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 260 @ 5300
Torque: 258 @ 1900-4000
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 21/29