Personal picks: Upscale sedans, part 4

Here are more staff perspectives on the upscale sedans test group:

Jeff Bartlett: I recently spent several days in the Lincoln MKZ. The experience has reminded me of two things I very much enjoy: the Ford Fusion and $10,000 in the bank. While it is a solid sedan, for my money, there are more enticing near-lux cars, including the magnificent Infiniti G35 and the enticing Acura TL. That said, it has been hard rotating through these four-door indulgence machines having just spent quality time in the latest family sedans. In their top trims, the well-rated Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Camry all provide 90 percent of the feature amenities and similar power compared to their uppercrust stablemates from their respective manufacturers' luxury divisions. When staring down a payment, the prestige branding and elite engineering isn't enough to justify the extra expense for me month after month. I find no shame in driving a reliable, refined family sedan. In fact, I think there is great solace in making a smart purchase decision. And, ideally, a few nickels left over.

Jim Travers: Three cheers for the Saab 9-5! Or actually, make that just two. One from me, and one from Mike Quincy. Reading the logbook stashed in the glove compartment, CU staffers have filled pages with complaints about the Saab's antiquated design, quirky controls, $38,000 price, and creaky body structure. I can't argue with any of that.

But what the Saab does have is enough personality to give a chapter of Toastmasters International a run for their money, and that's refreshing in a group of such highly competent sedans, some of which are crushingly boring to drive or even to look at. And many are even pricier than the Saab.

In addition to distinctive styling, an admirable and increasingly rare quality in any automobile these days, the 9-5 has an airy cabin with good visibility--something else that's getting harder and harder to find. The steering is nicely weighted and offers good feedback, and the car has plenty of grip in corners. The 260-horsepower, turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine delivers plenty of acceleration, and I found myself taking the long way home more than once because I was enjoying the drive so much.

Yes, the Saab is quirky, and in this car some of the quirkiness seems oddly contrived. Even a dedicated Saabophile might be able to do without the floor-mounted key at this point, and chances are it's not going to help attract all those young, upscale car buyers we keep hearing about at car shows. Weirder still is the whole "Born from jets" thing. Designing a flimsy overhead light to look like a reading lamp in a 737 is a stretch, and the two-bell warning for those who neglect to fasten their seatbelt is an even bigger stretch. At least leg room isn't compromised for the sake of Swedish charm.

I like this car, if for no other reasons than it's different and fun to drive.  Would I buy one? Um, let me get back to you on that.

Comments

[John Cruet]

Jim, if you do by chance decide to buy a Saab 9-5, you probably won't pay anywhere near the 38K that the car lists for.

More than likely, you will pay at least $4K less, if current discounts apply. And if you wait until the end of the season, those discounts become even more profound- sometimes up to 10K and more.

Sadly, the car has fallen upon hard times when it comes to resale value, though.

An interesting fact about the 9-5 is that this was Saab's worst seller in the model year 2006- less than 6,000 units in the US.

[Michael Vaughn]

I have a 9-5 and definitely would not get another. We used to be dedicated saabphiles but this one just doesn't measure up. The electronics are a disaster. There is frankly nothing that measures up to its predecessor, the 9000, which we loved! My take - GM has ruined what used to be a great car.