One of the more missed brands on the landscape of retired vehicle marques is undoubtedly Saab, which was loved by both hardcore enthusiasts as well as individuals who simply enjoyed the quirky character of this durable lineup of wagons and sedans. We all know the history of Saabs’ final years in the United States, leading to its abrupt conclusion while under the control of GM. However, that sad end hasn’t tarnished the car’s history in the eyes of loyalists who continue to drive and service these attractive European sedans and long-roofs like this low-mileage 2001 Saab 9-5 wagon listed here on eBay.
Bidding is getting awfully close to the Buy-It-Now of just $7,500, currently sitting at $5,100. The 9-5 was the flagship Saab in the lineup, offering plenty of luxury features and powerful turbocharged V6 engines. The 9-5 shown here is – not surprisingly – located in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, as New England is seemingly ground zero for individuals still using Saabs as daily drivers. When I restored a rare 1990 Monte Carlo Yellow Saab 900 Turbo convertible, one of the foremost Saab experts, a shop by the name of Conntech, was right down the road from my previous home in Rhode Island. There’s still a groundswell of love and support for Saab in New England, making it seem like the brand never actually shut its doors.
We don’t need to go down the rabbit hole of whether Saab mismanaged ownership; it seems like it was less a case of intentional sabotage and more just not understanding how a small, independent company like Saab managed to build a loyal following without tons of marketing and tacky re-badges of other models in its lineup. Saab built its base on providing cars that were fun to drive, hugely practical, and strong performers in the snow. Yes, that’s a bit of a non-standard combination of attributes, but those details and a ton of personality is what kept buyers coming back for years. The aircraft-inspired cockpits were also a treat, with driver-focused controls that no other manufacturer has been able to recreate. By the way, the interior of this 9-5 is in outstanding condition, leaving now doubt as to its low mileage status.
The turbocharged 3.0L V6 produced 200 horsepower and 229 lb.-ft of torque when new, and while not the cheapest engine to maintain, they’re generally reliable when looked after. The bigger challenge is becoming parts supply: just in the past few years, I’ve seen at least two independent parts suppliers retire due to old age, and I’m not sure where their inventory went. I suspect we’ll continue to see this happen, but the good news is the Saab fanatics are alive and well and it’s usually dirt cheap to buy entire parts cars to keep as spare parts repositories. If this were a manual-equipped model, I’d be sorely tempted to bid (and the price would be significantly higher, for sure.) Does anyone else still have fond Saab memories?
When Saab used the Opel Vectra as the underpinnings for the NB 900 in 1994 I was a Saab factory tech at the time. I was so excited about the new model I bought a new one. 6 months later I sold it. It was a colossal disappointment. The 900 continued to get improvements through 1998 and by then they were okay. The 9-3 came along and it felt Saab was finally getting their act together.
When the 9-5 launched to replace the aging 9000 they got it right out of the box. Solid structure and a good feeling car. We didn’t have a lot of issues at first. They still used the Asian transaxle which was reliable and the engines were good but the 10K oil change intervals wore out timing chains and clogged the oil pickup. In 2004 they revised the PCV system and fixed a lot of that but 10K is too long for any oil change. Saab offered the 3.0 V6 and they did something unusual. That was one turbo only fed with one bank. The reasoning was efficiency and torque. You never felt the turbo on these cars. Personally I would not own the V6 but rather the Aero high pressure turbo instead. Much more fun to drive and as mentioned parts are easier to come by.
Curious even at the price this is being offered you would not own it? Since you were a tech on these do you believe if oil were changed every 3000 it would help or do you think this Saab will be a money pit not far down the road?
The V6 engine had short lived water pumps. To replace the cam belt has to come off. Not a small job and special tools were used to time the engine. Parts availability as discussed would be your issue. Parts in the future for any Saab is a big ?
I’ll take the church – or whatever it is exactly…
I bought my son a 9 5 . Took it out on a test drive , the salesman said step on it . I did , I think he might have soiled his pants . He said that’s the first time I’ve ever been on a test drive where we were going 110 on the on ramp to the freeway . My son kept it for a couple of years then traded it in on new Camaro . Still to this day he says he wishes he kept the Saab .
I tested a new 9-5 for a week for a radio feature way back when. Quiet and stable at highway speeds, good on gas and just the right size for around town commuting. This model would have been welcome in our family fleet. I was impressed.
Heated front and rear seats 💺
Add some Nokian snow tires ❄️ a Thule box on the roof and head for the ski hill 🎿 🏂 ⛷️ 🏔
PRA4SNW approves – LOL!
SAAB deserved the rep it incurred. As I have recounted many times, we bought a damaged in transit 2cycle engined Saab in about 1963? My father loved the car for its fuel economy and front drive, but in northern Idaho it proved sale-proof, along with a Toyopet we also had in stock. He was one of those guys who could sell ice cubes, but a car that needed oil at every gas fill was too much for the average driver of the era. The one good thing that came out of it was the relationship with Monte Shelton and Kjell Qvale Dad had from then on. Interesting times
I have a fleet of Saabs….11 and counting. Four of them are newer…a ’95 900 Turbo coupe, two real 9.3s (a 2000 and a 2002) and an ’01 Viggen. They are a ton of fun to drive, and as long as you keep up with the maintenance, they are trouble free. We have no issues getting parts for the newer cars….a lot of parts for 99s and early 900s are unobtanium. i’ve looked at a lot of cars as potential daily drivers, and none of them are as comfortable or as fun to drive as my Saabs.
SaabGirl, you are right on. We have had 6 Saabs over the years and had great luck with them. Our oldest was an ’88 9000T and the newest is an ’08 9-3 Aero 6 speed convertible which is still in our collection. Well designed and built; fun to drive and not difficult to maintain. No problem with parts. These cars are cheap right now and an absolute buy – the manuals more valuable than the autos. Just look for the ones that have been maintained the same as you would any other used car you are considering. My 2 cents.
This article reminds me of a website that I used to visit named Credit Card Classics, or something like that.
It featured cars like this – ones that were interesting enough to read about and also were affordable, hence the name.
Jeff, I think you used to write for that website as well, IIRC.
I’m glad that BF features vehicles like this.
nothing here but a saab story
I’d be interested in this one, but only buy manuals – much more fun.
High bid of $6,705 on 3/29/2025 did not meet reserve.
Steve R
I think it foolish he doesn’t take that bid! It’s close enough and not a popular car.Not my view just in the car world people dont like it! Too many people are overly convinced their vehicles are worth monies they just can’t get.See it all the time!