Saab short test: Saab 9-5 TTiD4 Vector XWD
Getting a new Saab as a test object is getting harder and harder and it's nice to have good friends. Marco, Saab Fan, ex-blogger at Saabblog.net and still a good friend, had an almost new Saab 9-5 Vector TTiD 4 XWD a few days ago.
To give me a brief impression, I was able to drive the new Saab for a few kilometers on the A3 and in Frankfurt city traffic.
My first encounter with the new Saab 9-5 is almost a year back. The then driven 9-5 TiD Linear with 160 Diesel PS did not leave a good impression for me and is one of the few Saab that I would not buy. The suspension inharmonious, the power output and the vote takes some getting used to. The ambience and workmanship by no means Saab. Can I write negative as a blogger? One must and must, because even with the Saab 9-5 is not everything perfect.
For salvation you have to say the following. The 12-9, which drove before 5 months, was one of the first and the body came at that time still from the Opel Presswerk in Rüsselsheim. Maybe that's why the box had a bad karma.
No comparison to the current Saab 9-5 Vector XWD, which was one of the last to leave the factory in Trollhättan before production stopped. The equipment level “Vector” is worth every penny because it makes the Saab 9-5 comfortable with small, nice chrome inlays here and there and “Vector” door sills.
The daring coloring of the short-term test car comes better than in the pictures. The pictures were taken with the iPhone, in a short amount of time. A brown center console that doesn't look cheap - quite the opposite, and a two-tone or actually three-tone dashboard. It just looks great and you immediately feel comfortable.
The huge sliding glass roof, which creates a light-flooded ambience, matches this. The seats in partial leather and partially electrically adjustable are standard, but the logic of the operating and adjustment options is not immediately apparent. At least not for me 😉 Anyway, the Vector seats are definitely better than the linear seating.
The exciting question - how does it drive? Shocking 1.9 tons meet 190 diesel horsepower and 400 NM torque. One gets along, I would like to say. The Saab 9-5 TTiD4 is not a rocket, but it is absolutely afloat. Sensitive driver nature like me always feel the diesel in the background. Friend Marco found the TTiD4 to be quieter and noticed no difference to the petrol engine.
Regardless, the TTiD4 is sovereign, but not lavishly motorized. The 6-speed transmission is precise and easy to shift. On the autobahn, the highest gear is enough to get around quickly. Only the drivers in a particularly hurry will shift down a gear in order to stay on the heels of the hurrying Audi A6. Well, the A6 in front of us was not an all-wheel drive and therefore a little lighter than us. This brings us to one of the pleasantly strong sides of the Saab 9-5.
Because the all-wheel drive is one of the undisputed chocolate sides of the Saab 9-5 sedan. In fast bends on the motorway, the Swede walks like - yes - like on rails. The term may be overused and trite, but it describes the 9-5 driving experience very aptly. The all-wheel drive gives a very good driving experience in every driving situation and provides additional safety.
The active “Drive-Sense” chassis fits this, for all-wheel drive with eLSD. We prefer the sport mode, annoyingly the chassis switches to “intelligent” mode with every restart, but maybe this is configurable.
With the active chassis, the 9-5 is a poem. The Linear 9-5, which was driven a year ago, was still cramped and unmotivated by cobblestones, so the active suspension irons away any bumps.
The instruments are also wonderful and absolutely Saab. You are on the right track with the colored, green pointers drawn in Saab style and the beautiful turbo needle that challenges the play instinct. The digital speedometer in aircraft design fits this. In this case, the question whether the 9-5 is a true Saab or not can be answered with “Yes”. Saab is where I immediately feel at home. That was the case with the 9-5 Vector XWD.
The processing is already very good in the first year of production. Frankfurt has, as we know, many bad roads. The way to the Saab center in Carl-Benz-Strasse is one of the absolute jogging routes. My Saab 9000 rattles on this track, as does my 9-5 of the first series. The current 9-5 Vector is not impressed by this track. No rattling, no squeaking, no crackling. The active suspension is also in Sport mode everything away.
Finally, one question arises ...
I wouldn't have bought the 9-5 that I drove a year ago with the biggest discount. What about the current all-wheel drive 9-5? Would I want him or not? Clearly - thumbs up, the 9-5 is a poem.
Text: tom@saabblog.net
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Hallo,
Are the differences to the TID mainly due to the Drive Sense suspension and the Vector version? Or are there any differences in coordination and processing between model year 2010 and 2011 for all vehicles?
I have an offer for a 9-5 four-wheel drive with Drive Sense, but still model year 2010.
Holger
Hello Holger
First and foremost, it's the “Drive Sense” chassis that makes the difference. In my opinion, “Drive Sense” is a must.
Hallo,
Thanks in advance to Tom for the great blog.
Now for the test, I have a 2011 9-5 TTiD Vector, which arrived in April so it is the same age as the car tested here. During the test drive before buying a 2010 TiD, I had the same impression of the poorly tuned chassis, but didn't want a drive-sense and therefore took the TTiD. Here, other axles / suspensions are fitted as standard, even without sports suspension or Drive Sense. Definitely drives better than the TiD. Would be interesting to know whether the 'simple TiD' chassis, which is also installed on the gasoline engines, simply struggles with the heavier engine block or is generally problematic without Drive Sense.
Many greetings from Belgium.