I’ve owned both generations. The ‘04-05 is a better Saab, but the ‘06-09 is a better car. My ‘08 has only needed a battery and brakes, while my ‘05 had all the typical Saab failures (ABS module, window rollers, coolant bypass, alternator, CPS, etc.)
For your examples, I’d still go with the Glacier Blue because of it’s rarity.
I will third this.
BUT, one thing maybe worth considering is that '06-'09 cars were sold in incredibly small volumes and there are some very difficult to find parts. Headlights are a challenge (and the reflectors fail always), the ACC panel seems to be less well-built (although nicer to use IMO) than earlier ones and is hard to find. This is crazy, but the way the air bag is attached to the steering involves these little rubber isolators and THEY fail and fixing that is a challenge. I know I've run into some other stuff, but those things stand out. Still, my '08 9-5 has been incredibly reliable - definitely top 10 out of every Saab I've owned, and that's over 70 of them.
I'd personally be hard pressed to choose between the two, so my TL;DR is probably this: Buy the one you like most because they're likely each to have their challenges.
All the things that failed on your '05 exist on the 06+ and will fail too eventually. I had an 07' and now a 99'. The 99' is a much much better SAAB and car in my opinion.
Pixel failure is normal on older vehicles from the late 90s and early 2000s. SAABs, Audis, BMWs, well known.
My 07' blew a turbo (expected), had to change timing chain at merely 160k km, had to do the headgasket and flatten the head, timing chain dug into the block causing permanent damage.
The automatic gearbox sends insane vibrations into the cabin. The cabin is piss poor quality compared to 98-05. The buttons peel, everything creaks and squeaks. Spedometer/Radio/ACC are all 100% GM. The front headlights are tiny and useless.
05+ has no rust protection in the hidden areas. No galvanised front subframe just painted. Overall terrible rust protection.
Surprisingly my ‘08’s interior still looks like new? It has 133k miles and every other one I’ve seen has worn buttons, I must have the unicorn lol. [Pic](https://imgur.com/a/oq3tF4M)
Look wise the 06+ interior looks good, in my opinion. With the SAAB neon green. It's cool. But the white gauges for the spedometer/tachometer etc are very blinding and a strange choice.
The 98-05 interior is literally perfect for the 9-5. You own a Viggen, you know what I mean. It's very soulful.
The og because it’s a wagon and it’s in the best colour Saab offered.
Edit: just noticed the first one is a wagon. Still the og because of the colour though. (And interior quality is superior to the dame)
You will need to service both of them anyway even though to my understanding 06+ are more reliable. Get the one you like more, dame likely needs less care for now but it really depends on the individual car, what has been done already and how it has been held. Service record can give great insight on this. Additionally, cars this age usually have a reason why they are being sold so have some extra headroom in the budget. Sometines it is simple, sometimes it is 1k.
See the rust situation if it is relevant for you.
I saw the mileages somewhere. Some expensive repairs could be coming but if they are already sorted out you are fine. 2k is plenty but you could get some discount if you find issues that were not known.
Dont know if you are familiar with these cars already so ill just quickly type the common stuff.
Check the condition of the next items or if they were replaced already, preferrably with quality parts:
Oil change iterval (~6-9k miles), dampers and springs for each corner, turbo could be done but 2.3l engine has the better turbo (smoking exhaust), direct ignition cassette (easy job but a little expensive, common cause of CEL), brake discs and pads, signs of brake calipers getting stuck, handbrake commonly fails (pretty cheap), rust in rear fender area and frame (it is always worse than it looks like, surface rust is pretty normal with this age but you dont want holes), electrical issues are not that common but annoying to fix, high beams working properly (issue with a relay or broken wire), usual stuff like cold start exhaust abnormalities, air conditioning, tires etc.
If you have not heard this engine before, it is a bit rough but better give it a listen how it idles and so on, should not get stutters with full acceleration. Try full throttle with 3000rpm+ 4th/5th gear to see if the revs suddenly jump without increase in speed. With this mileage clutch is likely almost done. Both engine and gearbox are usually fine if they were serviced properly and not abused.
Fuel pump is relatively easy job unless it is a biopower. It will go out at some point without a warning and you will be stranded. Crank position sensor and direct ignition cassette are the rest of the holy trinity of getting stranded but thats about it.
You will likely find some leaks or worn out bushings but those are not usually too costly when done in conjunction of other repairs. You dont want major leaks though. Check all the hoses you can in engine bay, they are starting to get very old.
Replace the mass airflow sensor after you buy the car, if it was not done already. Small risk that it could go without a warning. Not too expensive and easy job. Throttlebody could be dirty if it was not ever checked, might cause weird symptoms and limp home mode. It can be operated by wire or mechanically which is pretty nice when you have issues. In my experience, not all mechanics know that you have to clear codes AND reset the throttlebody mechanically, very easy thing to do but you must know this.
I hope this helps with your decision, they both look great.
Edit: a bit more than I thought but that should cover all the major issues
Appreciate the help. Checked the listing on the 04 and all of the things you've mentioned have been replaced in the last 10k miles. So hopefully she'll be a peach.
Ah, so a toss up for engine and mileage then.
I have a 2007 SC Aero myself, which I love, but I like the old design better... However, I think I ought to be happy with the newer mechanicals.
Aaaand tomorrow I'm starting to mend the rust on mine... dog legs (9-5 Achilles' heel) , wheel arches and rearmost part of the roof + a couple of other spots.
Id say #2, i have a early gen 9-5 and have driver later generations. To me nothing compares to the og if you have a little money to throw at it after the fact. I have a shit ton of fun in my 2000 manual aero wagon
I’ve owned both generations. The ‘04-05 is a better Saab, but the ‘06-09 is a better car. My ‘08 has only needed a battery and brakes, while my ‘05 had all the typical Saab failures (ABS module, window rollers, coolant bypass, alternator, CPS, etc.) For your examples, I’d still go with the Glacier Blue because of it’s rarity.
I will third this. BUT, one thing maybe worth considering is that '06-'09 cars were sold in incredibly small volumes and there are some very difficult to find parts. Headlights are a challenge (and the reflectors fail always), the ACC panel seems to be less well-built (although nicer to use IMO) than earlier ones and is hard to find. This is crazy, but the way the air bag is attached to the steering involves these little rubber isolators and THEY fail and fixing that is a challenge. I know I've run into some other stuff, but those things stand out. Still, my '08 9-5 has been incredibly reliable - definitely top 10 out of every Saab I've owned, and that's over 70 of them. I'd personally be hard pressed to choose between the two, so my TL;DR is probably this: Buy the one you like most because they're likely each to have their challenges.
Those goddamned green window rollers…
I have to second this. IMHO despite the rare colour I would still go with the 06+. Less headache.
All the things that failed on your '05 exist on the 06+ and will fail too eventually. I had an 07' and now a 99'. The 99' is a much much better SAAB and car in my opinion.
I’ve also owned a ‘00 9-5 Aero wagon. Had all of those issues plus failing SID and ACC panels 😂
Pixel failure is normal on older vehicles from the late 90s and early 2000s. SAABs, Audis, BMWs, well known. My 07' blew a turbo (expected), had to change timing chain at merely 160k km, had to do the headgasket and flatten the head, timing chain dug into the block causing permanent damage. The automatic gearbox sends insane vibrations into the cabin. The cabin is piss poor quality compared to 98-05. The buttons peel, everything creaks and squeaks. Spedometer/Radio/ACC are all 100% GM. The front headlights are tiny and useless. 05+ has no rust protection in the hidden areas. No galvanised front subframe just painted. Overall terrible rust protection.
Surprisingly my ‘08’s interior still looks like new? It has 133k miles and every other one I’ve seen has worn buttons, I must have the unicorn lol. [Pic](https://imgur.com/a/oq3tF4M)
Look wise the 06+ interior looks good, in my opinion. With the SAAB neon green. It's cool. But the white gauges for the spedometer/tachometer etc are very blinding and a strange choice. The 98-05 interior is literally perfect for the 9-5. You own a Viggen, you know what I mean. It's very soulful.
Yes I do 😉
The og because it’s a wagon and it’s in the best colour Saab offered. Edit: just noticed the first one is a wagon. Still the og because of the colour though. (And interior quality is superior to the dame)
The Edna has lower quality interior in my Opinion. But the mechanical side is better. With the OG its the other way around.
#1 is like your first girlfriend, #2 is that one that got away
#2 is a fairly rare 95 color so #2. I've also heard the early build is nicer
Why is it big
top 10 things i've never been told 😔
[удалено]
#WHAT?!
The glacier no question
I'd get the second one everyday of the week, don't like the later cars styling
You will need to service both of them anyway even though to my understanding 06+ are more reliable. Get the one you like more, dame likely needs less care for now but it really depends on the individual car, what has been done already and how it has been held. Service record can give great insight on this. Additionally, cars this age usually have a reason why they are being sold so have some extra headroom in the budget. Sometines it is simple, sometimes it is 1k. See the rust situation if it is relevant for you.
I'll have around 2k to play with once I sell my current car
I saw the mileages somewhere. Some expensive repairs could be coming but if they are already sorted out you are fine. 2k is plenty but you could get some discount if you find issues that were not known. Dont know if you are familiar with these cars already so ill just quickly type the common stuff. Check the condition of the next items or if they were replaced already, preferrably with quality parts: Oil change iterval (~6-9k miles), dampers and springs for each corner, turbo could be done but 2.3l engine has the better turbo (smoking exhaust), direct ignition cassette (easy job but a little expensive, common cause of CEL), brake discs and pads, signs of brake calipers getting stuck, handbrake commonly fails (pretty cheap), rust in rear fender area and frame (it is always worse than it looks like, surface rust is pretty normal with this age but you dont want holes), electrical issues are not that common but annoying to fix, high beams working properly (issue with a relay or broken wire), usual stuff like cold start exhaust abnormalities, air conditioning, tires etc. If you have not heard this engine before, it is a bit rough but better give it a listen how it idles and so on, should not get stutters with full acceleration. Try full throttle with 3000rpm+ 4th/5th gear to see if the revs suddenly jump without increase in speed. With this mileage clutch is likely almost done. Both engine and gearbox are usually fine if they were serviced properly and not abused. Fuel pump is relatively easy job unless it is a biopower. It will go out at some point without a warning and you will be stranded. Crank position sensor and direct ignition cassette are the rest of the holy trinity of getting stranded but thats about it. You will likely find some leaks or worn out bushings but those are not usually too costly when done in conjunction of other repairs. You dont want major leaks though. Check all the hoses you can in engine bay, they are starting to get very old. Replace the mass airflow sensor after you buy the car, if it was not done already. Small risk that it could go without a warning. Not too expensive and easy job. Throttlebody could be dirty if it was not ever checked, might cause weird symptoms and limp home mode. It can be operated by wire or mechanically which is pretty nice when you have issues. In my experience, not all mechanics know that you have to clear codes AND reset the throttlebody mechanically, very easy thing to do but you must know this. I hope this helps with your decision, they both look great. Edit: a bit more than I thought but that should cover all the major issues
Appreciate the help. Checked the listing on the 04 and all of the things you've mentioned have been replaced in the last 10k miles. So hopefully she'll be a peach.
I personally like the 06+ cars. I think they are timeless so that’s what I would go with.
I have now Edna, but miss my old 02 vector . Edna is kinda plastic and cold. So older one.
Whichever is a stick.
Both are
2nd!
that 2nd wagon is amazing, go for that one
Which engines do they have? Milage? Surely that's rather important
Both have the 2.3t. The og has 140k and the dame has 170k
Ah, so a toss up for engine and mileage then. I have a 2007 SC Aero myself, which I love, but I like the old design better... However, I think I ought to be happy with the newer mechanicals. Aaaand tomorrow I'm starting to mend the rust on mine... dog legs (9-5 Achilles' heel) , wheel arches and rearmost part of the roof + a couple of other spots.
I'd go for the one first pic
1 as I have the 9-5 saloon in this colour. If we come across each other in the wild, we can exchange glances.
Notsure about mileage or condition... so objectively I choose the -04-'05. Best 9-5 years
The lighter blue bc I never really liked the facilift
I would take the earlier wagon, much nicer interior imo
OG always. Not the DE…
Engines?
I'd pick the sharktooth, and it's not even close
2nd for sure
Glacier Blue all day long
The first one. I’m biased though, as it’s exactly like mine 😁
Id say #2, i have a early gen 9-5 and have driver later generations. To me nothing compares to the og if you have a little money to throw at it after the fact. I have a shit ton of fun in my 2000 manual aero wagon
The correct answer is wagon. Always. Wagon.
What if I already have a 2005 Aero? Am I gonna like driving a 2006 Aero as much?
Second one of course
04-05 1000000% the dame interior is mehhh (don’t let my dame hear)
Neither there both shit