Want A New Saab 9-5 For Under $40k? Get Ready To Wait

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

US-market details about the long-awaited 2010 Saab 9-5 are starting to emerge, and they’re painting a bit of a frightening picture for the struggling entry-luxe brand. In order to capitalize on the desperation of Saab fans who nearly saw their beloved brand give up the ghost several times in the last year, Saab is releasing the 2010 9-5 in Aero spec only until the 2011 model year begins. Did we mention that, including destination charges, the 300 hp AWD flagship model will get you only ten bucks change for your $50k check?

A 2.0 turbocharged base 9-5 will retail for “under $40k” according to Saab, but it won’t be available until the 2011s arrive. For comparison, the previous (2009) 9-5 Aero (with a 260hp turbocharged four and FWD) started at a scant $41,425 (before incentives), and a 2010 BMW 535i with a 300hp turbo-six starts for less than two grand more than the new 9-5 Aero, at $51,250. Oh, and short of checking every option and accessory box on a top-trim Buick LaCrosse, there’s no Epsilon II-platformed car on the US market that even comes close to the 9-5 Aero’s price tag (at least until the Cadillac XTS arrives). Given how big of a step up in price the 2010 9-5 represents for the brand, and considering that Saab’s Q1 2010 sales fell under 1,000 units, this new model will be a tough pill to swallow for all but the most die-hard, desperate Saab fans.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Dr Strangelove Dr Strangelove on Apr 24, 2010

    Well, Saab can't afford to lose money on their sales - their prices have to cover their costs, which are high and payable in Euros. If it turns out that they have to price themselves out of the U.S. market, too bad, but still better than losing money on each sale. Their fate will be determined outside the U.S. anyhow.

  • Ra_pro Ra_pro on Apr 24, 2010

    Let's bring some common sense to this discussion instead of just yelling "What the f..., 50K for a f... Saab? My understanding is the 50K will be for a fully loaded 95 with V6 turbo and AWD. It will likely be discounted by at least 2-3K possibly a lot more depending on sales. Today fully loaded 335ix approaches 50K and is rarely discounted. So in real world the fully loaded 95 will go for the same or less money than 335i. Now many (most) people will still feel that 335i is a better value but the Saab no longer seems to be out of its league.

  • The Guvna The Guvna on Apr 24, 2010

    Err...I don't anyone thus far has been doing anything resembling "yelling", as such, but thank you for your faintly patronizing two cent contribution nonetheless (FYI: Prefacing your comment with the implication that you alone have cornered the market on wisdom is seldom a good idea at the best of times; doing so in advance of a lame non-existent justification makes it that much worse) Anyway... "Now many (most) people will still feel that 335i is a better value but the Saab no longer seems to be out of its league." Yes, I'm afraid Saab still does seem woefully out of its league. The car to which you have compared the 9-5 Aero, the 335ix, is from a manufacturer that A) Has established a significant amount of cache (or "brand value", in corporate parlance. "Badge", to you and I), warranted or not. Largely warranted, I would suggest. B) Has been among the segment leaders for the best part of three decades now, with a corresponding market share and correspondingly high residual values. C) Hasn't been attempting to sell warmed over GM chassis at ludicrous mark-ups for better than a decade and D) Will, in all probability, provide buyers with the comfort and security of actually, you know, existing in five years time. Oh, and E) Didn't just come back from the brink of oblivion altogether less than six months ago. At which point does "common sense" enter the equation, again? Do please let me know. Whether the 9-5 is a fine car or not has yet to be determined. Signs are promising, and it's certainly a looker, but if you are going to take on the $50K executive saloon car establishment, you had damned well better be bringing more to the party than a badge from the Where-Are-They-Now file, a decidedly "confused" corporate identity with an iffy prognosis, the underpinnings of an Opel-cum-Vauxhall, and specification that is merely adequately competitive. You had better be bringing your A game to that particular party. It isn't enough to merely match the establishment. You have to beat them, in any number of significant areas. Hell, *one* area would be a promising start. As you noted, you can get a 335ix for that money...what's the point in having a Saab, then? What's the killer app for the Saab? If you're trying to bring this brand back from the dead (and they are), do you really, honestly, believe that being merely adequate is enough? If so...well, hey. More power to you, I guess. I was racking my brain trying to think of who in their right minds would pay BMW money for a Saab, and well, I suppose we've found *one* potential sale, at least. Cheer up, Spyker...your troubles are over!

  • PartsUnknown PartsUnknown on Apr 26, 2010

    Call me a maverick, but perhaps it might be instructive to..you know...drive the thing before proclaiming it is/isn't worth $50K. Maybe it'll be a worldbeater, who knows. If you're really looking for brand cachet (are people still trying to impress their neighbors these days? sheesh), look elsewhere, otherwise let's see how this fatty drives before the B&B seals its fate.

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