I've always liked Saabs and am looking for my next used car.l was interested in the 94-98 900, but did research and saw the horrible safety on youtube.Then l came across the newer 9-5 on Ebay and have seen several for a really low price.l looked at two different 9-5 is with the turbo 2.3L 4cyl.One had the engine already rebuilt at 85k miles and the owner of the other one mentioned having the engine checked for sludge problems.So it sounds like this engine should be avoided.My question is two parts, 1) Is the 3.0L V6 turbo a good engine?, and 2) is the 9-5 with this engine a good car overall?l commute to school long distance and need something reliable and comfortable.

Oh, u just said the key words! Long distance & comfortable r what the 9-5s r all about! The v6 is a good engine, but it can be tough to work on sometimes, especially compared to the 2.3 (eg, a 20 minute thermostat job takes an hour with the v6). Honestly, l have the 2.3 in my 2002 9-5, & I've had very little trouble with it, & definitely no more than l might have with any other car! The key to avoiding sludge is getting regular oil changes with the correct oil (syn. 0w-40). l get great highway mileage, ~30mpg, & can go up to 500 mi between fill-ups! It is a great-handling car, really fun to drive, good-looking design, & pretty luxurious! Because the resale value is so low, l bought mine used for the same price as a used Honda Civic; needless to say, the 9-5 has many many more features & options! Buying used Saabs is a ridiculously awesome deal.

Edit:
Ignatz must not know much about 9-5s. every 9-5 comes with a turbocharger. If u find one without a turbo, it is got some problems!

l second Kiwibob is reply.

They do not get good reliability ratings. They are comfortable
and get as good MPG as most large cars.
If the price is right and you get it checked out first and preferably no turbo
it may last a year or two.

l agree with Kiwibob. The 4 cylinder had sludging problems, but they have a fix for it now. It takes a novice a couple of hours to install & costs about $60 bucks. It is called the PCV update #6. You can buy it online. The V-6 has a very small horsepower gain to justify going for the hassle of the 6 cylinders. Find a very clean 4 cylinder, install the PCV update, & change the oil with full synthetic every 5000 miles & it will last forever. They r ridiculously nice for the price.

Also, if u can find a really nice Aero, spring for it. They have more horsepower than the 6 cylinder, they r as reliable as the linear 4 cylinder, & come with 17'' wheels from the factory. Most parts r interchangeable with the linear 4 cylinder, so getting parts should not be a problem.