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I just wanted to post some photos and give you some of my initial impressions of my new 2006 9-5 that I purchased with my father's GM employee discount coupled with the amazing incentives offered right now.
I traded in my 2003 9-3 Linear for the 9-5, and I have to say that I am quite impressed. Reviews always seem to state that the 9-3 SS is tighter in corners, but I am quite impressed with the 9-5. There may be a little bit of a lean in corners, but they've done a great job of tightening up the suspension. The 260hp now-standard Aero engine is outstanding and almost scary fast at times, especially coupled with Sport mode on the Auto. I love the way when you hit the gas the car seems to squat down a little and just take off like a bullet. I cannot imagine driving without the Sport button engaged unless stuck in a traffic jam, or just cruising on the highway. I was ready to leave the dealership if I didn't like the Auto, as I've been a manual guy in the past, but the auto in sport mode seems to do such a great job of taking advantage of the engine's power and negating turbo-lag that I really don't miss the 5 speed right now.
The interior of the 9-5 is superb and a huge step up from the 9-3. I love the soft leather seats, and the white stitching on the gray seats is so classy. I had never noticed in online pictures of the 9-5 that the two gauge clusters next to the speedometer are indented - this looks really nice with the chrome surrounds (see photo link). The black tie stereo is outstanding. Excellent sound and it sure is cool to be able to program am, fm and xm stations all right next to each other. The aux-in for my iPod works great as well - much better sound than the iTrip I had to use in my 9-3. ACC is very intuitive and works very well.
Regarding the exterior of the redesigned 9-5, I think that photos don't always do it justice as they seem to usually accentuate the chrome around the headlights. I really like the updated front end as I think it's quite distinctive - a modern twist on the three port Saab grille.
Anyways, I am attaching a photo to this post. Additional photos can be found at the link below. I'm quite impressed and pleased with the 9-5 so far, and I will keep you updated as I get more time behind the wheel.
Chris
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