Saab is a marque that regular readers will understand is one of those quite close to our hearts. A good history, links with aerospace, Saab represents a very unique, safe, fast and inspiring brand. They're economical, too, and it's that aspect that's ensured we can now fulfil a long time Cars in Action ambition of securing a Saab as a long-term test unit.

Saab has achieved impressive successes in recent Total Economy Runs, as has our Publisher, who won his class at his last attempt. In essence, our long-term Saab 9-5 Aero sedan doubles as part of Saab's Economy Run effort this year, but until we start preparing for the event late in July, we have the perfect opportunity of a double edged sword and the Aero has been pressed into service in our fleet as it racks up mileage.

That's a vital component of the preparation required for the Economy Run, while it also provides us with the perfect means of our being able to understand the car, get to know it and report on what it's like to live with...

So, I was understandably walking with a spring in my step on the day that Chisto Kruger, Saab's PR man was due to deliver our silver steed. It arrived at about nine, with 667 km on the clock. I took a walk around the car and sat inside it for a bit, but it stood in the shade most of the day as we pressed on to meet our deadline.

I looked out of the window a good many times, admiring the elegant long-nosed Swede - excited at the prospect of running home and then taking the family for a ride to the post office, McDonalds and a cool evening cruise. Yes, we do get just as excited about a new long-termer as you'd get when buying a new car and the Aero is a car we're really happy to have...

Spacious, comfortable and luxurious, the 9-5 Aero sedan is aimed at traditional rivals the likes of the Mercedes E320, Audi's 3-litre A6 (which is an almost direct price rival), Jaguar's 3.0 S-Type and the BMW 530i. It's a big car and offers most of what its rivals do in pure spec, but the Aero is quicker than it's obvious rivals and offers a sportier alternative straight off, where the others are essentially off-the floor basic.

Those comparisons we will investigate down the line, but 9-5 also rivals several other cars in that neck of its woods — like the Volvo S80, Renault's just launched Vel Satis and the Peugeot 607 — all interesting alternatives to those traditional middle-of-the-road mid-execs... How it shapes up against them, we will also investigate soon.

But on the face of it, Cars in Action likes performance motoring, no? And 9-5 Aero's 184 kW 350 Nm (at 5500 and 1900 rpm respectively) 2290cc turbo 4-cylinder has just what it takes to satisfy our petrolled veins - it's 6.8-second claimed 0-100 and 250km/h top end are top of the class, reason enough for us to be fully satisfied with our new pride and joy.

As in any car there are good and bad points, and thus far in 9-5 there isn't all that much to complain about. Some of its finishes and secondary ergonomics, like the little console behind the rear view mirror have an 'Eighties feel about them, while the central ignition key, while having many advantages, is let down by a previous generation logic.

As noted in our NCAP feature elsewhere, the new 9-3 maintains that system as a safety plus, but that car also no longer requires the car to be in reverse for the key to be removed. We find that requirement in the 9-5 to be a little frustrating at times... But the big Saab delivers handsomely on all its promises of performance, luxury, safety and economy. It's a bit too quiet, I'd prefer a little more aural entertainment, like an AMG E55 makes a noise that adds to its hard-on ability. Aero 9-5 is perhaps a little too secretive about what it's doing.

But it does it in fine style - silky smooth, quiet and comfortable, it's a sleeper of note - a couple of hot hatches in the 'hood can attest to that already! But with its economy intentions, I find myself challenging the fuel tank on most days and despite an initially heavy first tank, I've managed to even dip into the high sixes per hundred on the readout on combined trips - like to and from Jo'burg International from the office in Lone Hill... Impressive, I hope we can get anywhere near that late in July.

A small point I was surprised to see, was the lack of an instantaneous fuel use readout on the onboard computer, something that's a boon to use if you're trying to conserve fuel as we've also been doing on our other long-term newcomer.

But our Saab 9-5 Aero adventure is just beginning - it's so new we won't do the car an injustice by quoting fuel consumption figures yet - and it's going to be a most exciting one, with a sting in the tail that's bound to keep you coming back to keep in touch every issue. See you here next time...

Logbook:
List price on arrival:	R ???????????
List price now:	R
Options:
Odometer on arrival:	667km
Odometer now:	n/a
Fuel consumed:	n/a
Oil consumed:	n/a
Average fuel consumption:	n/a
Faults since arrival:	n/a